Showing Appreciation To Remote Workers In 6 Effective Ways!‍

Nowadays, companies have been open to remote work. Did you know that only 16% of companies are fully remote? An Owl Labs study also suggests that 81% of remote workers surveyed believed that their employers would continue to support remote work even after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it’s no surprise that remote work will continue to make waves in many companies.

But what happens when remote workers are being kept behind the scenes? What if in-house employees are getting more recognition than remote employees? ALL employees need some sort of appreciation in the workplace, right?

The good news is if you run a business or company, and you have remote workers on the payroll, then you can definitely show appreciation to your remote staff. Here are six effective ways to show how much you care about your hardworking remote workers!

Table of Contents

1. Practice Weekly Engagements
2. Provide Perks With Care Packages And Rewards
3. Be Creative When Connecting
4. Plan Virtual Games And Contests
5. Give Regular Shout-Outs
6. Utilize Appreciation Tools

Practice Weekly Engagements

First, engagement is key! There are many ways to have “catch-up” meetings with your remote workers:

• Zoom or Skype meetings
• Discord meetings (voice, video, or text)
• Instant messaging, etc.

In your weekly engagements, talk about things that aren’t related to work. For example, you and your remote workers might be interested in a TV series, in which you all can discuss it together.

By scheduling time during the week to have such engagements, you’re not treating your remote workers as faceless individuals; and they, in turn, feel more valued in your company.

Provide Perks With Care Packages And Rewards

Want to give your remote workers some perks? You can!

First, care packages are often popular with many companies. A typical care package would contain great things, such as:

• Gift cards or certificates
• Company swag
• Treats and snacks, etc.

Need more ideas? Swag.com suggests some of these great ideas for care packages:

• Coffee kits
• Pandemic safety kits
• Workstation setup kits
• Relaxation kits, etc.

And, what better way to show appreciation to remote workers by creating a rewards program, where employees can earn points or perks for their continuous loyalty and engagement to your company! Another thoughtful care package inclusion could be ready-made low carb meals catered to employees' health and wellness, providing them with hassle-free nourishment for their busy days.

Be Creative When Connecting

When it comes to connecting with remote workers, you’ll need to be as creative as possible. Find out what your remote workers love when it comes to eating, media, and so on. For example, why not partner with food delivery programs like UberEats or Doordash, and send food and drink to remote workers whenever they need something to put on the table for lunch or dinner? Virtual birthday cards on their birthdays? Or, hold weekly virtual game nights. Speaking of which…

Plan Virtual Games And Contests

Virtual game nights and contests are a great way to engage with your remote workers. With virtual game nights, you’ll never know what kind of fun will happen. From mystery games to charades, there are many great game ideas to be had when doing it through Zoom, Skype, or another platform.

The same is true for virtual contests. People love to win something in a contest. With remote workers participating, there’s a lot of fun to be had when one worker finds out that they had won something, like a gift card or a popular tech device. Plus, it’s a great way to get silly and allow for “drumrolls” from spectators in video or chat form!

Give Regular Shout-Outs

Shout-outs are a great way to show appreciation to your remote workers. Social media is a great way to do just that!

If your company has a social media account – Facebook, Instagram, or some other platform – why not spotlight a remote worker that has shown great success in their day-to-day work recently. Be sure to tag them, even if they have a social media account of their own. You can also give them a shout-out on their birthdays and work anniversaries.

Utilize Appreciation Tools

Finally, give remote workers access to appreciation tools. Who said that appreciation tools were only for management?

These tools allow them to show appreciation to one another. With just a few clicks, employees can send each other quickly “thank yous” or “well done.” These messages can take on many forms, including e-cards, which are popular these days.

Conclusion

Ultimately, keeping your remote workers is entirely up to you – the company’s management. But by utilizing these six great ideas, not only will you keep your remote staff happy, but you’ll also make yourself happy for doing so!

Remember: Be creative. Be sincere. And have fun!

About the Author

Sara Sparrow is a writer and editor at Academized. As a content writer, she writes articles about remote work, business trends, job search trends, and stock market trends.