How to Retain Your Employees as a Remote Company

Organizations are always looking for ways to recruit and attract more employees to their business. However, in this era where remote work is the new norm and the great resignation is upon us, it is equally, if not more important to learn how to better retain your team. In this guide we will share some tips to help you ensure your team of remote workers is feeling satisfied and supported while working from home.

1. Hire the Right Remote Employees

The first step to retaining your staff is to ensure that you’re hiring quality remote workers in the first place. If the candidates you hire are a poor fit for your company, you’ll likely end up with disconnected, inefficient remote teams. This makes it more likely that they will grow frustrated and quit, or that you’ll have to let them go.

And whether an employee leaves of their own volition or not, you’ll still be stuck with the high costs of finding a replacement.

So don’t settle for the first potential employee that comes along. Sign up for the best job posting sites and cast as wide a net as you can. Be sure to write clear, compelling job descriptions, too, so you can attract the right workers for your remote teams.

2. Support New Hires

Studies suggest that employees generally decide within the first six months of working for a company whether they’re going to stay long-term. And according to Glassdoor, organizations with a strong onboarding process boost new hire retention by 82%.

You should never leave a fresh remote employee alone to “figure it out” on their own. Instead, be intentional about:

• Introducing them to their teammates
• Making them feel at home
• Giving them a chance to find their footing
• Helping them learn the ropes

Plus, the more you optimize the onboarding phase, the faster you can ramp them up to full capacity. This will give them a greater sense of purpose and pride, inspiring more loyalty from them right at the start.

Learn more: How to Successfully Onboard an Employee

3. Foster Personal Connections

When employees forge meaningful relationships with their colleagues, they’re always more likely to stick around. But unfortunately, one of the biggest challenges remote employees face is a sense of isolation. When a worker is separated from their colleagues by miles, it can be difficult to feel the same connection they would in a traditional office environment.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. You just have to be a little more intentional about cultivating personal relationships among team members. In order to foster a strong connected team, you need to build a positive culture for your remote company.

So make good use of remote collaboration tools, such as messaging apps and video conferencing software. Another great solution for strengthening long-distance professional relationships is to create a public org chart for your company.

An org chart will serve as a visual directory for your staff, making it easy for them to keep track of who’s who. Most org charts even allow employees to add a brief description of themselves, possibly including personal information such as their:

• Backgrounds
• Interests
• Hobbies
• Pets
• Favorite food, movies, or musicians

Any of these details could be useful for breaking the ice and bringing coworkers together.

4. Keep Everyone in the Know

Another factor that can keep employees from feeling like they’re truly part of the team is when they’re left out of the loop about:

• Projects
• Goals
• Company news

Keeping everyone on the same page—even across different remote teams—will go a long way toward recreating the unity of a more traditional workplace.

Project management tools like Asana and Atlassian are great for letting everyone follow along with the status of various projects. You’ll also want to schedule regular virtual meetings where teams can give updates on the progress of their projects and swap company news.

There are many benefits to making an organization more transparent and the overall goal is to make every employee feel like they have their finger on the pulse of the company.

5. Offer Encouragement

Providing support is essential for any professional team, but never more so than those that are working remotely. With the possible isolation and lack of close supervision that often comes hand-in-hand with remote work, it can be a struggle for employees to motivate themselves and reach their full potential.

So seize every opportunity you can to demonstrate that you care about your remote teams. Engage with them, show genuine interest in their work, and offer any encouragement they may need.

By boosting morale, you can fill your company with happier, more loyal employees.

6. Recognize Achievements

When an employee pushes themselves and hits it out of the park, they want to know that their efforts won’t go unnoticed. And if they don’t see that happening, they may be less motivated to push themselves next time.

In fact, if they don’t feel like their hard work is appreciated, they may decide to move on to another company where they will be.

Make a habit of recognizing top-performing teams and employees in company-wide shoutouts and virtual meetings. Once they see that they’re valued as members of the organization, they’ll be more likely to stay put.

7. Listen to Feedback

Everyone wants to know that they have a voice. Sometimes, all it takes to keep remote employees satisfied is to let them know that their opinion matters.

So don’t shy away from opportunities to seek constructive feedback from team members. Consider setting up 1:1 meetings where they can voice their concerns and offer suggestions for improving your policies and management strategies.

When it comes to managing remote teams, there’s always room for improvement—and listening to your employees is always a good place to start.

Have You Created an Org Chart for Your Company Yet?

Creating an org chart is a great way to bring your employees closer to one another, show them how they’re fueling your business’s growth, and make sure they know they’re a part of the team. And as your professional team expands, your org chart will help you keep track of your growing staff.

To learn more about the benefits of an org chart, check out our guide here:

Why Companies Should Have a Public Org Chart

Or, if you’re ready to get started on your org chart right now, click below to sign up for The Org.