Are your remote employees unhappy?

June 9, 2021
Access Tech: Are your remote employees unhappy?

Projections show that working from home is here to stay. What can your company do should an employee decide to leave? Consider your current processes when an on-site employee quits. Is there a different approach to take into consideration for those working elsewhere?

In-person job environments provide us with the necessary elements of socialization and a healthy morale. Which begs the question of whether this is actually possible to obtain, and maintain, without face-to-face contact. Video conferencing is an excellent solution to this potential issue. One of the most important aspects of seeing our co-workers and leaders in real time is observing their demeanor. Feeling overwhelmed, experiencing burn-out, and having a lack of enthusiasm for one’s job can still occur outside of the office. Ensuring you are able to recognize this by interacting visually with your staff can aid in determining if this is happening, which could prevent them from leaving.

What can you do to keep your people loyal?

Firstly, remember to acknowledge the ways they are good at their job. For example, how they keep your company moving, and how they contribute to a positive reputation of your company. If they are customer-facing, their position is one of the most important voices you have. Do this by providing reviews that only tackle what they’ve done well. Reward them in ways that are thoughtful and show a real understanding of their commitment to you.

Secondly, inclusion. Spend little moments with them that remind them they are real, they are appreciated, and they are not alone. Working remotely is incredibly isolating, especially when we are used to an in-person environment. Connect with them daily, and throughout the day, in ways that don’t have to be serious or create a sense of Big Brother. A quick chat or a mid-day funny quip can be enough to move them away from leaving you (or falling off the deep end).

Lastly, if an employee, remote or otherwise, does leave, be careful not to personalize it too much. Unless that is the actual reason they are leaving, of course. Eventually, people will feel the need to move on and that doesn’t necessarily mean you failed. If a remote employee were to express their wish to leave, simply find out why. It could be a simple fix, a quick clarification, or maybe things have just reached that point.

Let’s keep in mind that our entire culture consists of employees (everyone works for someone), which keep our economy running. Our businesses are run by those we hire – Let’s value them as people, face-to-face and virtually.

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