Does your business hire an entirely remote workforce? If all or even most of your employees work virtually, you may have experienced some challenges in keeping them productive, excited, and fully engaged during each workday. Virtual workers may find it harder to connect with their work, form relationships with managers, or feel motivated to produce top-notch work products. Fortunately, there are several things your business can do to boost your virtual workers’ energy and productivity levels.

Encourage Workers to Be More Independent and Avoid Micro-Managing

If your managers tend to hover over lower-level employees and check in on them too often, your workers could feel overwhelmed, stressed, or even trapped. You can remedy this problem by encouraging your workers to be more independent, and by telling your higher-level management teams to avoid micromanagement at all costs. Instead, they should try to instill the following values and skills in your employees:

• Independence
• Self-confidence
• Productivity
• Engagement
• Creative thinking

Host Company-Wide Virtual Events, Retreats, and Team-Building Exercises

Who says you can’t host virtual company events? If you usually hold in-person events throughout the year for the company, consider making some or all of those events virtual to encourage distance workers to attend. Some fun event ideas you could try out include, but are not limited to:

• Virtual happy hours
• Online conferences
• Online company retreats
• Virtual team-building practice

Demonstrate Your Appreciation for Workers in Small Ways Every Day

One risk of employing numerous virtual workers is that they may feel isolated or unappreciated. In order to demonstrate your genuine appreciation and show virtual workers the impact they have on your company, you should make a concerted effort to reach out to them every day. For example, you could easily:

• Send thank-you emails to workers who have gone above and beyond
• Reflect your thanks in year-end bonuses or other perks for workers
• Give workers limited expense cards to purchase at-home lunch deliveries during the workday

If your business struggles with unproductive or disengaged remote workers, there are a few moves that could help you get your virtual workforce back on track. Avoiding micro-managing practices at all costs, hosting company-wide virtual events, and showing your true appreciation for your workers every day can all be helpful steps. Whether you only have a handful of virtual workers or whether your workforce is entirely virtual, taking these steps can help ensure all your employees remain productive and engaged at all times.