10 ways to keep your remote workers motivated

Many firms are now settling into a hybrid working model with lots of staff still at home for most of the week. It's a good idea to think about how to get the most out of your team during this time and make sure everyone is reaching their potential by putting new measures in place and adapting to this new way of working.

Keep your team motivated while they’re working remotely with these 10 tried and tested strategies. 

Set clear goals and aims

Keep your team motivated with clear goals and targets for each person individually, and for the team and business as a whole. Find a way to illustrate this and track the collective progress to keep everyone on the same page, and working towards a shared goal. This could be with charts or infographics on your internal communication platforms, via weekly email updates, or shared during a weekly Zoom catch up.

Encourage communication

Use a strong internal communication system to keep everyone connected. There are plenty of platforms available, such as Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Teams, which make it easy to keep in touch with your team. Keep them up to date with progress on their projects, and give them a place to reach each other quickly and easily. Keep it professional and friendly, using emojis to replace non-verbal cues such as a smile.

Reward valued behaviours

Rewards are a great way to keep your team engaged and motivated. Decide which company values you want to centre your reward system around, and quantify how and when employees can earn rewards, and what they’ll win if they do. It doesn’t matter whether it’s cash, gifts or trophies, it just needs to feel meaningful to the team.

Offer opportunities to learn and grow

Once the grind of day to day work sets in, an employee needs to feel they are growing, learning and advancing in their role in order to stay loyal to the company. Offer learning opportunities, promotions and professional development, as well as opportunities for personal development outside office hours. Keep up with scheduled performance reviews and set goals reguarly, then help each employee work towards these with courses and mentoring that will help them achieve their aims, which in turn will keep them invested in their job. Don’t forget to identify and offer praise and rewards when goals are met!

Give plenty of feedback

Ensure you are checking in with your employees regularly to let them know they are doing well. Nothing de-motivates faster than radio silence from the boss. Though you’ll need to give direct and assertive feedback when things go wrong so team members know where they stand, try to give out extra positive feedback and praise to balance this out. Negative events are said to impact us more than positive so that one critical comment will stick in our minds far longer than a ‘well done’ or a ‘thank you’.

Virtual company culture

Think about how you can replace the social aspect of office life virtually. This could include weekly email blasts to hero employees who are doing well and celebrate company achievements, or perhaps a weekly coffee break taken together on Zoom for a catch up between different departments. Encourage your employees to socialise too. They could play games together online or start a book club to stay connected with each other whilst at home.

Encourage breaks

It’s very easy for the work-life balance to sleep when working from home, so make it clear that you encourage taking normal breaks at home. Everyone is more productive when they’ve had a break, so let your workforce know it’s ok to take time out. You could try blocking out a lunch break in the company calendar for the entire staff, so no-one can schedule a meeting during this time, ensuring that everyone can get outside, stretch their legs and have something to eat.

Invest in their workspace

Take an interest in your team’s at-home workspaces, and make sure they have everything they need. Have a chat with them or send tips via email about how to make the most of their space at home, and how to maximise productivity and happiness in their home office. Offer to buy them the supplies they need, such as a desk, chair, and a monitor to make sure they’re able to work comfortably and, therefore, productively. Ask them what they need and how they’re doing, and check in on them regularly so they know they haven’t been forgotten.

Pay them on time

It seems basic, but making sure everyone gets paid on time is key to keeping the troops motivated. This is the most basic way to show appreciation and respect to your team, and let them know they are valued in your organisation. You might want to consider extra perks too while the team is all at home, such as gifts, bonuses, or a simple thank you card to make sure they know how important they are.

Let them work

While it’s important to track everyone’s progress and keep in touch, there is such a thing as too much communication. Keep meetings and phone calls concise and to the point, and cut out any unnecessary emails and Slack messages. Be sure to avoid micromanaging, and let your team know you trust them. Then, let them get on with their work!


For more advice on getting the best out of your team give us a call on 0207 117 2542, email us at info@ajfoxcompliance.com, or message us on LinkedIn.

Get all the latest Law Firm Risk & Compliance news in your inbox with our free fortnightly newsletter. We're here to keep you in the loop!