Keeping our remote team motivated and engaged through COVID-19

As the Head of Business Support at Enhanced, I feel passionate about looking after our people as much as I can during such uncertain times.

There’s a lot to consider when motivating a team who are working remotely and keeping them engaged, here’s my three top considerations:

Communication

This is something I really try to promote; communication is a driver for long lasting relationships at work. We try to use face to face where we can, we’re taking full advantage of the latest technology such as Microsoft Teams to help with more open communications. We’ve introduced a QuaranTea Break once a week and Virtual Drinks Fridge Friday. These are informal, Company video calls to bring us close together and talk openly about how we’re all doing. If there’s concern of running out of stuff to talk about (which is unlikely with the culture we’ve created), I always try to discuss what everybody has been learning or a new DIY skill they’ve mastered. Just because you’re working from home, doesn’t mean you can’t have a good catch up.

Remember everybody is different and everybody requires something different

Some employees need frequent contact with their team or their manager and others like the independence of “cracking on” that remote working allows. Employees may need to feel secure to feel engaged in their role. We try to encourage self-motivation and independence however making sure we are only one video call away when they need it.

Trust

Our defined roles allow us to focus on our daily activity, but it’s also key at such uncertain times to give clear expectations and consider the variation in workload. I encourage managers to delegate responsibility where they can and to make sure trust is given to employees.

With the Government restrictions in place around exercising and getting fresh air, it’s important to respect that employee’s energy may be impacted, they may not have the same movement and interaction that they would usually have during a day in a buzzing office environment. Although remote working can be a challenge for some employees to adapt to, we’ve seen great examples of self-motivation, focus and commitment. Our support teams have been experiencing high call volumes, at the peak the call volumes were up by about 60%. The teamwork we have seen from our employees whilst not physically together has been exemplary, our calls are being answered in 46 seconds and we’re still proudly reaching that 99% customer satisfaction score!

Author: Laura Elford, Head of Business Support