As a business, you’re faced with all kinds of challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. Maybe the restrictions mean your staff have to work from home or there is added work pressure. It’s important that your employees stay motivated, despite these challenges. But how can you motivate your employees and stay connected with them? In this article we have a number of smart tips for you.
COVID-19 and working from home
The government is strongly urging us to work from home where possible, and this advice probably won’t change for the time being. Coming from a stimulating office environment, your staff now have to work remotely from home, be it in the living room, kitchen or spare room. Working from home brings its own challenges, making it all the more important to keep your employees motivated, involved and satisfied. So how do you motivate them from a distance?
Provide a good workspace
Not everyone has a separate room where they can work, which means you may have to sit at the kitchen table. As an employer, it is essential to make sure your employees have a dedicated workspace. One way is by providing an allowance for working from home, enabling the employees to buy their own equipment like a proper desk, an ergonomic chair or larger monitor. And also make sure they have quality headphones or earbuds for video calls. This allows them to continue working flexibly from home, now and in the future.
Keep communicating
In these times of coronavirus and working from home, it’s particularly important to keep communicating. Certainly now that working from home is here to stay for the long run, employees may feel isolated and miss structure in their work. All this is detrimental to employee satisfaction. Stay connected and be as personal as you can, so communicate by video chat as well as by e-mail. Another good idea is to check in with the team every morning via video call – even briefly – to discuss the tasks and targets for the day. This creates more structure and maintains closer connections between employees. And perhaps give a nice, unique printed mug so they can get their day off to a great start with a fresh cup of coffee or tea!
Organise fun activities
Everyone needs to relax a little, especially in these trying times. So why not organise virtual drinks, which you can also combine with fun activities like digital karaoke or a pub quiz? You can involve the team even more by asking the employees to come up with fun activities themselves. Team outings can also be arranged digitally, for instance with an online escape room or different assignments they can do at home. Non-work-related activities don’t just create greater employee satisfaction, they stimulate team building.
Arrange a thank you or give an allowance for working from home
Saying thank you is always appreciated and gives people extra motivation to keep doing their best at work. You can do this through an allowance for working from home, but you can also show your gratitude in other ways. Send them a nice present, a coronavirus gift package or a gift voucher they can use to order what they like for at home. And don’t forget birthdays and work anniversaries!
The coronavirus gift package
The ‘coronavirus gift package’ is a real winner as a business gift and a great way to motivate your employees, but above all to thank them for their commitment and flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The package can contain fun or surprising gadgets, but also helpful aids to get them through this difficult period. Earlier we mentioned the mug to start the morning off with a fresh cup of hot coffee or tea. But what about a nice warm jumper with logo or an extra fleece blanket for on cold days? There are all kinds of products you can use to make work more comfortable at home. But have you considered tasty treats? Assorted nuts or craft beers are ideal for digital Friday afternoon drinks with the team. And of course, an original face mask with logo never goes astray in your coronavirus gift package.
Motivational tips for other sectors
Not only homeworkers, but people in many other sectors are feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just think of employees who work in hospitality and catering, in hospitals, in factories and in retail. These are all people who can also really use an extra helping hand. So how can you motivate these employees? Make sure you stay engaged, listen to them and be there for them. And they will definitely appreciate a thank you during this period.
Does your staff wear face masks for protection? Then you might want to think about face masks printed with your logo. It creates a team feeling and a consistent, professional look for you company, and it promotes your brand. As a shop or supermarket, you can also hand out face masks to your customers. It’s a great way to show that your company doesn’t just think about staff safety, but also that of your customers.
Spend a little extra at Christmas
As we head towards the end of the year, it’s the perfect time to thank your employees for their hard work. And it’s a good opportunity for you to motivate your employees to keep it up next year. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, it’s harder this year to organise team outings in December. So why not spend a little extra at Christmas? Put together a more extravagant Christmas hamper, but keep it practical so your employees can really use what’s inside. Take a look at our original printed end-of-year business gifts, such as a portable electric coffee maker, mouse mats with wireless charger or a smart watch. Eco products are also gaining in popularity, for example our thermal mugs or bamboo coffee mugs. Plenty of choice to put together an original end-of-year business gift!
We hope the above tips won’t only help you achieve greater employee satisfaction, but will also give your staff the strength to stay fully committed in these difficult times. Use them to your advantage!