There is hardly any special motivation for remote workers. Each person has his own motivation, regardless of whether he works at home or in the office. And here it is important to focus on the person, the personality. What is important and valuable for him? And the difference is that it is more difficult to understand values and aspirations of the employee who is not observed by the manager in the office every day. That is why I advise managers to meet with such employees in person at least once a year. Ideally, at the time of hiring and later at major corporate events.
If there is no such opportunity, the manager needs to know and follow the general rules that motivate any employee.
The goal. How much do your employees understand what they do and why they do it? Does the company have a mission? How do you communicate the idea of your mission to your employees? With remote employees, this is especially important, so they need to tie every assignment and new project to the company's mission. Such a mutual- connection will keep the interest and importance of cooperation. What's more, it will become a self-starting motivation system. This is what will get them up in the morning and help them do the work with gusto.
Achievement Indicator. Every employee in their workplace wants to show what they can do. Understated or overstated demands reduce motivation. Therefore, do not be in a hurry to set rigid limits on the achievement of results. It is better to be more attentive, to systematically test remote employees to create for them achievable criteria, taking into account their growth. There are EOR solutions that assist managers in monitoring and evaluating employee performance from a distance, which can be useful for remote employees. This way, the manager can have a clear understanding of their progress and make adjustments accordingly.
Personal results, participation, meaningfulness, recognition, feedback. Impersonalization (of a person or a team) reduces motivation. It's important for employees to have their supervisor notice their personal contribution to the cause. With a remote employee it is especially important, you can not observe it in the office and at any time to praise or direct. Many managers have to learn to praise and point out the pros first. At our company, supervisors always start the meeting with good employee actions and results.
Informing. By how, in what form, and at what speed employees receive information, they assess how important they really are in the eyes of their immediate superiors. If their access to information is hampered, employees perceive it as a decrease in their own importance in the team and the company. And this is directly related to motivation and loyalty to the company. Remote workers do not have the opportunity at any time to approach the manager and something to ask him or her to clarify, so for them it is extremely important to have well-organized information. Instructions, recommendations, knowledge bases necessary to perform tasks should be detailed and accessible. Are your employees getting all the information they need in full and on time?
Sense of belonging. Motivation is also an important point. People work more willingly when they feel part of a team. If you have a department of remote employees who live in different cities, maybe even countries, connect them together as a team. To do this, you can use a social intranet platform where they can communicate, solve common problems, and share experiences.
The attitude of the manager. A good supervisor's attitude is always very motivating. It is hardly possible to interact effectively when there is a cold relationship. Yes, there are supervisors who are only interested in the result and not the person behind that result. Such managers are almost always at some disadvantage and it’s better for them to hire a good VA. If a manager doesn't think his employees are good, talented, special, they won't aspire to be. They will conform to what he sees in them.
How do you raise remote employees?
If a company decides to send some employees to work remotely, it is important for the manager to understand and see who is ready to work remotely without compromising the company. To quickly test an employee's ability to work remotely, you need to set up a format that will test both punctuality, commitment, and consistency. If a person quickly gets into that rhythm, they can be sent to work remotely. Moreover, it is often the case that such people begin to develop rapidly outside the office.
A motivational speaker agency can help you find the perfect speaker to inspire your team and deliver impactful messages tailored to your event’s goals.
