His podcast goes a bit deeper into talking about new technology that comes out. Probably not in the conventional way you’re used to. I like meeting face to face. Start meetings on a positive personal note, and commit it to tradition. When people are working from home — or any place different than the ‘norm’, it’s especially important to find ways to keep company culture alive. On-Demand – 60 min. I personally really like Slack. I like that Google Calendar allows you to send events with the ‘event location’ as the URL for a Zoom call, for example, and when it’s the start time for that event, all you have to do is click the URL and you’re entering a meeting. It’s important that companies create an environment where leadership and employees can stay connected while working from home. If an employee goes above and beyond the call of duty, they should be rewarded with some type of incentive. When talking to employees, tell them how much you appreciate their work while focusing on the positive characteristics. The last cool way I like to feel productive and engaged while also seeing friends’ faces is practicing Spanish with friends in Argentina. Formerly known as Gchat, yes – it’s Google Hangouts! Deadlines and commitments aren't always enough motivation.Still, employees who work from home continue to report loving their jobs more than those in their cubicle.Leadership IQ provides an online test that gathers data regarding an employee’s feeling toward their job based on the employ… Where I live, it’s easy to get in a 40-hour work week with a combination of drop-off playcare, preschool, learning centers and part-time babysitters. When you’re working from home, how do the social activities and human interactions translate into online methods of communicating? It’s a Slack-y program with a list of members of your organization on the left side and chat space on the rest of the screen. Work Relationships 9 Creative Ways to Stay Connected to Your Coworkers When You're All Working From Home . To me, that’s one of the coolest gifts that technology has given us. To combat feeling lonely while working from home, we’re fortunately blessed with the type of technology that makes interacting with another real person easy, at the click of a button. Working from home can have many benefits for both employees and employers, from savings on commercial rent to better flexibility in work. Figuring out how to stay connected while working from home? Google Calendar is where I store all my information across organizations, events, clients, companies and personal, regarding where I need to be (online) and when. You can also receive phone calls to Teams, if your organization permits, and therefore, you can receive voicemails there as well. This way, you won’t have to spend an hour looking at multiple people’s houses at a stretch! Instead, find fun ways to stay socially connected with your coworkers and managers. Yet, even before the recent COVID-19 outbreak, remote working can be a challenge for many organizations looking to engage their teams and employees effectively.Understanding how to manage and engage employees can yield the same, if not better, results than when employees are in the office. I like collaboration. Have Friday after-work drinks during a video chat, organize secret Santa for Christmas, keep a separate chat for cute pet pictures, share the fun fact of the week – the list can go as far as your imagination does. And as remote working increases, so do childcare options that go beyond traditional daycare, nannies, school and summer camps. As the world battles the Coronavirus pandemic, employees are forced to work from home. SHARES . 20 Ways to Keep Your Employees Engaged Through the Summer. Virtual Dance Party (Recommended) One of the quickest and easiest virtual team building activities is the Virtual Dance Party. Keeping your virtual office door open is more of a mindset and something to say, but it’s worth keeping in mind. If you employ remote workers, you might even consider supplementing a percentage of pre-qualified exercise-related memberships or gear. Have Friday after-work drinks during a video chat, organize secret Santa for Christmas, keep a separate chat for cute pet pictures, share the fun fact of the week – the list can go as far as your imagination does. Try out “Know Your Team” for bringing social elements to virtual work. By Pooja Bajaj | 30th Mar 2020. Encouraging your people to get comfortable, get into the right mindset, and take regular breaks can help them stay engaged in … 2. Other days, you may hear about different code editors or CMS platforms. On-Demand – 60 min. We're an NYC-based couple who work remotely. Be collaborative by starting custom tags, color-coding and setting accurate deadlines. It’ll make you smile. Are you tired of having your laptop’s camera below face-level? Most people we know also use it for large friend groups to keep in touch. What if cooking was graded by how it looked, and not how it tasted? Or during a seven-minute workout. Even my gym offers weekday drop-in daycare from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And in some cities, a new coworking with childcare trend is starting to take shape. But for every employee who is thriving in their cozy new workspace, there are at least two workers who struggle to face each day with limited human interaction. Keeping your workforce focussed and engaged is key to having a positive experience of home working. While many employees already do some work remotely, many workers and managers are still trying to adjust to this paradigm shift. No supervisor watching your seat. I regularly communicate with contacts via Remote Year, some of which have become professional relationships, to my pleasant surprise. We're currently traveling full time and capturing as much of our experience as we can. Stay connected. Podcasts to stay updated with current events, Podcasts to stay updated with web development, technology and photography, how to remove background noise from calls, Subscribe to the Morning Brew emerging tech newsletter, Subscribe to the Morning Brew marketing newsletter, trip around the world while working remotely, How to Set Up a Home Office in a Small Apartment, Best Productivity Tips for Working From Home, Travel Budget Hacks From the @Halfhalftravel Community, 43 Best Photography YouTube Channels to Follow, How to Create a Shared Home Office Space for Two, The Best Cities for Working Remotely and Traveling. So even if you choose to work at coffee shops and coworking spaces, you can show up where and when it works for you. Start a “water cooler” channel in Slack or Teams. From birthdays and work anniversaries to personal accomplishments, you can recognize your employees by sending out virtual cards or hosting a virtual team event to celebrate. Lucky for you, we understand the struggle, and we have your back. The snooze button can be magical for freelancers, especially if you’re waiting on updates or developments from someone outside your organization. Three, start a live poll! Remember the water cooler and coffee station in the office? This podcast comes from NPR, which is a good source of news that also puts out a podcast called “Up First.” A friend introduced me to the NPR podcasts earlier this year! While remote work has been steadily increasing over time, our current situation is a whole new ballgame with entire workforces going remote overnight. Working from home is becoming a necessity in today’s modern workplace. A high-performing workforce is essential for growth and survival, and employee engagement is a major focus for senior executives looking to optimize the performance of their workforce. Among other programs, @halfhalftravel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Conducting regular check-ins are one of the many ways you can emulate face to face interactions. Even if they are not here physically, they have a right to know about what’s happening in the organization. As employees around the world embrace “the World’s Largest Work-From-Home Experiment,” they’re also experiencing the unprecedented levels of stress that come with working remotely under uncertain circumstances.. For those of us balancing work and personal hours sometimes think smartphone voice recording apps created. 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