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    Why Boots’ Return to the Office is a Mistake

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    Another month, another controversial move by a big company. This time, it’s Boots scrapping their two days of working from home in favour of a full return to the office. It’s the kind of swimming against the current that can make even the best of us question our direction; do they know something we don’t? From Boots to Zoom, the big names are burying their stake in the ground – but what if the devil is in the details of these statements? They are, after all, articulated by their CEOs.
    Let’s investigate.
    In its statement, Boots justifies its decision based on the perceived effectiveness of informal in-person interactions during the company’s current three-day office policy. The CEO said, ‘There is no doubt in my mind that the informal conversations, brief catch-ups, and ability to meet in groups in person have been far more effective and better for our unique Boots culture than the enforced formality of remote meetings.’
    This statement clearly fronts an executive’s view. There’s no doubt that more in-person time benefits command and control leadership, where leaders can feel like there is progress and positive outcomes because they see everything with their own eyes. But this ban on any flexible work will, at best, favour a group-think mentality and, at worst, deliver authority bias.
    The HR expert might also argue that it’s all just a thinly veiled attempt at reducing headcount in tough economic times. If this is true, what type of employees do Boots want to cut? Brian Kropp, Chief of HR Research at Gartner, says forcing employees to return fully on-site is a risk to diversity, equity, and inclusion because underrepresented groups of talent have seen vast improvements in how they work since being allowed more flexibility — and could be lost if flexibility isn’t an option.
    Boots’ statement goes on to explain that the changes only apply to a subset of office workers and that it won’t change the working model for the vast majority. In fact, it claims that since Boots frontline employees are used to being on-site, this makes it fair between knowledge and frontline workers.
    Is that what the frontline wants? Not better tools, communication, networking, career progression opportunities, or inclusion as members of the company’s mission, but less flexibility for knowledge workers? It doesn’t make sense. Office mandates don’t empower the frontline. They facilitate the creation of rules and processes in isolation, creating ivory towers where ideas and decisions are out of touch with customer issues.
    Hybrid working was the great leveller that democratised decisions and helped office workers empathise with frontline challenges through free-flowing, digital communication. Toyota, for example, is known for the excellence of its Toyota Production System, created through a culture of ‘pulling’ ideas from the frontline instead of pushing mandates from the top. Companies should follow in Toyota’s footsteps to democratise ideation, not isolate it to a physical location and time of day.
    But five days in the office means two more days of interactions and potential ideas, says Boots. Again, does it? Where is the data supporting that statement, let alone this whole decision, besides the CEO’s absolute belief? It doesn’t sound like a business decision based on new insight. Instead, it sounds like their leadership thinks interactions and ideas only occur when they’re around to see them; if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
    Well…yeah.
    Maybe three days a week in the office isn’t the sweet spot for everyone, but Boots’ new five-days-in-the-office policy certainly doesn’t sound like progress. Working from home has earned its place and can back it up with data. Hopefully, the market will recognise this instead of following blindly in Boots’ footsteps.
    By Kaz Hassan, Community & Industry Insights Lead at Unily.
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      Cybersecurity is an HR Responsibility, Too

