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Three Ways for Your Business to Maintain Productivity and Trust with Remote Workers

The Russian novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin was ahead of its time in many ways. Written decades before Brave New World, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale, it prefigured many of the tropes which would become characteristic of the dystopian novel genre. Circles and cycles are recurring motifs throughout the work, adding thematic heft to one of the work’s most famous quotes – “There is no final revolution.” Change is an ongoing process, with new “revolutions” always in motion and always changing. It is the ability to keep up and adapt with that change which helps ensure the liberty of individuals as well as the prosperity of nations.

So it is with the business world as well. With more and more workers working remotely these days, many companies are being forced to rethink the way they monitor and motivate their workers to be productive. The online revolution is still ongoing, and you will want to make sure that your company is at the forefront of what is increasingly a remote, online workplace.

These methods have helped us here at PRTR as a Recruitment Agency and can help your company adapt to the new online landscape, keeping your workers on task while trusting them to do so.

  1. Regular Communication Is Key

The Internet is an endless font of information. It’s also your one-stop shop for memes, cat videos, and all manner of different distractions. While the online workplace allows for greater freedom in terms of hiring people from all over the world to do your work, it also has a tendency to remove the physical and mental structural apparatuses of a traditional brick and mortar business that can get people to focus. As such, checking in with your workers on a regular basis is key to ensuring that they remain focused on the tasks you assign them.

That said, there are many more reasons to communicate regularly, not the least of which is to simply make sure that all your workers are on the same page. It can be easy to misunderstand something in a face-to-face meeting, so the chances of that happening with online companies is all the greater – especially if you don’t check in with workers regularly.

In addition, there’s the fact that communication is necessary for maintaining morale. Everyone likes to hear “thank you” every now and again. After all, we like to think that our work means something and is appreciated by others. Without that, work can feel empty, especially when spent remotely, typing away for a goal that seems nebulous and a client or business that you never get to physically “see.” That’s why regular communication and compliments between workers and employers is so important. A simple “thank you” or “good job” from time to time can go a long way towards motivating workers. What’s more, it can help breed a better corporate culture. If you have an online chat group for your business, encouraging discussion and compliments between employees can lead to a greater sense of community, and with it, a more cohesive, effective team.

  1. Incentivize Outcome-Based Goals for Workers

The online workplace, as with any sector, is built on competition – for companies as well as employees. Since they’re not bound by physical constraints, you need to give workers a reason to choose to work remotely for you rather than for someone else. Incentivizing performance can be a great way to do that and likewise ensure that employees stay committed to their work.

Another potential reason for the increasing success of this approach is the growth of video game culture. We now have multiple generations who have grown up with video games, getting used to unlocking “rewards” and “achievements” for putting in hard work. The same motivation that drives gamers to achieve 100% completion on games or unlock special features is to a certain extent transferable to the business world. Achievement-oriented generations are incentive-motivated ones. Offer them a clear goal with a fair chance at attaining it, and you’ll find many individuals who are willing to put in the extra time at work, whether remotely or otherwise.

  1. Supplying the Proper Tools

Where would Van Gogh have been without his brush, or Shakespeare absent his quill? Having the right tools on hand can ensure that creative people are able to create without having to stop every five minutes and ask tech support for help. App development software for development companies, teaching software for online teaching companies, Skype and other online chat tools to help employees ask and answer questions with rapidity and regularity – they’re as essential to the online workplace as fax machines and printers are to their physical counterparts.

Join the online revolution and inspire your remote workers to ever-greater heights!