How to Stay Connected with Your Team while WFH
Redefining the way as managers we support, engage and connect with our team remotely is all new territory. It’s a new way of working for all us and to be honest, it’s ok to not have all the answers.
At Stitch Recruitment we have been connecting with our clients over the past weeks gaining creative, insightful and productive ways that managers are engaging their staff whilst WFH.
Daily WIP
An important way to connect and keep employees engaged is through daily virtual WIP’s. Our clients have seen a huge success and encourage all businesses to take this process on board, pronto!
It is a chance for managers to set daily outcome-based goals as a team and the tone for the day. By having daily WIP meetings it ensures that all team members are accountable and know what is expected for the day.
Most of our clients have been holding their WIP’s first thing in the morning, either 8:30am or 9am. It creates normality, direction and kickstarts the day for all staff.
Daily Staff 1:1
Creating a collegiate work environment is important, but checking in on your staff 1:1 is crucial when WFH. Scheduling a 10-15 minutes daily check-in call with each staff member is an excellent way for managers to set individual goals whilst making sure their staff’s mental health is cared for.
Now that managing staff remotely is the new normal, managers have had to change their mindset. They have become more adaptable and aware that WFH has a variety of external factors that can affect an employee’s ability to work standard core hours.
With this in mind, we are seeing managers shy away from targets and deadlines that are time focused. Managers are now moving to outcome-focus performance related targets as opposed to typical KPI’s that were previously in place. Our clients are seeing an increase in the quality and performance of their staff since putting these measures in place, promoting a healthier and more conducive working environment.
Weekly Online Training Sessions
Managers are taking advantage of this time to provide additional training to staff. Weekly online training session are a great way to engage and upskill your team. Scheduling a weekly 45-minute training session is a chance for managers to ensure staff are staying current of any changes occurring within their specific industry. It is recommended that you alternate topics weekly so staff are learning new skillsets and are highly engaged - one week focus on CRM system training, the following week current legislation changes (which is rapidly changing for our Accounting & Finance client at the moment).
Make sure you keep your sessions to a maximum of 45-minutes, it is proven that after an hour, we have a tendency to lose focus when learning online. Think of it as “brown bag” sessions where you are providing short, targeted, bite size chunk training sessions.
Weekly Team Lunch
Another great idea that we are seeing amongst our clients is weekly virtual team lunches. There has been a mix of fun and creative ways that managers are bringing their teams together, and this is definitely one of them.
Set a day weekly were staff members all clock off together for their lunch break and reconnect over a video chat. Fun idea – maybe a team member picks a receipe each week and that’s what the team have to cook for lunch that day. One of our client’s has even gone to lengths where they are ordering home delivery for each of their staff members on that day. It’s a fun yet simple way to keep staff engaged and feel valued.
Virtual Team Drinks
Like most companies, Friday night team drinks was always something that staff looked forward to. Whether it was a quick drink and nibbles in the office or a beer down at the local pub, it was a chance for work mates to bond and share their working week together.
Clients are now hosting virtual drinks every Friday night over Zoom, FaceTime or Whereby with staff. A lot of our clients are implementing all staff “tools down” from 4pm, grab a beverage and connect virtually as a team to kick off the weekend. Managers are encouraging staff to not talk about work but instead to connect with one another on a personal level. It’s great for not only comradery, but for each-others mental health.
With the current climate, we are finding that businesses are embracing WFH more than ever. By incorporating fun and exciting way to engage and stay connect with your staff ensures the transition back into the office will be seamless in the coming months.
If you are looking to grow your existing team then contact our Stitch Consultants today. We have a network of temporary and permanent candidates available and set-up to work remotely should this suit your business needs.
