How to engage remote workers in brainstorming

Just because your staff work remotely doesn’t mean you can’t brainstorm, says Olivia Ryan.

Adding remote employees in your workforce is not only a trend, it is a necessity. The number of remote employees has increased greatly since 1995, when only 9% of the workers in companies were telecommuting. According to the Gallup’s Work and Education poll, 37% of employees have telecommuted their way in the current roles in the company.

Some of the most popular companies worldwide practice this trend, and not only because it is popular. Using the numerous benefits of remote work has become a great tool for many businesses. Not only do remote workers increase the talent pool, but also boost the global perspective of a company.

But, while there are many advantages to being able to employ people from all around the world, it also comes with many challenges. ‘

’Controlling and managing people from afar is a daunting aspect of remote employment. Due to the distance in geographical sense, in most cases, employers and employees meet rarely or even never.’’ – explains Sam Tucker, HR manager at an Assignment Aussie Writings Service.

Let every employee know that their engagement matters. Go out of your way to prioritise their achievements, and show them they are valuable members of your team.

So, if you decided to follow this trend and jump into the global talent pool, you must take steps to motivate and engage your remote workers. To convince the workers to make the business grow, you must engage them in brainstorming.

Here is how you do it:

Leverage the power of technology

Technology has evolved to such high point, it is now possible to communicate with your employees in real time. No matter where your employees are, you can set meetings with them and leverage the power of technology.

Whether you choose Skype for Business, Slack, Google for Work, or any other meeting and collaboration tool, you can literally discuss the work with the employee face-to-face. Of course, you would have to find the time when your employee is awake and working if you are located in different time zones, since when it comes to remote work, time can be an issue.

Assemble the team whenever possible

Whenever you can afford to do this, assemble your remote team together. You can do this once or twice a year, but make sure to do it as often as possible. Connecting your employees can help you build the synchronised workforce that you probably long to have.

Meeting with the employees on Skype and live chats is different form meeting them in person. Once you do, you can brainstorm ideas with them, build a stronger relationship, and make them feel more valued.

Recognise their achievements and contributions

One of the biggest problems with remote employment is the lack of recognition. Since you are managing these employees from afar, they can easily feel undervalued and lose their motivation to truly engage.

Recognition of the work they do and their contribution should definitely be a part of your strategy. Include public acknowledgements, introduce an award system, create competitions, and publish their achievements in the company newsletter.

When an employee meets a milestone, send them a digital reward or an e-card, or even go further and send them a bonus. This should make your employees feel involved and appreciated, which in return will boost their motivation and engagement.

Prioritise their engagement

One grand factor in making remote employees engaged is to prioritise engagement by helping them develop personally. Focus on each of your employees’ strengths and give them courage and tools to develop these further. By contributing to the personal development of your remote workers, you will create a much stronger team.


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To motivate your employees to build on their current skills, offer them something in return. Awards can come in the form of a bigger involvement in the company’s decisions, a raise, a promotion, or bonuses after a completed milestone.

It doesn’t really matter where your employees are – if you learn how to motivate them and set their engagement as a priority, you can aid them in contributing to the company and brainstorm their ideas.

This may be a bit more complicated with a remote team, since all these meetings would have to happen online. However, you can still set the big milestones at your yearly meetings onsite, and guide your employees via online tools afterwards.

Let every employee know that their engagement matters. Go out of your way to prioritise their achievements, and show them they are valuable members of your team.

Choosing to manage a remote team is not a bad idea, but it is a step you must take very seriously as an employer. Remote workers require your attention even more than those you have onsite, because you can rarely meet up with them and engage them in person.

If you follow these four tips, you should engage your remote workers to brainstorm in no time!

 

About the author

Olivia Ryan is a passionate blogger who writes on topics of digital marketing, career, and self-development. 

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