5 ways to keep your remote working team motivated

If you thought this pandemic would largely blow over after 6 months, then you’re not alone. The initial remote working requirement allowed for some real positives – no travel, casual workwear and the sense of community, because we were all ‘in it together’.

Six months on and the downsides are now becoming apparent – longer working hours, an incessant expectation to hold all calls by video, the same surroundings day and night, and a decline to just 500 steps per day for some. We should be in no doubt, remote working’s here to stay, so it’s time to review how you support your people and the business, through remote working and increase productivity at the lowest possible cost.

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1. provide freedom

Allow your employees to choose another location of work – this may be in another UK location or abroad, subject to travel restrictions. In doing so, it’ll help employees try out a new city, be in a new environment and experience a new culture, on a ‘work from anywhere’ basis.

2. Small budget

Provide your team with a small fund to support remote working – iPad stands, stress-relieving gadgets, compact desks. Don’t be too prescriptive, maybe let them come up with ideas themselves. Consider diverting your unused Christmas party budget if you had one! You may also want to inform your employees about the tax relief for working from home due to the pandemic. After all, ‘every little helps’!

3. Encourage breaks

Set breaks as a KPI to ensure your team get up from their seat and move around. Avoiding this will only create longer term musculoskeletal complaints, which in themselves can be costly down the line.

4. Set challenges

Whether it’s a virtual team walk, a quiz, brain games or simply a ‘coffee break’, or perhaps a book club or film night, the key here’s to make time to have fun with your team and allow for some ‘kick-back’ time.

5. Hydration and nutrition

These are key to high performance and concentration. A balanced diet’s always the best approach, but when you’re working remotely and in isolation, fruit juice can be a good brain fuel due to the natural glucose. Nuts and berries are also good, as they’re said to support memory. The BBC Good Food Guide often has useful tips for brainpower foods and healthy & nutritional recipes.