Online and virtual working has rocketed in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world in 2020. In the post-pandemic era, a complete return to office-based working remains unlikely, with many professionals now insistent on working remotely. That means management will have to adapt, and those that act fast will reap the rewards of being ahead of the curve. Those who do not, risk fading away.
Most of these big changes are undoubtedly positive. For example, no physical office means no real estate overheads. Even if you retain a bricks-and-mortar address, it can be much smaller, with costs consequently much less onerous. Most employees are happier working from home, with greater flexibility being cited as a key concern alongside the lack of commute.
However, there are also downsides. Remote working doesn’t suit all workers, and some will be less effective and productive out of the office. More worryingly, there are potential health risks for home workers, both physically and mentally. With workers being ever-more atomized, it can be hard for some people to feel recognized and appreciated by far-away bosses.
As we navigate the modern world of work, there are both pros and cons of remote working. With great changes sweeping through a variety of fields, there are correspondingly new opportunities for rewarding good work. Of course, the old ways are still largely on the table as well, but in 2023 there are more and more options for modern bosses.
Financial rewards
Rewarding people by putting money in their pockets is a sure-fire way to make them happy, as everyone likes a little extra to spend. It’s not always the greatest motivator, however, as it simply arrives in the bank. This means you should go out of your way to also give personal thanks to the worker.
Bonuses are probably the most obvious and direct way to reward employees who are doing well in their work. There’s nothing new about this, but it will make many people very happy. To make sure that the employee knows how much you appreciate their work, arrange a meeting in which you can personally thank them. Whether public or private, this will make them feel valued.
While the work may be remote, the employee will be in a physical location, and you could consider sending a thank you gift to that place, with a personalized note attached. This could be something like chocolates or flowers, or something work-related such as a new chair, monitor or even computer. This has the additional bonus of improving their productivity.
If that’s not an option that you can take advantage of, there are virtual ways to do similar things. A gift card to streaming services, for example, or vouchers for locally based businesses that employees can choose how to use. This allows a high degree of flexibility while still feeling personal.
Time incentives
Rewards do not have to be, and in fact should not be, purely financial in nature. Employees who are working from home are disproportionately likely to be motivated by other incentives, especially pertaining to time. There are a range of options here and opportunities to be creative. With the world of work changing, it’s important to stay abreast of developments.
If people are making their deadlines and hitting targets, why not reward them with some extra holiday time? After all, if the work’s been done ahead of schedule, that’s an ideal time to suggest a little mini break. This won’t suit all types of enterprises, but having a surprise long weekend thanks to work being finished ahead of schedule will improve anyone’s morale.
It doesn’t have to be full days off, either. A growing number of businesses are experimenting with casual Fridays, where people usually work for half the day or work at a casual pace, without strict deadlines being imposed. With several European countries experimenting with four-day weeks, this may be an option for you, especially in project-oriented fields.
One of the biggest drivers of remote work is the opportunity for flexible working. A great way to show your employees that you trust them is to allow them to set their own hours, as long as the work gets done at the end of the day. You will likely find that they redouble their efforts and work twice as hard to retain freedom over their schedule.
Social rewards
Your employees may be feeling lonely and distanced from other workers. A good way to counter this is to organize a weekly or monthly opportunity to unwind with a social meet. You could push this idea further and consider subsidizing a shared interest such as a book club where you assume the costs of book downloads onto reading devices.
If your workers are standing out in a certain field or looking to develop themselves in an area, you could pay for them to attend a virtual event or training course to help them along that path. This is of course a win-win situation for the wider company and the individual. They will be happier developing new skills and you will reap the benefit of their new knowledge.
Or, if you don’t feel like outsourcing training and development, you could offer a high-performing employee the opportunity to join a one-to-one mentoring program. This is particularly useful for companies that handle sensitive information or have specialised fields of business. It also helps to mitigate concerns from employees that may feel alienated and removed from the management structure.
By the same token, with a distributed workforce, you may find that there are events such as forums and expositions local to individual workers. Sending them as representatives of the business is a fantastic way to reward them and show that you value and trust them as an integral part of them team.
