How to keep employees engaged and motivated in wfh environment

The work from home concept has now become a reality in the backdrop of the outbreak of Covid-19. The year 2020 has proved that the concept of work from home has become successful and is here to stay. Earlier, employees used to travel to their offices and work from their office. But now, the traditional concept of working from office space for specific hours has been replaced by the work from home concept. The sudden outbreak of the Corona Virus globally has made work from home environment a reality to reckon with.

It is to be noted that the advancements in the field of technology have enabled businesses and corporate houses to operate their business as usual by adapting their policies to the changed working environment. The new norm is work from home and it is here to stay for a while till a permanent cure comes up for the dreaded Corona Virus.

The changed working scenario has come up with its own set of challenges to be faced by both employees and employers. Employees, on their part, are concerned about job security and their family. The employers, on their part, are not just concerned about running their business but also how to keep their employees engaged and motivated in the remote work from home environment.

So, let us go through some of the innovative ideas adopted by employers to keep their employees engaged and motivated while working from home.

Building a community-like feeling among employees: This sudden transition from the office space to working from home has created a feeling of aloofness among the employees. While working from home, an employee has to create his virtual office like environment at home which might make him demotivated and less engaging in office work. The onus here lies on the employer to keep encouraging the employees (workforce) while working from home. This can be done by conducting a videoconference with all the team members together. Here, online discussion can be done not just about office work but also about each other’s routine at home, or pursuance of any hobby and so forth.

Basically, the idea is to develop and retain a connect among the team members via the online medias. This will help in overcoming feelings of anxiety, restlessness and isolation among the members of the team while they continue to work from home.

Building vigorous communication: As discussed above, the need of the hour is to take the assistance of advanced communication tools and ensure connectivity among the employees of the organization. Thankfully, today the companies taking advantage of robust communication tools such as Skype, WhatsApp, Microsoft Team and so forth can connect with their employees spread across the globe. This is how MNCs have been able to establish and retain their network among the employees of their organization spread across geographical boundaries.

Hence, companies and HR personnel should ensure to communicate with the employees at least on a weekly basis to ensure the mental and physical well-being of their employees via online communication tools.

Recognition and encouragement of employees: Appreciation and acknowledgement for good work goes a long way in boosting the morale of the employees of the organization. When you recognize the employee for his/her outstanding work or for delivering as per the deadline, the employee feels elated for his contribution to the organization. This not just acts as a morale booster but also provides motivation to continue working for the organization with renewed vigour and zeal. And this is actually what the employer is looking for and that too in the work from home environment.

Provide infrastructure and necessary equipment: Since the work from home concept is here to stay for a while, companies are coming up with novel ideas to enhance the productivity and the quality of work. The quality of work delivered by employees is directly associated with the kind of tools and equipment provided by the organization. These days, several companies as an add-on to the work from home policy, are offering table and chair to their employees for comfortably working from home. In addition, labtops with fast speed Wifi are also being provided by the organization for smooth functioning from home.

Moreover, the organizations can also offer perks and discounts, or conduct online classes for acquiring new skill—all these steps will certainly benefit both the employer and the employee while trying to balance work and home together.

Therefore, to conclude, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has brought several challenges for the business community. Still several novel ways and means have come up to keep the employees motivated and engaged while working from home.