Over the last few years, multiple studies have suggested that remote routines and flexible business models lead to greater levels of productivity than traditional workplaces. This has been a surprise for many, as it was initially assumed that lack of supervision leads to poor habits and bad behaviours. We now know that this isn’t the case.
There are challenges associated with managing and maintaining remote teams, however. One of the biggest is finding ways to foster that all-important sense of community. When employees aren’t interacting face to face, on a daily basis, there’s a risk of disconnection. It is lack of cohesion, rather than monitoring, which is the biggest danger for virtual offices in Malaysia.
This guide to boosting morale and building team spirit, without a physical office space, will help you bring your employees together.
Find a Reliable Base
It’s true that virtual offices can exist without a form of physical space, but having ‘on the ground’ support system is recommended. Visit www.servcorp.com.ph/en/virtual-offices/ for inspiration. Here, you can browse pictures of some of the top facilities in Kuala Lumpur.
The benefits of having a real life corporate centre to visit are numerous. For one thing, you can use the conference areas to meet face to face with remote employees. Again, it isn’t essential, but the vast majority of virtual businesses do make time for some direct contact.
Check In Regularly
Often, the success of virtual offices is determined by how often and how well team members talk to one another. Hopefully, you’ve got a team that is engaged with collaborative projects and great at communicating. However, you must offer plenty of your own encouragement.
You can’t supervise employees all the time and micromanaging is rarely helpful. So, to ensure that everybody is chatting on a regular basis, schedule online meetings and conferences. Set up group chats and establish clear rules for when you want everybody to be present.
Give Real Life Rewards
It’s common for remote workers to lose motivation because the connection between real life endeavours and virtual recognition feels unsatisfying. This is why managers should find creative ways to reach out and reward those who perform exceptionally.
It can be hard, especially when you’re separated by long distances, but it’s all about reinforcing the idea that remote work is no less appreciated. In fact, this is even more important if you’ve got a mixture of traditional and virtual employees. Make sure they are equally rewarded.
Make Room for Progress
One of the biggest challenges associated with remote routines is keeping employees motivated. It’s much harder to feel like you have an essential place within a company when you’re not speaking with decision makers on a regular basis.
Yet, if key employees see no path for progression or development, they will become bored and distracted. Every couple of months, check in with people and ask them whether they’d like to learn any new skills or enhance their knowledge in any particular areas.
Why Recruiting in Kuala Lumpur Is a Real Adventure
The population of Malaysia has a high literacy rate, and there are lots of talented graduates on the hunt for work. You can, of course, liaise with existing teams overseas if you have recently expanded into the country. However, working with locals is a good way to boost your brand.
It shows that you want to learn about the culture and that you care about your standing within the community. This all reflects very well on the company and helps you start building up a market presence. With Kuala Lumpur as your base, you’ll never be short of amazing recruits.
