Remote workers have become a valuable asset for many businesses. The ability to cooperate with anyone around the world means that you’ll be able to find great talent than if you would search just locally. You may have found incredible remote employees but do they know that you value them?
A recent study found that 65% of employees haven’t received any form of recognition for good work in a year. Therefore, if you are satisfied with the work of remote employees, show them that. You’ll have a better chance of retaining great workers if you do so. Here are some ways in which you can show appreciation to remote workers.
10 Ways to Show Appreciation to Remote Workers
1. Pay Attention to Important Days
Set alarms to remind you of important days and milestones of your remote workers. It can be their birthday, their work anniversary, Employee Appreciation Day, or any other relevant day that they informed you of. Wish them Merry Christmas and remember them on other holidays. Gestures such as these will make your employees feel like a part of the family.
Your kind words and showing that you remembered will let the employee know that they are relevant to you. Send them a card in the form of an email or if it’s not too much trouble for you, write them a hand-written note and send it.
2. Say Thank You Regularly
According to research, 70% of employees say that motivation and morale would improve “massively” with managers saying thank you more. Employ saying “thank you” regularly. Make it a routine.
Whenever an employee sends a finished task, express your gratitude. They have invested their time and effort in it and hearing “thank you” would be like a pat on their back.
3. Include Them in Meetings
Even though most remote workers do just one part of the project, that doesn’t mean that they should be cut off from the rest of it. For example, if you are building a website and you hired a remote worker for copywriting, they still deserve to know the progress of the website.
When you set a progress review meeting with your team, include the remote worker. They can partake through a video call. This will show them that they are a part of that company just like anyone else. Give them an opportunity to share their opinions and be present while your project grows.
4. Write an Appreciation E-mail
Dedicating a whole email solely to thank them for their work will emphasize your appreciation. Write about the skills you value in that worker, why they make the perfect team member, and how they contributed to your company.
You can collaborate with writing services such as TrustMyPaper or GrabMyEssay to create a well-written template and then you can personalize it. Receiving kind words and hearing about their positive traits will make the employees feel better about themselves.
5. Encourage Professional Development
Writers and researchers for Harvard Business Review have emphasized how progress has a motivational power. Improving existing skills and developing professionally can turn an average employee into an exceptional one. Add the employer’s encouragement to that and the employee will thrive.
Whether the worker has thought about it or not, suggest to them that they take an online course that can help them advance in career. You can find free online courses or pay them to take a course. This will be a signal to them that you believe in their capabilities.
6. Send an Appreciation Kit
An appreciation kit can serve as a physical reminder that they are doing a great job. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, it’s the intention that matters. There are even some amazing team-related appreciation kits you can purchase.
For example, TeamBonding offers appreciation kits that are created for employees. Even a small gift can mean the world to an employee if it comes from you and represents your appreciation.
7. Create an Individual Certificate of Achievement
Each great employee has a specific skill that is outstanding. That skill should be recognized and praised. What a better (and more original) way to do it than through a certificate of achievement?
Make personalized certificates of achievement that will state the role, skill, or task in which an employee is best at. It can be a certificate for “the most diligent employee”, “the most positive team member”, “the best original thinker”, etc. Single out a trait that the employee is exceptional at and showcase that achievement.
8. Ask Them about Vacation Time
Just work and no fun would exhaust even the most dedicated employee. The remote workers should know it’s important for you that they take vacation and rest. Ask them in advance about the time they would like to take a vacation. You can arrange your business to accommodate that.
Some employees feel intimidated to request specific vacation days. If you make the first step and tell them that they can take time off whenever they wish, you bet that they’ll feel happy about choosing your company as their place of work.
9. Offer Opportunities for Advancement
Show the remote worker that you see potential in them. Talk to them about advancement opportunities. Knowing that they can move up the ladder in the company will motivate them to do better.
In a study by Quantum Workplace, employees listed professional growth opportunity as one of their highest drivers of engagement. Let the remote employees know that they have the possibility of financial or career growth just as local workers.
10. Give Them an Extra Day Off
If you had a good week and did more work than you expected, give your remote employee an extra day off. Or, tell them on Friday that they can take the rest of the day off. The gift of time can sometimes be the best gift ever.
Remote workers can have a hard time separating their professional and personal life so providing them with an extra day off will be a push towards relaxation. Gifting them with time away from obligations will give them acknowledgment for their hard work.
Final Thoughts
Getting appreciation for hard work boosts employees’ morale, productivity, and retains them at a company. These simple ways of showing that you value your employees will not only keep them a part of your team, but they can also improve their work. You don’t need to invest a lot of effort to show appreciation. All you need is some time and kind words. Don’t you agree that a great employee is worthy of that?
