How NOT to Engage Remote Employees

There are many tips on how to engage remote employees, but far fewer about engagement pitfalls. In this article for project management and company owners, we will cover some common mistakes. If you are running a hybrid office, this read is well worth your while.

Managing a team that is partly or fully composed of remote workers is certainly a challenging task. Without the ability to read body language or hear tone, miscommunications are inevitable. There are many resources advising on how to effectively engage remote workers. However, there are far fewer warnings about the things you should never do.

Unsurprisingly, companies often make mistakes when trying to engage remote employees. It is a learning process, although a lengthy one. To save you some time, we will explore some common mistakes and how to avoid them. Additionally, this should help you build better relationships with your staff.

How Do You Control Remote Workers?

You don’t control remote workers; you manage them. You shouldn’t be dictating what they do or how they do it. Instead, present them with a list of targets and let them choose the best approach to achieve those goals. 

Controlling is one of the approaches you should avoid when managing remote employees, as it can impact their performance and potentially weaken your relationship. However, even when managing remote teams, there are many communication pitfalls to be mindful of. Let’s discuss the most common ones and how to steer clear of them.

Mistakes to Avoid in Communication with Remote Workers 

Below, we will discuss the five most common mistakes we see companies make when trying to engage remote employees. They might seem minor at first, but they are very damaging and can negatively affect your business's future. That’s why it’s essential that you, at the very least, recognise them.

1. Not Getting to Know Them Personally

Building a personal relationship with remote workers is more challenging, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. In fact, making an effort to connect with them is essential, as it provides insight into their character and helps you tailor the most effective approach. Never treat your remote workers as if they’re just a cog in the machine.

Understanding their life circumstances, knowing their hobbies, and remembering the names of their loved ones—these small details can build a strong bond and trust between you. Moving forward, this makes communication much easier and more open, both of which lead to great results in the long term.

2. Providing No Feedback

Feedback is important for overall team management, but it’s crucial to engage remote employees. Since most communication will be through either video or written form, it’s very easy to misinterpret each other. Spending time on providing constructive feedback will definitely pay off, especially in improving alignment not just with the worker but across the entire team. It will also clarify your expectations for the future. 

When you skip this part, you miss out on a significant part of communication. This part helps build smoother and more efficient collaboration. In other words, not only do you harm your employees by failing to highlight their strengths and weaknesses, but you also compromise the quality of work you receive from them.

3. Stunting Their Progress

This is a challenging one to explain because surely, no employer wants to hinder their workers from improving at what they do. However, it is quite common with remote employees. They are often very independent and produce excellent results without much supervision, raising the expectations high. This frequently results in them being regarded as the key figures of the company, meaning their reduced performance is not acceptable. 

Maintaining strict standards often limits opportunities for employees to take additional courses, learn new approaches, or experiment with different strategies. So, while they continue to perform their usual tasks, they aren’t progressing further. Additionally, some employers remain sceptical about remote workers attending virtual courses or using them as paid time off. We strongly recommend trusting your staff. If they’ve been delivering consistently, they know what they’re doing. Let them surprise you with their growth.

4. Forced Bonding

Connecting and bonding through social activities is challenging with remote workers. While most of us enjoyed quizzes and Zoom happy hours at the start of the pandemic, it quickly became tiresome. Certainly, some people still enjoy these and will gladly participate, but these interactions should not be compulsory. 

Encouraging your team to interact with remote workers through non-work activities is important for building rapport, but neither side should feel compelled to participate. Instead of forcing these events, offer them voluntarily. Allow your workers to choose what they’re comfortable with and let the bonds develop naturally. 

5. Lack of Recognition

Some might argue that the only recognition remote workers need is being paid, preferably on time. However, very few people don’t enjoy receiving praise for their achievements. The contribution of remote workers is often overlooked as it’s usually invisible to the rest of the team. And this only worsens their sense of detachment. 

Take steps to highlight the impact they have on your company. Consider giving them public praise on digital channels or during a team call. Feeling appreciated can motivate them to work harder. But remember to consider your worker’s personality - shy and reserved people may not respond well to such praise. Instead, praise them in private.

Summary 

There are correct and incorrect ways to engage remote employees. Too often, we focus on what we should do and neglect to mention what to avoid. This can lead to employers unintentionally overstepping boundaries with their employees, which damages both parties and their relationship. This also includes not nurturing the relationship from the start by taking the time to get to know the workers and allowing them to get to know you through providing feedback. 

Additionally, there is often a lack of effort in connecting remote employees with their on-site colleagues. This could simply be addressed by giving them some spotlight. However, there is another side to this. Being too forceful in attempts to build relationships can make the process superficial and annoying. Ultimately, trust is at the heart of everything. Sometimes it involves letting employees invest their time in long-term results through training and development, rather than constantly hitting preset targets without making real progress. 

Are those some of the mistakes you’re making? Let us help you improve.