Tips for reenergizing a Zoom-fatigued remote workforce. 

JAN 26, 2021

As we head into mid-winter, many workforces are coming up on one full year of remote work. Can you believe it?

While feelings towards remote working are mixed across the board, it’s easy to agree that working from home can have its moments. These “moments” have been defined by a new term coined by the pandemic-era workforce — “Zoom fatigue.”

We’ve compiled a few ideas to continue to get the most out of your remote employees as they combat feelings of Zoom fatigue.

Create opportunities for communication unrelated to work.

Long gone are the days of watercooler talk— at least until we can all safely return to the office. In the meantime, provide opportunities for your employees to communicate with each other, especially those who aren’t on the same teams and don’t get that opportunity to cross paths during a regular remote workday.

Consider starting Slack channels with different points of interest that employees can join such as gardening, books, movies & TV, pets, health & fitness, or cooking. With communication platforms like Slack, employees can choose which channels they would like to be part of and can regain that sense of community and camaraderie that we have all been missing in our social lives since working from home. 

Encourage employees to take control of their environment.

Do your employees have what they need to make their space feel productive? More importantly, have you checked in with your employees to ensure that they are operating out of a healthy living situation and even have a functioning workspace? If not, consider organizing a safe way to schedule a curbside pick-up at the office in the event an employee would work better from home with an office chair or the second monitor that’s still sitting at their office workstation.

Start by ensuring your employee’s wellness and safety. For those that can’t work from their home for whatever reason, consider setting up an option where they can come into the office with adequate PPE and their own space. For overall wellness and productivity, it may help sharing tips and suggestions for productive remote work via email, Teams, or Slack communication. 

Introduce flexible working hours.

As most of us now know, working from home can be just as draining as the busy, “go-go-go” schedule of our pre-COVID lives, especially for those with kids at home. If your company hasn’t already, it might be beneficial to the happiness, wellness, and productivity of your employees to introduce flexible work scheduling to your company’s culture.

Flexible scheduling may look different from company to company, but here are some effective ideas to consider:

●     Let employees decide what time to start their 8-hour workday.

●     Instead of making employees take PTO or vacation time for doctors, allow for “flex hours” where employees can simply work later or make up their missed hours at another point within the week.

Living through a global pandemic has taught us many lessons. One of which is that flexibility and adaptability are crucial for survival, not just in business and the workplace, but in life as well. Though the world will go back to normal eventually, the new emphasis placed on work/life balance will be sure to impact company culture for a lifetime. What can your business do now to build a dedicated workforce for the long haul?

Article Written By: Brian Thomas is a proud Philadelphian and self-proclaimed business and tech nerd. When he's not blogging about the latest industry news on Enlightened Digital, he can be found cheering on Philly sports teams or long-distance cycling.