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      Cybercrime is a constant source of fear and frustration in the modern world of business. The number of attacks are increasing as the tactics used by cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated. And the potential damage to companies is also rising, with the global average cost of a data breach rising to $4.35m in 2022, according to IBM.  
      There are various factors driving the surge in cybercrime, but one recent study linked the increasing risk of cyberattacks to the shift toward remote work in recent years, as the typical remote workspace is insufficiently protected, creating cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Furthermore, because remote workers rely on digital communication tools to do their work, they are more susceptible to phishing and social engineering attacks. The study also claims that because remote workers are not physically in the office together, they may find it more challenging to communicate with colleagues and verify the information or requests made in phishing emails.
      Given this potentially increased risk, should companies cease remote work? Doing so would come with its own costs, as remote work has been shown to lead to increased productivity and staff retention. Our survey of 1,004 HR and business decision-makers and workers across the world found that 69% of employers with a distributed remote workforce said that employee retention had increased since their business adopted the practice. Meanwhile, 72% of companies with an international remote workforce stated that productivity has risen since adopting a distributed model.
      So, what should companies do to improve their cyber defenses without sacrificing the benefits of remote work? Organizations might assume that their cybersecurity is solely a concern for the IT department, but this is not the case. In fact, focusing too heavily on technology will ignore the most important element of cybersecurity: your people. 
      According to another IBM study, 95% of cybersecurity breaches are the result of human error. So, if the people in an organization are the weakest link, then it is also the responsibility of HR to improve cybersecurity and help implement the practices needed to safeguard valuable data. HR has an invaluable role to play in preventing data breaches, and HR leaders must step up and help protect their organizations from cyber risks. 
      But what steps should HR take to address this issue? The first thing needed is to develop a culture of corporate cybersecurity safety through partnerships between HR leaders, internal IT teams, and data protection specialists. Cooperation across departments is essential.  
      One way in which HR can actively contribute is by partnering with IT to establish more refined access levels based on the organizational structure, including the employee’s level and department. By doing so, HR can assist in controlling and regulating access to specific types of information and actions. This collaborative effort between HR and IT aims to safeguard sensitive data by granting access privileges only to those individuals who genuinely require it to fulfill their job responsibilities. The principle of least privilege serves as a guiding principle, emphasizing that the intent is not to exclude individuals or withhold knowledge from employees, but rather to acknowledge that employees in different departments, such as marketing and finance or accounting, do not require unrestricted access to each other’s data. This principle should help to limit the potential damage of a data breach caused by any single employee.
      Next, HR can use recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing training as opportunities to ensure staff are aware of their responsibilities towards cybersecurity across the organization.
      For instance, recruitment is an opportunity to probe candidates for any potential red flags, given that employee misconduct is a common cause of data breaches. Running background checks on applicants to verify the accuracy of their employment and education history and screening for any history of criminal activity or policy violations is essential.
      HR departments themselves must also be careful during the recruitment period not to fall for a ransomware or phishing attack disguised as a resume or cover letter. And if they are to conduct virtual interviews with candidates, then HR teams must ensure they have appropriate network security measures in place, and confirm any recruitment software being used is installed with the latest security updates. 
      Similarly, the onboarding phase is a crucial moment for HR to help protect sensitive information. HR must keep a record of all the equipment a new employee receives and ensure it is returned if and when the employee leaves the company, so they do not take away any sensitive data. New recruits must also be made aware of important safety precautions, such as how to spot phishing emails and how to build strong, unique passwords. 
      Again, HR must also be careful during the onboarding phase, as they will receive a large amount of personally identifiable information from the new employee, usually via email or fax. HR departments must ensure such communications are encrypted before personal data is collected and stored.  
      Finally, training is a significant opportunity to invest in ongoing cybersecurity education so your team can establish and maintain best practices. Employees need regular reminders about the dangers posed by weak passwords and phishing emails. This training is also an opportunity to teach staff about the latest hacking methods used by cybercriminals and how to stay safe while working remotely. For instance, public Wi-Fi can represent a major risk, and although remote workers may enjoy the flexibility to work from a cafe or public space, they are safer using their smartphone as a hotspot rather than connecting to an unknown network.
      At Remote, all staff are required to undergo training within their first 30 days of employment and annually thereafter, to ensure they understand security policies, procedures, and best practices. Investing in your workforce through training helps to create trust among your employees, who are your first line of defence against a cybersecurity breach. 
      Companies do not have to grapple with this task alone; they can work with trusted partners who can help to protect their data while continuing to employ an internationally dispersed workforce. Employer of record (EOR) service providers can help organizations grow secure global teams, while also ensuring employers are compliant with local and international data protection laws in the markets where they operate. This frees companies to focus on managing and growing their business.
      There are further advantages of collaborating with companies like Remote, who have complete ownership over their end-to-end operations, as opposed to relying on third-party entities. This approach is particularly beneficial because it allows them to have complete control over the data and mitigates the risk of uncertain data handling practices. Remote sought out ISO27001 certification as well as the SOC2 Type II, the world’s best-known, internationally recognized standard for information security management systems, to demonstrate our commitment to information security and providing a secure platform for our customers. As EORs handle sensitive employee data, including personal information, financial records, and legal documents, these certifications provide a standardized and independent confirmation, so employers can be confident that rigorous security measures protect their employee information.
      Integrating cybersecurity into company culture must be an endeavour tackled by the whole organisation, not just the IT team. The HR department has a key role to play in building a solid and safe foundation for a business to grow its globally distributed workforce.
      By Marcelo Lebre, COO and co-founder of Remote.
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      How to Support Staff’s Mental Health When Working from Home

