Employee engagement is important to the success of any business.
Every business wants to make the most out of their workers, and it is no different with remote employees. Virtual workers are unique in that they might not meet you in person and physically work in office, however, this doesn't mean you should ignore them. Remote workers are given the ability to work anywhere around the world, so wherever they are, they can still contribute to your business. Whether they’re an administrative assistant or a department manager, you can take steps to ensure their contribution is the best it can be.
Virtual administrative assistants can be game-changers to your business’s productivity. It isn’t easy to find a superstar executive assistant, which is why when you’ve found one, it’s important to do your best to keep them around, engaged, and productive.
Here are four tips to make sure you're getting the most out of your virtual administrative assistant:
1. Schedule Weekly Team Meetings
There are many reasons that you should hold weekly team meetings, from making sure everyone is on the same page to promoting interaction between colleagues. Weekly team meetings also allow the employees to ask different questions, look for clarifications, and enable you to make sure everyone is on track and schedule.
Finally, because of the "lonely" nature of remote work, team meetings help build good working relationships between workers, allowing them to be much more comfortable working with each other. Moreover, don't forget the primary purpose of the sessions: to build a sense of unity.
2. Meet Individual Remote Worker Weekly
Meeting with each remote worker is just as important as holding group meetings. These personalized one-to-ones allow you to provide feedback and support to your administrative assistant. You're also able to discuss the changes that the virtual team member needs to make to enhance productivity. At the same time, the administrative assistant can provide feedback and suggestions on what you can do to help him or her perform better.
The best thing about individual meetings is it gives a sense of value to your workers. By spending time with each employee, they know you’ve given your time and effort to help them succeed. It also allows you to create accountability measures for the work they perform.
Finally, private one-to-ones give you the chance to praise for the great work the worker has done. This can be the difference between administrative assistants that put their best foot forward and those who couldn't care less.
3. Provide Performance Reviews
Excellent virtual assistants are always on the lookout to understand how they can improve their work. It gives them the reason to improve themselves and become more satisfied with the work they perform. One of the best ways you can encourage this is to provide performance reviews.
When your team members know their performance is monitored, they work harder to achieve the best results. The same can be said about virtual assistants. By letting them know how you're going to rate their performance and what standards you have, they know how hard they must work to meet your expectations.
4. Share Your Vision and Goals
In-house workers are exposed to your company's vision daily. It is what connects them to your company, working hard to reach goals. For remote workers, it can be harder to achieve, but that by no means reduces the importance of getting them connected to your company on a personal level.
With that said, you should always share your company goals, missions, and visions with your virtual workers. Having the entire company aligned to common goals and objectives ensures each employee understands their contribution and how it impacts results.
By following our tips, you can ensure you're getting the most out of your remote workers. Remember, they're the ones keeping your business running. By making sure they feel connected to your company, they'll give their all to make your venture successful.