However, while there are a lot of great perks to having employees work from their homes, many companies are finding that keeping their staff productive and engaged is not as easy as it is when everyone is working from the office. However, there are several tactics that you can try to foster productivity and have a successful team. Let’s discuss some of the best strategies.

1. Set Expectations But Don’t Micromanage

When you first go remote, it is important to set expectations so your employees aren’t wandering around doing their own thing. Create a detailed policy that states when employees should be at their desks, how they should communicate and ask questions, and their expected workflow. Also, put deadlines in place, so they can properly plan to submit their work on time. Management will want to create a structure and run things as if everyone was still in the office. That way, your employees can stay on task.

However, effectively managing and engaging your team does not mean micromanaging them. While you should expect a certain result, you don’t have to tell them how to do every single step. If they feel like every move they make is being scrutinised, then they may rebel by doing less. By resisting the urge to micromanage, your employees will realize that you trust them to do what is expected, and they will show their appreciation by continuing to impress.

2. Video Meetups

Although everyone is working on their own, you still want to do your best to create a sense of community, where everyone has the opportunity to collaborate and communicate face-to-face. You can accomplish this by having regular video meetups on a program such as Zoom or Skype. Have status update meetings and reviews via a video platform so that everyone can see the group and bounce ideas off of one another like they would if they were in the same conference room. This tactic will also help to fight off the possible feelings of isolation that many remote workers can experience.

Video is essential in a remote environment, even if you aren’t talking about work. Consider having team-building exercises or a casual digital hangout where your staff can show their faces and catch up on each other’s lives. These video chats can energise your employees, and they will return to work feeling happy and proud to be a part of the team.

Keep in mind that while these group chats are essential, it is important to not go overboard with the number of meetings you have because if you are constantly interrupting the team during their workday, then their productivity will inevitably suffer.

3. Prevent Computer Fatigue

When employees are remote, they can tend to work longer hours without even realising it since they are already at home and they don’t have the boss there telling them to call it quits. While you want your employees to be productive, if they are sitting at their computers for too long, then they may experience computer fatigue, which is a productivity killer. Essentially, computer fatigue is the result of sitting and staring at screens over a long period of time, and in addition to tiredness and a lack of effort, this condition can also lead to medical issues such as headaches, dry eye, and pain in the neck and shoulders.

As a manager, you must keep your employees safe in body and mind by encouraging them to take breaks throughout the day so they can stretch their legs and backs and go for a healthy snack or get outside so they can breathe in some fresh air and soak in the sunshine. By doing so, you will protect the health of your employees, and they will appreciate that management has their best intentions at heart.

4. Recognise Team Contributions

One of the best ways to foster team productivity is to reward your employees when they make a great effort. A simple 'thank you' can do wonders. Whenever an agent exceeds sales goals or assists another team member when they are overburdened, send an email or recognise their contributions during one of your video calls.

While many employees are driven by work ethic, they also long for approval from their boss, so this public show of admiration will go a long way, and the agent will work harder in hopes of another acknowledgement in the future.

5. Stay In Touch

When everyone is working on their own, communication amongst your team becomes even more important. As a manager, you must provide many ways that your employees can reach out to you at a moment’s notice, be it by phone, email, or instant messenger. Your staff should know that there is an open-door policy and that you can be reached whenever they are stuck or have questions.

On the other side of the coin, management should also check in with their employees throughout the day. Again, you don’t want to micromanage, but it is a good idea to ask how everyone is doing just in case they have questions but are not sure how to ask.

As you can see, with a smart approach, your remote team can be as or more productive than they were in the office. By setting expectations, communicating regularly, and giving props for a job well done, your team will be engaged and ready to take on the next big project.