Employee Check-Up to Maintain Productivity During Remote Working
COVID-19 pandemic is a huge challenge for workers everywhere. We know how alot of unusual changes have been made, one of it is work from home (WFH) or remote working arrangement from the usual working from office arrangement. According to Glints (2020), 95% companies in Indonesia implemented WFH policy, either fully or partially. For some workers, WFH arrangement could be a breath of fresh air. It cuts transportation time and cost, more work-life balance or time with family, and for introverts (like me!) it also feels nice in the beginning. However, it also comes with challenges such as interruption at home, team communication, time management, technical issues.
Bloom (in Gorlick, 2020), a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) once conducted a research about working from home in 2015. In that research, Bloom shared many benefits of working from home, including increase in performance. Unfortunately, he stated that working from home due to the COVID-19 crisis is different. In our current situation, most workers have no choice but to work from home, possibly with unsuitable spaces and distractions from family members. And surprisingly, a survey found that working from home is less motivating, especially when people had no choice about it (McGregor & Doshi, 2020).
If employees are given a defined period of time, they are still able to manage their work even if it’s a difficult situation, but as the pandemic continues, workers are becoming more uncertain on how to deal with the situation (Berry, 2020). Because of that reason, employees may experience mental, physical, and emotional fatigue — causing their motivation to decrease even more. It will be a struggle for them to maintain performance and productivity even though they know they have to perform well and stay productive.
This is not only employees’ problems. In the midst of economic uncertainty, employee’s productivity is an urgent matter for the company to survive. Until now, we don’t know when the pandemic will end — remote working or work from home can even be the future of work. If employees’ motivation and productivity keep declining, it will surely affect the team and eventually the company.
So, what can we do?
If your company hasn’t, this is the time to start knowing what business leaders can do to adapt to working from home or remote working arrangement. Leaders need to take actions that can ensure continuous productivity, high office morale, and engagement. Managers’ also play a crucial role in managing and supporting their team members.
In my previous article, I wrote about three principles that we can use in order to boost office morale: compassion, communication, and construct. Other than those three principles, I have also found that one of the mostly suggested advice for remote working is what I call Employee Check-Up — regular check-ins between managers and their teams. Now, for some this might sound boring and unnecessary. I thought so too, but I start to think differently after reading more research about it. McGregor & Doshi (2020) shared similar approach that succeeded in improving motivation and employees are able to outperform the status quo by 200% during a financial crisis. They suggested this simple weekly rhythm for remote teams that managers can try:
Monday: Performance cycle meeting
Hold a performance cycle meeting for the team that covers:
- What impact did we have last week and what did we learn?
- What commitments do we have this week? Who is on point for each?
- How can we help each other with this week’s commitments?
- What are the areas where we should experiment to improve performance this week?
- What experiments will we run, and who is on point for each?
It is important for team leaders to review, update, and ensure clarity of roles and objectives within the team during remote working. I think this meeting can be helpful in setting team and individual goals for the week as well as providing them with clarity and the updates that they need. This meeting can also facilitate communication and collaboration between team members for the rest of the week as they become aware of each other’s commitments.
Tuesday to Thursday: One-on-one or small group meetings
Have at least one individual meeting with each of your team members to help motivate your employees and help them tackle challenges. Small group meetings can also be conducted in which employees can collaborate on the week’s experiments and tackle problems together.
Friday: Reflection meeting
Focus on reflection. Showcase and gather input on the experiments of the week. This might include presentations from project groups during which team members share metrics and insights. It’s also important to check in on each other’s motivation and progress. As the leader, set the example by asking people how they are feeling: Where did they struggle with their motivation, and where did they thrive?
Team leaders can also utilize this meeting to celebrate any personal or professional achievements from the week. Having a sense of achievement can help maintain team members’ motivation during remote working.
Business leaders and managers can immediately adopt this rhythm for their company and team or adjust it according to their needs. There are many variations to Employee Check-Up, such as 15-minute check in at the start of the day to share updates and get the day started or even an informal meeting during breaks or at the end of the week to discuss how people are doing outside of work. The point is to regularly check on your employees and give them a platform for social interactions. Employees are social beings that need that regular communication and interactions yet it is missing in most remote working arrangement.
Technically, it is also suggested to conduct Employee Check-Up meetings using video calls instead of phone calls. Video calls can create a closer connection between your team members. You can make sure everyone is present and paying attention. Make a rule to turn on the camera during meetings and make it into a habit for your team.
I think this is a simple thing that every team leader can do to maintain employees’ morale and productivity. Start by getting to know your employees’ current condition — their motivation and their struggle during remote working. If you think that Employee Check-Up applicable to your team members and can help your team, you can start from finding your own team rhythm and consistently conduct employee check-up. Afterwards, evaluate its effects on your team members.
So, this is an idea on how to maintain productivity in working from home or remote working arrangement. I personally think that this is a good habit that can be extended even after the pandemic ends. If you are a team leader, you can apply it to your team. Or if you are a team member, you can suggest this idea to your team leader and peers — who knows, this can help your team as it does to many teams out there.
At last — if this article is insightful for you, please give it a clap and share it to your friends! Or if you have any feedback or opinions or maybe ideas for the next article, feel free to connect with me here or e-mail me at janicealberta@gmail.com and share your thoughts!
References
Berry, L. (2020, March 30). Why are we losing motivation during lockdown — and what can we do about it. Interact. https://www.interact-intranet.com/blog/losing-motivation-during-lockdown/
Deloitte (n.d.). Keep your team connected and motivated: Tips and advice to set your team up for success. https://www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/human-capital/articles/working-remotely-tip-sheet.html
Gorlick, A. (2020, March 30). The productivity pitfalls of working from home in the age of COVID-19. Stanford News. https://news.stanford.edu/2020/03/30/productivity-pitfalls-working-home-age-covid-19/
McGregor, L., & Doshi, N. (April 09, 2020). How to keep your team motivated, remotely. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-keep-your-team-motivated-remotely
