With many of your employees working from home, it’s hard to maintain your company culture and ensure your employees are being supported. Culture is everything in an organization. It’s what allows good companies to become great while average companies stay average. I want to provide some tips for supporting and engaging remote employees so that your company culture can become great.
Tip 1- Reach out
Now is not the time to disappear. Just like you, many leaders are learning on the fly how to navigate the WFM situation. Like raising a child, there are no owners-manual for operating within a global pandemic.
What is important is that your employees understand you are there for them. Reach out to them and have a conversation about how things are going in their WFM situation. Find out how they are feeling and if there is anything you can do to help.
Tip 2 – Establish internal groups
Since many employees are facing the same situations, establish internal groups where they can share ideas and solutions with each other. Use your intranet of set up a private Facebook group where they are free to have discussions.
The groups could be situation related- how to homeschool while working. There could be a technical group that answers technology related questions. Provide an HR group. Consider a COVID19 group for the latest (real) information.
You can also set up non-work related groups. Sourdough recipe groups. Dinner recipe groups. Gardening tip groups. The number of groups you could set up are endless.
Tip 3 – Set up coaching calls
As a leader, it is important that you communicate more frequently with your employees. Set up weekly coaching calls with your staff. Leave the broader business performance communication to other methods. Use these calls to find out what your employees are struggling with. Understand if there are roadblocks you need to remove.
A once a year performance review will not cut it in today’s world. Have frequent private communication with your employees so they know where they stand and what they can do to succeed.
Focus on how you can support them and how they can support others on the team. Let them know you are paying attention.
Tip 4 – Realize your company culture will get out
Given the frequent use of social media, there are few company secrets today. Your company culture and how employees feel about it will reach the outside world. It’s hard to say you have an exceptional customer experience when you have a horrible employee experience.
What you do as a company during these trying times says a lot about your company culture. Keep that in the forefront of your mind as you develop ways of supporting and engaging remote employees!
As always, it is an honor to serve you, and I hope that you and your company are getting better every day!
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