Appreciating Remote Employees During COVID-19
Lauren Locklear, Doctoral Candidate at UCF
COVID-19 Has changed the nature of work
COVID-19 has forced a large number of employees, who would usually work in a physical office space, to transition to remote work. New estimates suggest that, due to stay at home orders, remote work has risen to represent as much as 60% of the US workforce, as of late March. This figure is double that of February 2020 - where only 30% of employees teleworked.
Virtual work is associated with a number of obstacles. For example, telecommuting has been associated with increased social isolation and family conflict. With children home from school and a quick transition from face-to-face to virtual work, additional obstacles associated with COVID-19 are compounding the stress of virtual work. As a result of their new work-from-home arrangements, individuals have reported increases in work-family conflict and challenges with boundary management. Similarly, employees have reported decreases in productivity, citing additional distractions and miscommunications with coworkers.
Though transitioning to virtual work arrangements can be stressful, managers can alleviate these negative outcomes by providing employees with appreciation and recognition regularly. Research has demonstrated that appreciation — specific behaviors that signal recognition and value of another person or their actions — can positively impact employee’s motivation, self-efficacy, and relationships with others. Moreover, receiving appreciation can buffer against the negative effects associated with work stressors. Appreciation is considered very important to employees, who universally report both expecting and desiring high levels of appreciation from their managers. Because of its positive effects for employees, managers should be sure to demonstrate their appreciation for employees now more than ever.
Interestingly, remote workers desire different types of appreciation than employees that work in face-to-face settings. As such, managers must tailor their thanks and recognition accordingly. A study comparing remote and face-to-face employees found that “employees in a long-distance work relationship chose quality time as their preferred means to be shown appreciation.” Moreover, results demonstrated that a desire for verbal or written praise also remains high among remote workers, though not as high as their face-to-face colleagues.
So, how can managers best express their appreciation to remote employees?
1) Coordinate quality time with your team. When speaking of their desire for quality time as a means of appreciation, employees suggested ideas including “hanging out with coworkers,” “working together on a project,” and “taking time to listen.” During this time of remote work, Zoom happy hours, mental health check-ins, and group work are ways for managers to demonstrate that they value their employees and their contributions to the team. Moreover, appreciation is an important part of a team’s culture. Because fostering a positive culture is particularly important during a time of remote work, starting new rituals and continuing old ones that include quality time can be one mechanism managers use to foster a culture of appreciation.
2) Express appreciation verbally or in writing. Verbal appreciation can come in many forms: recognition, praise, positive feedback, gratitude and more. Each of these expression have in common that they use words expressed face-to-face or in writing, that demonstrate that an individual is valued and his or her contributions are recognized. Although social distancing precludes managers from sitting with employees in person, a video call to provide positive feedback and praise can be just as intimate and meaningful for an employee. When expressing appreciation, ensure the employee understands the purpose for which you are appreciating them. This will allow them to understand the impact of their work.
3) Make sure your appreciation is authentic. To be perceived as authentic, expressions of appreciation must be individualized and personal. Be clear about the contribution each individual made to a goal, and why you value their specific contributions. Moreover, appreciation must be expressed in a way that is meaningful to the recipient, so managers must tailor appreciation to each individual subordinate.
“Employees in a long-distance work relationship chose quality time as their preferred means to be shown appreciation.”