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      Since the announcement on the 22nd February 2021 that lockdown restrictions will be easing, there has been a 466.67% increase in Google searches for “returning to office”.
      Over the last year, the UK has had to adapt to a new way of working, especially with mental health affecting so many people working from home. A study done by Harvey Nash shows that 1 in 3 people reported that their mental health has deteriorated, while 26 percent of UK tech professionals have said that they are experiencing even higher levels of stress than they did before the pandemic.
      Researcher at the Institution of Organisational Safety and Health (IOSH) Kirsty Iliffe and leading commercial space provider, Bruntwood Works, have provided advice and some lessons learned from the past lockdowns when it comes to supporting employees mental health.
      Kirsty says; “The ongoing stress of the pandemic could lead to both physical and psychological damage and even depression and anxiety,” she goes on to add; As employers, organizations have a duty of care to help their employees and in many countries, they have a legal obligation to do so.”
      “It’s important that organizations are aware of the potential mental ill-health implications and ensure they are aware of their roles and responsibilities in supporting their teams.”
      1 – Have regular, honest one-to-ones
      Lockdown has changed the way we schedule our days. Previously, a manager’s office door was always open. Now, our communication has dwindled as the lockdowns go on, and we get used to working from home.
      Effective one-to-ones under the new measures look fundamentally different; they should be open, honest conversations about how we feel, what we’re worried about, and — most importantly — what’s helping us through it.
      “Keep in regular contact with remote workers,” says Kirsty. “This will help to avoid feelings of isolation and loneliness. It’s a good way to ensure that workers are well and that they understand any information and instructions presented to them.”
      During these conversations, you should let your staff set the agenda. This is the time for managers to listen more than anything else. Establishing a safe space where employees feel heard, can be a lifeline for those who are struggling.
      2 – Bring the office perks home with you
      Back in the office, business owners spent a lot of time understanding how their employees’ environment affected their productivity, meaning they were creating office perks that would encourage a friendly and productive environment, but when we entered lockdown this wasn’t an option anymore.
      Companies should continue to boost staff morale by finding ways to continue those perks outside of the office.
      Here are some of the most common office perks — and how you can replicate them remotely:

      Gym memberships — If the gyms are closed run a virtual fitness club instead. Share your results using a smartphone app and incentivize the winner with prizes like an afternoon off or an Amazon voucher.
      Free food — Used to getting free snacks or meals at the office? Send your staff vouchers to order themselves a tasty lunch a couple of times a month.
      Great internet — Most modern offices have fast internet speeds to cope with staff being logged on eight hours a day, but it’s tricky to replicate that at home. Invest in some signal boosters for staff who are having trouble with their home internet connection.
      Office games — Missing the foosball table in the office? Luckily, there’s a ton of virtual games you can challenge teammates to instead. You can play Pictionary, Scrabble, and even chess online. Start a leaderboard to see who’s doing best on your team!

