How to Effectively Boost Low Employee Morale While Remote Working

More than generating sales and making your customers happy, it is vital that you prioritize your employees' well-being. After all, these people serve as the backbone of your business.

Without them, you are less likely to kick your venture off the ground and drive revenue. That said, you must build a positive work culture.

But what if you are in a work-from-home setup? How can you boost your remote employees' morale?

Understanding Employee Morale and How to Maintain It

Employee morale refers to their feeling of satisfaction and attitude towards a company. When an employee is dissatisfied, it means they have low morale. As a result, they tend to be less productive or non-cooperative.

This can be challenging when you are in a remote work setup. That's because a dissatisfied employee can choose not to respond to your messages anytime.

Thus, the key to boosting employee morale is to ensure their satisfaction.

Be Aware of the Circumstances

Some employees prefer to work remotely because it supports their lifestyle. For instance, it gives parents more time to spend with their children.

Thus, employers must understand how this work setup impacts someone's work-life balance.

If an employee is a working parent, know when they are available to work during the day. Some parents are productive in the morning while their children are at school. Some employees prefer to work from home because they are either working students or running a home business.

When you know their circumstances, you can set your expectations and see how you can support them.

Make Your Company Culture Felt and Known

The first step to boosting employee morale while working remotely is to let your people feel your company culture.

You can do this by letting your employees know and understand what your company values are. Encourage them to embody these values in everything they do. This includes submitting an output and interacting with your clients and customers.

Doing so compels everyone to uphold a moral standard. In addition, it gives your employees a sense of belonging. This can lead to fewer sick leaves and a better employee retention rate.

Set Up Regular Meetings

Another way to give your employees a sense of belonging is always to keep them in the loop. Thus, you should set up regular meetings.

You can do a daily online huddle to make everyone updated on everyone's tasks. You can also conduct a weekly meeting to review how the week went and what you would like to prioritize next week.

It is also advisable to have quarterly town hall meetings. This is when you update everyone in the company on how your business is performing. This includes letting people know whether there are changes in company policies, working on a deal with a new client, and recognizing exemplary employees.

Encourage Group Discussions

In relation to the previous point, you must always have an open communication line for group discussions.

If you are using a business communication platform, you can set up an "Anything Goes" discussion thread. This is where employees can ask questions or share ideas about their work. Think of it as a conference room that fosters idea sharing and collaboration.

That way, you have a place where you can incubate ideas that can help your business progress. It is also the nearest thing that your remote employees can have to get-togethers and lunch discussions.

Host Social Activities

Just because you are working together virtually does not mean you cannot socialize. If anything, this is crucial as socialization also provides a sense of belongingness to your employees.

For instance, you can host weekly online activities like Facebook Watch Party or virtual escape room. If you have a couple of employees who live in the same city, give them a budget to have a face-to-face lunch get-together.

Will you be visiting a country where you have a handful of remote employees? Why not meet up over drinks and dinner so you can meet them in person?

The purpose of such social activities is to make a connection outside of work.

Provide a Home Office Setup Assistance

Here's the thing: Not everyone has the resources to set up a dedicated workspace at home. Hence, you can find ways to ease that burden.

If you have the budget, provide laptops to your remote employees. Otherwise, you can choose to provide a monthly allowance that they can use to pay for electricity or internet bill. Think of how you can help them get their work done.

It does not have to be grand, albeit it should be helpful. Believe us when we tell you that this gesture can go a long way.

Over to You

Whether your company is new to this setup or not, your job as an employer does not end with boosting your employees' productivity. You should also maintain a positive remote work culture to sustain your people's morale.

To do that, you should keep the following tips in mind:

  1. Be aware of the circumstances

  2. Make your company culture felt and known

  3. Set up regular meetings

  4. Encourage group discussions

  5. Host social activities

  6. Provide home office setup assistance

Doing so will make your employees feel that they are valued. This can lead to employee loyalty and productivity.

About the Author:

Raymond Chiu is the Director of Operations for Maid Sailors Commercial Cleaning Service New York, a top-rated office cleaning service provider. Matched with affordable prices, Maid Sailors can address even the toughest cleaning needs and can turn any workplace into a healthy, safe and employee-friendly environment.