5 Ways to Keep Your Remote Staff Motivated This Summer
Summer is officially in full swing, and your remote employees have a major case of Zoom fatigue. Despite their commitment to the job, it’s quite obvious they’re feeling the lazy days of the season.
You want your team to enjoy their summer while also remaining productive. This can be a hard balance to strike, but it’s certainly not impossible. Engaged employees work harder — even when the warm sunshine is streaming through their office windows — so it’s important to make them feel valued while maintaining a strong sense of team.
5 Ways to Keep Your Remote Staff Motivated
Feeling a little stuck on how to keep your workers encouraged, when they’d rather be lounging poolside? Here’s some advice to help motivate them, while simultaneously making plenty of time for fun.
Offer Summer Fridays
It’s always hard to get a lot of work out of employees on Friday afternoons, but during the summer, it can be nearly impossible. Inspire your team to reach peak productivity the rest of the week by allowing people to sign off early on Fridays — if they have their work done. The promise of ending the week with a shorter workday will give employees much-needed encouragement anytime they’re feeling sluggish.
Grant as Many PTO Requests as Possible
Many people enjoy taking a summer vacation to relax and recharge. This is great, but it can make it hard to coordinate a large influx of paid time off requests. However, it’s important to do your best to make it happen. Ask employees to submit their requests early, so you can plan accordingly. If there’s too much overlap, consider asking some people to switch their days or bring in temporary employees to fill the gap.
Plan Virtual Activities
Many virtual teams are spread across the country — or even the world. This makes it difficult to get together in person — especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic — but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun together virtually. Plan activities like virtual happy hours, paint nights, and game nights to help employees bond while boosting morale.
Challenge Them
Nothing gets people inspired like a friendly competition. Motivate your team by creating a contest that aligns with company goals, that everyone can participate in. For example, you might challenge employees to bring in as many new clients as possible over a one-month time period. Offer an enticing prize — i.e., a cash bonus, an extra day off, or a gift card — so people are excited to participate and try their hand at winning.
Provide Positive Feedback
Employees tend to get sluggish when they think the boss isn’t watching. Even the most motivated workers will slow down a bit, if they feel like their extra efforts are going unnoticed. Therefore, it’s important to recognize outstanding work, so employees know you’re paying attention and appreciate everything they do. This will encourage them to keep up the great work because everyone wants to please their boss.
Need a little help hiring the right people for your team? To learn more about how we can help you find top behavioral health talent, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].