      3 – Share some good news
      When everyone was first put into lockdown, we were obsessively connected to the news cycle, which was mainly negative news being fed to us. Continually being exposed to negative statistics greatly impacted the outlooks and moods of workers. To combat this, companies should share the good news as regularly as possible.
      Jo Gallagher, People Business Partner at Bruntwood Works says the company has made practical efforts to share more good news. “Every day, right across the business we’re seeing, hearing, and reading some great colleagues’ stories on our staff conversation platform, Universe. We’ve welcomed a few new Bruntwood Works babies, we’ve embraced new learning opportunities and we’ve seen how our customers are supporting the fight against COVID-19.”
      When reading through the press it may not be easy to come across positive news, as a business you can share stories of staff achievements and acts of kindness. Doing so will help lift moods and it may also help to prevent their mental health from deteriorating.
      4 – Keep your (virtual) door open
      When we were in an office environment, employees often mixed with different teams and senior team members, whether that was whilst making a coffee or having lunch.
      Since we are working remotely that just isn’t possible anymore. Setting up measures that bridge the gap between the teams and senior members is important to make sure those relationships are still present.
      “Communicate the organizational plan,” advises Kirsty: “be open and honest with all employees. Explain what the organization is doing to help protect its employees, their families and friends, and the organization itself.”
      Opening these channels of communication helps your team feel more closely connected with what the business is doing. It gives them a chance to have their say during a time when very little seems to be in their control.
      One of the best ways to do this is to have virtual ‘open door’ times for senior staff. During these sessions — perhaps a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon — company directors should keep their calendars free and be prepared to chat with any staff members who want to talk. It could be about the business’s performance, staff concerns, or even new ideas for how the team can move forward.
      5 – Don’t give up on social events
      Social events were simple before the lockdown. Teams would go out for a few drinks or maybe a fun activity and everyone would have a chance to get to know each other a little better.
      As we can not attend any social events, it becomes easy for companies to stop hosting and creating staff socials. Leaders need to look for new options available to them.
      Schedule regular social events with your team. Anything that lets you keep in touch without the conversation centering around work will help support your team’s mental health. Here are some virtual socializing ideas your business can try:

      Virtual coffee sessions
      Zoom evening drinks
      Friday afternoon quizzes
      A TV and film recommendations group
      30-day music challenges
      Virtual book clubs.

      One step at a time
      “People have personal triggers; some are better to carry on working while others simply need some downtime. There is also the social stigma that many feel around talking about their struggles.
      Kirsty from IOSH highlights that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to maintaining your team’s mental health because everyone is different.
      This being the case, businesses need to be in tune with their staff on an individual level. The only way to do that? Take a genuine interest in each and every member of your team.
      “Some decisions can only be made by the individual, such as whether to go off sick or to continue working.”
      “Make sure you’re investing in those relationships, regardless of the new obstacles in the way. That needs to be the number one priority of any company right now,” says Jo Gallagher from Bruntwood Works. “If you really care about how your staff is coping, finding the right support measures for them will quickly follow.”
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      The Hierarchy of Needs for Home-Working in 2021

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      It’s been a good few years – 78 years to be exact – since Abraham Maslow published his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation” and introduced us to the ‘Hierarchy of Needs’.
      Chances are you’re already familiar with it, but it features five stages and is typically stylized like a pyramid. Moving from the bottom to the top, the stages theorized a human being’s motivation; psychological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. The theory was that the lower needs have to be satisfied before you can move up to attend to the needs of the next stage, and so on until you reach the final stage.
      But as we stated before, it’s been a while. So much about life, especially working life, has changed in the last 12 months. Is it time to introduce a new hierarchy of needs that is more suited to not only the 21st century, but our current working situation, and the state of modern recruitment?
      Before we dive in, let’s quickly recap the five stages of human needs (according to Maslow):
      Physiological: This first stage is about our most basic needs like food, water, and sleep
      Safety: Are we safe? Are we healthy? This covers everything from shelter to financial stability
      Love / belonging: Once we’re safe and fed, how do we feel like we belong in our own lives? This could be through relationships, friendships, and romantic intimacy
      Esteem: Then we start to work on ourselves. This self-growth and building on our esteem happens through status, respect, and recognition
      Self-actualization: This final stage relates to self-fulfillment which – according to Maslow – says is unique to every person
      Introducing: The new hierarchy of needs for working from home in 2021
      2020 saw a complete overhaul of how we do our jobs, and how businesses interact with their employees. Last year saw us replace face-to-face meetings with Zoom and desks with dining room tables. The working world has changed, and our needs have alongside it, with how we go about our jobs, the way we communicate, flexibility, and ways to improve productivity. One thing that hasn’t changed though is our desire to succeed in our careers.

