How to support your team during this extended period of remote working
We’re all facing such a big change in day-to-day routines and environments, and we’re still learning how best to approach this. However, to help support your business we wanted to share some of the things we’re doing to help our team during remote working.
Communication is the key
With your team now working from home and face-to-face interaction disappearing, communication might become more challenging than usual. Thanks to technology there is an abundance of communication tools that teams can use when working from home. However, it’s important to set guidelines so everyone understands how each channel is used. Your guide could look something like this:
- Email: continue to use for important announcements and longer work correspondence.
- Slack: a great tool for day-to-day work announcements, team catch-ups and news bulletins. Making different slack channels for each subject allows people to select which ones they want to be part of, reducing the amount of ‘noise’ they get throughout the day.
- Video call: use for meetings that require video and screen sharing capabilities. It’s also a nice way to make sure that the team are getting some face time with their teammates or with the wider business.
Setting processes for the company can ensure your team is communicating regularly and that everybody is working towards a shared goal. We have a daily check-in and check-out at the beginning and end of each day per team, this encourages people to remain focused on the task at hand, but also provides much-needed face time with their closest colleagues.
Make room for downtime
With no dedicated commuting time or office environment, it can be easy for employees to slip into an always-on habit when working from home. If your team isn’t used to working remotely, it’s vital to communicate your expectations and the support you will be providing as a business.
In light of this pandemic it’s clear we’ll be working from home for a long time, with the lockdown recently being extended, it’s important your employees know working from home doesn’t equal always on. It’s important to encourage downtime. There is evidence, for example, that solidifying a working from home routine can help increase productivity and support mental health. Every day your team should get up, get dressed, have breakfast, commute and then log-in. It’s also key to prioritise a wind-down routine, this is especially hard when working from home because often our commute naturally acts as a time to switch off from work. However, making a point to shut down your laptop and step away from you ‘office’ is a huge win for work/life balance.
Prioritising mental health and wellbeing
The world is currently going through an unprecedented time which brings a whole host of challenges when it comes to mental and physical wellbeing.
The complete turnaround in our working routines may be difficult for some people to adjust too. The increased time spent alone and in the same environment might take its toll on some of your teams’ mental health. Making time for connection and encouraging colleagues to chat about other things other than work will help, just as you would do in the office.
To help with this, we’ve scheduled a weekly virtual tea break where people can pop in and out for a cuppa and a catch up with colleagues to boost morale and see some new faces. We’ve also scheduled company-wide social activities, taking our inaugural pub quiz online and recently completing a University Challenge game show. Anything you can do to keep company morale going-strong and light-hearted whilst many people feel isolated and potentially scared is a great way to keep spirits high.
These are just some of the ways we’re trying to help our team through this new and extended period of isolation and remote working.
This article is provided by Wagestream.
In partnership with Wagestream
Wagestream’s financial wellbeing platform makes work more rewarding for 3 million people.
