How Do Your Employees Really Feel About Remote Work?

Working remotely has become the new normal for many companies worldwide. You either love it or you hate it! The fact of the matter is, this reality might be the only safe option long-term until the spread shows a significant decrease. We’ve talked a lot about the importance of gathering feedback from employees, and this situation is no different! To make remote work a sustainable long-term solution, you must gather feedback from your employees regarding remote work. So, here is how to find out how your employees really feel about remote work!

Company Conversations 

When trying to gain honest, non-bias, and genuine feedback, it is usually best to host a company conversation. This way, you cannot only hear the viewpoints of your employees but also take note of their tone of voice. This can tell you everything you need to know about how the company is run. Try to encourage your team to have a video call to talk about how things are going and how you can improve as you all continue to work remotely. Try to ensure that every single team member has a chance to speak their mind. Don’t set a very structured agenda for this meeting. Instead, let the conversation flow naturally.

Conversation mediation tips:

• Go in a circle and allow every team member to have the chance to speak.
• Schedule the conversation during the workday to ask your employees for even more of their time.
• Ask follow up questions as the mediator. Try to understand your employee’s views fully.
• Consider scheduling a second conversation to follow-up on changes after they have been implemented.
• Always ask what is going well, along with areas that need improvement.

Send Out a Simple Survey 

While surveys are much less conversational and personal, they are another sufficient way to gather your employees’ honest feedback. This is because surveys can be done in a way that is private and confidential. Team members who are not comfortable speaking up in a group meeting and giving feedback might find it easier to write to you, the manager, anonymously. Or, you can include specific questions that you find important to gain more structured feedback. If you’d like, you can schedule an optional follow-up conversation to discuss the survey results. This is a great way for employees who want to speak on their experience to connect and have their voices heard.

Survey tips for managers: 

• Always include an area for employees to write any non-related, un-structured commentary.
• Give employees sufficient time to complete the survey. This allows them to truly think about their responses and make the time to focus on the questions. Your subordinates are busy!
• Make it short and sweet. Be direct but not overwhelming.
• Make the survey results anonymous. This will help you gain more honest, accurate results.
• Use a simple tool to create an intuitive survey. You want to allow each employee to complete the survey without technical difficulty.
• Ask if any employees need help or clarification regarding the survey or it’s contents.

Small-Group Q&A Session

Consider scheduling time for a small-group question and answer session for your team to participate in. This is a great way for the group to communicate comfortably with people they are used to collaborating with! Having a sense of familiarity when trying to receive feedback can be very helpful. It might encourage your employees to be genuine, honest, and themselves. This is a great recipe for building a relationship and trust with management, too. So, get your small groups and teams together for a conversation, instead of calling in the whole company.

Small group conversation pointers:

• Allow the environment to be relaxed and fun.
• Let the group lead the conversation, not you as the manager.
• Stay focused on the topic at hand.
• Ask team members to elaborate on their responses.
• Take every voice into consideration.
• Avoid interrupting and encourage others to do the same.

Encourage Productivity, Not Complaints 

This is the hardest part of gaining feedback in any situation! The goal should be to have a productive conversation or collection of data, whatever you prefer. This can quickly turn into a rant session where everyone complains about different areas the company is weak in. This is especially common if you obtain feedback from a group that is used to collaborating with one another! It is your job, as the mediator, to allow for conversational freedom while also maintaining structure. Try to always bring up the topic periodically during the meeting. Take notes of other areas in which your employees desire change and schedule conversations dedicated to these topics at a different time. Make sure you do not come across as dismissive. All information is valuable!

Encourage productivity: 

• Circle back to the topic at hand.
• Remind your employees that there can always be a follow-up conversation.
• Take notes and add visuals to the meeting.
• Keep in mind people’s time, try to be efficient yet effective.
• Ask employees to elaborate on their points to gain well-thought-out, helpful feedback.
• Encourage employees to ask their coworkers questions and share personal experiences.

When it comes to working remotely, everyone has their own individual opinion. However, since this is a long-term issue, it is crucial that you check-in with employees to see how you can improve your management practices. Good luck!

More to Explore: 

How to Maintain Cultural Awareness – Here 

Meal Prep Essentials & Recipes – Here

How to Talk Politics in The Workplace – Here 

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