Thanks to advances in technology and the rising popularity of virtual tools, remote work has turned into an accessible option for businesses and employees alike. It also became the best solution for maintaining operations and staying productive when COVID came knocking on our doors in early 2020.

According to a study by the Australian Institute of Family Studies, 67% of Australians are working from home, which is a significant increase from 42% before the pandemic. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development also found that 47% of individuals teleworked in France and the United Kingdom during lockdowns.

These data prove that a remote assistant may function in any team, regardless of where they work from. This makes sense as working remotely comes with numerous benefits, including enjoying more days at home. It also allows for hiring remote employees in other states or even countries.

The effect of remote work on engagement

Along with the many benefits, virtual work also puts a strain on a worker’s ability to form connections with others. This makes them feel isolated and unappreciated by their bosses and peers. In turn, this will negatively affect your retention of employees and the performance of the team.

To avoid these unpleasant situations, you have to prioritise the engagement of your remote staff in the Philippines or elsewhere. Doing so also ensures that they maintain higher morale even while away from the busyness of the physical office, plus the following advantages:

• Greater satisfaction in their work which motivates them to do and accomplish more
• Boundless creativity so they may think up fresh and unique ideas for products and services
• Higher efficiency and productivity in the way that they work, especially with the team

Three ways to boost remote work engagement

In order for your organisation to enjoy the benefits of higher employee morale, you have to work on keeping your people engaged. There are three main ways you may go about creating a remote culture and environment where your staff may give their best for your business, including:

Support them in their telework

To keep your staff productive and engaged regardless of the economic situation, it’s important for you in the management to know how to support them in their transition to the remote way of working.

1. Establish ground rules they must follow when working remotely. These include keeping meetings to a maximum of 30 minutes or keeping their cameras on during video calls.
2. Teach them how to create a daily routine to help them focus on their work. There are numerous online tools that help them make calendars to collaborate with the rest of the team.
3. Strive to be as transparent and compassionate about their situations as possible, as some people have a harder time setting up workstations or finding babysitters than others.
4. Meet with your team, especially the leaders, on a regular basis to discuss what you expect from them and what they may expect from the company in a remote work setting.
5. Give praise where it’s due and express your thanks for their efforts. Maybe you may schedule virtual gatherings to celebrate major accomplishments like finished projects.

Maximise use of working tools

Staying efficient and motivated is made easier to your workers when you provide them with the necessary software and/or equipment to accomplish their tasks and meet their deadlines.

1. Discuss with the team what tools they believe they need and what tools are currently available in the market. See which tools are better acquired with a subscription or are fine as free versions.
2. Integrate tools into your processes and practices. There may be tasks that you’re used to doing manually but already have software that automates them so discover what they are.
3. Think about what you hope to achieve for your clients and bottom line. This helps you determine whether you need to add more tools to your arsenal or hire remote staff for it.
4. Switch to video in replacement for face-to-face interactions wherever possible. Things like progress reports might be possible on email but sometimes they’re better through video calls.
5. Consider rewarding those who are good at maximising the tools you’ve provided. Perhaps you may send them a coupon to their favourite coffee shop every month or something similar.

Adhere to good remote work practices

To give your team the best chance of maintaining their efficiency and productivity, you have to assist them in organising themselves for working remotely. Following good practices is the way to go for any virtual personal assistance you’ve arranged.

1. Make sure you schedule regular touchpoints with your team. For instance, start your week with greeting everyone through a short video call before proceeding with tasks.
2. Delegate assignments with clear deadlines and objectives to ensure that the team will operate focused on reaching these said goals and know why they are doing what they’re doing.
3. Organise your own schedule before you allocate work to your team. Decide what you want to accomplish that day before checking your emails or getting into meetings with your staff.
4. Establish a work pattern for each week or month. Make sure that there are spaces in the schedule where you may insert sudden or urgent tasks so the pace or routine won’t be disrupted.
5. Set and maintain boundaries as a manager or leader. Understandably, you want to make your team comfortable but make sure that they don’t go over certain lines with you.

The best way to hire a remote assistant

Whenever a business shifts from a physical environment to a remote one, it’s important for an employer or manager to offer long-term support, provide the right tools, and stick to good practices. This becomes much easier by hiring remote employees in other states since they’re already familiar with this setup.

We at Remote Workmate are a remote personal assistants agency that ensures companies get virtual personal assistance that meets their needs. We have an existing talent pool of remote staff in the Philippines for employers to peruse. Else, we’ll screen more candidates so you hire remote staff that are perfect for your business.

Click the button below to get started on your journey to hire a remote assistant in the Philippines.