Ever since the Covid crisis exploded, it’s all about EX or Employee Experience. According to a survey, 92% of employers believe EX will be a top priority in the next three years. This number is in stark contrast to the 52% of employers who prioritized EX before the pandemic.
What sparked this sudden EX awakening? Blame it on the pandemic, of course. A Business Insider survey says that 2 out of 3 businesses may be working from home forever. If you are on this list, you ought to bring EX under the spotlight. Because, wherever they are working from, employee experience matters. But with most of your team working remotely, EX matters more right now.
What Is “Employee Experience”?
It can be defined as the journey your employees take from when they join your organization to when they leave. As a business leader, you need to understand this journey. Only then you can provide an engaging employee experience that reflects well on you and your organization. So, how do you do that?
There are many ways to create an amazing employee experience, but you need to go the extra mile when it comes to your virtual workforce. We will show you ten ways to get things done.
10 Simple Ways To Establishing Virtual Employee Experience
1. Revamp your work rules
You cannot hold on to rigid work rules when geographically dispersed employees work in different time zones. You need to relax your rules and bring in more flexibility. Also, ensure that your virtual workforce is aware of these new rules and follows them diligently.
2. Create clear boundaries
If you’ve noticed, your remote teams are spending more time with meetings and collaborations because they cannot meet and discuss in person. Therefore, there’s a lot of juggling between work and discussions, which means they are probably working overtime. Step in and create clear time boundaries for work before there’s burnout. The best way to do it is to implement a desktop monitoring software likeFlowtrack to keep track of office hours.
3. Care about their well-being
The pandemic and the work-from-home norm have created the perfect recipe for chaos and stress. This is when you need to show that you care for your employees. Take steps to improve their mental well-being. Your effort will fortify their trust in you and motivate them to be more productive and efficient.
4. Impart technical training
There’s no point in investing in remote-working tech tools likeHRAPP if your teams aren’t aware of how to use them. Take some time to introduce and explain how they function, the advantages, and how you intend to use them at work. In short, don’t throw your workforce into remote work waters without adequate training.
5. Encourage internal hiring
Internal hiring is one way to spice up remote working. Offer opportunities for your staff to try their hand at other departments that align with their skills and qualifications. Internal hiring can bring out hidden talents in your workforce that will work to your advantage.
6. Keep your employees united
This tip is especially for business leaders who have both remote and in-house employees. You need to be extra careful about preventing a sense of disparity between the two workforces. Make sure your virtual teams are recognized and appreciated for their efforts. Also ensure you check in with remote employees every single day.
7. Teach de-stressing techniques
Remember that your virtual employees are multitasking more than ever before. They are handling family members and household work while getting official tasks done. As their employer, you can show them ways to de-stress and rejuvenate themselves. Here’s what you can do:
- Encourage virtual workout sessions
- Hire instructors to lead live workouts
- Hold lively online quiz sessions
- Mail a packet of seeds to encourage gardening
- Organize dinner or lunch when restrictions are lifted
- Create an office book club
- Hold non-official conference calls on weekends
8. Show timely appreciation
Never forget to appreciate and recognize your employees when they deserve it. Moreover, don’t wait for opportunities to show your appreciation. Commend them for their hard work randomly throughout the year. An open letter of appreciation via mail or the official group will provide your remote employees with much-needed motivation.
Employee Experience: The Key to Long Term Success
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” says Simon Sinek, author of “Start With Why.” This is exactly what the Employee Experience is all about.
Our tips are just small steps to improve EX. But done right, they can make a gigantic difference in the lives and mindset of your remote workforce. So, if you haven’t prioritized EX, now is the time to do it!
