Asurion Enterprise - The art of remote collaboration

HR professionals thrive on helping others—from veteran employees to new hires—and to succeed, they have to be excellent communicators. Working remotely, however, can present new challenges, especially when it comes remote collaboration with teammates and addressing employees’ concerns. But those challenges aren’t insurmountable. According to a June 2020 Linkedin Workforce Confidence Index survey, 85% of HR professionals reported that they can still be effective at their jobs while working from home.

Here are few ways to encourage remote collaboration on your HR team.

Make meetings fun and enjoyable

Between constant phone calls and paperwork, you may not have as many opportunities to engage with your team. But having meetings or interviews over video chat can break up the workday and help remote employees stay focused. They’ll also be able to better convey ideas, offer updates, and gauge reactions from their colleagues on the screen, reducing the risk of miscommunication that’s so common on email or chat services. Another benefit of video calls? They’re a great way to socialize and bring your team together. A virtual lunch, coffee break, or other employee event can boost morale, improve remote collaboration, and even increase productivity.

Reward participation

Even the most outgoing employees can find it difficult to voice their opinions when working remotely. Encourage them to speak up whenever possible by asking open-ended questions or having each member of your team lead a presentation. When they do participate, reward their contributions using software tools like Bonusly® or Kazoo® that award points they can redeem for cash and prizes or have co-workers celebrate one another by leaving notes or positive feedback after a job well done. This builds a company culture that recognizes hard work and innovation, and it will make employees feel appreciated on a daily basis.

Anticipate setbacks and stay positive

Navigating unpredictable circumstances—organizational shifts, hiring freezes, and layoffs—can be stressful and may affect the health and well-being of your employees, especially those in HR. Leaders should check in with their teams regularly and see how they’re handling these issues, as it can be harder for remote employees to manage work-life balance. This may not only improve the group dynamic, it will allow HR professionals to better help other employees cope with challenges and shape policies that will make remote work more effective for everyone.