6 Creative Solutions to Inspire Productivity in Your Remote Team
With the advent of COVID-19 restrictions across the country, many businesses have transitioned a number of traditional office jobs toward remote work. Estimates indicate that about 42% of the American workforce is working remotely. As time passes, these remote workers can become complacent or disengaged from other team members or even their work. If you are looking for innovative ways to keep your remote team keep reading. Below, we explore 6 solutions guaranteed to enhance the productivity of your remote workplace.
Remote working has many benefits. However, this presents a unique set of challenges. As an employer, you want to foster efficient communication and collaboration among employees. However, these employees are now scattered across numerous physical locations. Unfortunately, conventional tools such as emails and phone calls simply are not the best tools to get the job done.
Are you searching for new ways to improve your remote work? If so, this article is just what you’ve been looking for. After extensive research, our technology experts at The Miller Group have assembled the following creative ways of connecting your remote workforce, however far apart they may be.
1. Continue Team Building Sessions:
No, you aren’t all physically in the same location. However, this doesn’t mean that team building activities and exercises should fall to the wayside. Fostering a sense of community inspires collaboration across the board and getting to know each other is an important step in building employee trust among team members. Many non-traditional team building activities are easily adapted to an online platform.
Try playing charades via video chat or get to know each other with a game of three truths and a lie by hosting a video conference where each remote employee is asked to tell three truths and one lie about themselves. The best player includes a realistic lie so it won’t be so easy for everyone to guess. The other employees need to guess which was the lie and whoever guesses right gains points. This light, fun game helps to rid of any awkwardness and is a great way to get to know one another, especially things that aren’t common knowledge.
Another easy suggestion is to play a game of draw the picture. This is a communication game where someone describes a picture, everyone draws what they hear. After a set period of time, everyone shares their artwork. Inevitably, this game results in a good laugh when everyone shares their artwork.
2. Vlog Your Workspace:
A vlog (aka video blog or video log) is essentially a blog whose medium is video. Ask each team member to create a short video showcasing their remote workplace. Team members may be surprised to learn that a coworker is actually working from the kitchen table, not that amazing office setup they see as a virtual background in a Zoom meeting. These vlogs can be shared via the team’s email or in a group if you utilize a program like Microsoft Teams. You can also vary content across several subjects or nominate someone different for the vlog topic each time. This truly can bring your team closer together.
3. Organize a Virtual Watercooler Chat:
Much like being at the office, a virtual watercooler chat can be a great way of strengthening your remote team through being social. However, the difference between time zones can be a tricky hurdle to cross. However, by designating a certain time, and providing an online space for watercooler chat, you can learn a great deal about your fellow team members.
4. Use the Features Of Microsoft 365:
The Teams feature in Microsoft 365 enables your remote team to meet, call, learn, chat, and collaborate all in one place. Provided they have an internet connection, Microsoft 365 will ensure your remote workforce works together seamlessly. Now, Microsoft Teams has even more features like Zoom to bring new and even more exciting features to the program.
5. VoIP (Voice over IP):
VoIP offers a phone system and service hosted completely from the cloud. With a remote workforce, keeping up with the competition requires progressive communication technology. By hosting your phone system, you’ll gain
- Ease in management of phone systems
- Flexibility and Scalability
- Add-on features to enhance efficiency.
6. Give Access Through VPNs:
Briefly put, a VPN is a virtual “tunnel” that links a remote user’s device to an organization’s network via the web. Because they are protected by encryption, VPNs can safely send data back and forth across the internet. You won’t have to worry about safety or reliability of your individual team members’ connection to the company network when you use a VPN.
As your IT partner, The Miller Group will proactively monitor, manage, and plan out your technology to provide consistent and predictable results. Our proven process of identifying your needs, implementing a solution, and supporting your business can provide you the peace of mind that your technology is moving your business forward. Call us today at 314-822-8090 (in St. Louis) or 913-340-8033 (in Kansas City) for a consultation or for help implementing any of these creative solutions for your remote workforce.
Stephen King is our Chief Technology Officer, and has the longest tenure as a technician at The Miller Group. Stephen puts his extensive experience to use for the good of our clients, providing expert technical support, as well as leadership, and guidance to other members of our technical staff.