      Now in 2021, mid-pandemic, many businesses are now in full work-from-home mode while continuing to go about their day, conducting meetings, recruiting new staff, and pitching for new customers. With all that in mind, business security solutions provider, Expert Security UK, thinks it’s time for a new hierarchy of needs:
      Working equipment: To do a job properly in the digital age, your equipment needs to be top-notch. That means no internet outages, no computer crashes, or faulty equipment. These are the basics.
      Security: We all need, and all deserve, to feel safe regardless of where we do business. This means that our premises – wherever that may be – needs to be protected efficiently with things like electric gates, driveway security bollards, and CCTV, etc.
      Safety and hygiene: If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we should never be complacent when it comes to hygiene, especially in an enclosed workspace. As we (hopefully) move forwards out of this pandemic, businesses will need to have updated health and safety policies that reflect hygiene and social distancing best practices. If home is your work – whether it’s temporary or permanent – keep your hygiene standards high.
      Team culture: Don’t forget about your people. Office banter and inside jokes are easy to keep alive when you’re all in one place, but with most people working from home, it’s more important now to keep that office culture alive and well. Use the internet and digital means to your advantage.
      Career success: Just because we’re working from home doesn’t mean our ambitions have been put on hold. We all have a need to feel valued, and that includes in our careers. Make sure your employees’ progressions are still on track, so they have something to work for.
      By Sam Levene at Expert Security UK.

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      A Guide to Remote Employer Branding

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      For years, we’ve framed the virtual workplace as “the future of work”—a distant vision, and one many employer brand managers overlooked, despite the fact that more than half of workers worldwide were spending at least half their workweek telecommuting. However, as HubSpot’s Senior Manager of Employer Brand Hannah Fleishman reminds us, “The future is here.”
      COVID-19 has forced companies with little experience supporting a remote workforce to embrace working from home. Some were better equipped to make this transition in stride. Before COVID-19 closed offices around the world, HubSpot was already positioning itself as a leader in remote employee experience. Of its 3,500 employees around the world, 400 were full-time remote, making HubSpot’s remote workforce its third-largest “office.” That success wasn’t an accident—a major component of its success was its commitment to remote employer brand.

      Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Soundcloud.
      If employer brand describes how your values and culture differentiate you competitively, then remote employer brand describes your remote workforce’s place in that culture, as well as the competitive advantage you offer to remote candidates. As Fleishman puts it, “How you market and position your company, not only as a great place to work but a great place to work remotely, is really important as that becomes more competitive.”
      Before 2020, the remote employee experience was an afterthought at many companies. For years, HubSpot was no exception. Framing remote work as “the future of work” allowed companies to deprioritize it in favor of more immediate goals and concerns.
      However, supporting remote employees is becoming increasingly urgent as more and more job seekers opt to work from home for health and safety reasons. “Because of this pandemic, we can expect that candidates are going to expect more remote work opportunities.”
      Employers shouldn’t expect the importance of remote employer brand to subside as the pandemic subsides, either. According to Fleishman, an internal survey revealed that 61% of HubSpot employees are planning to work remotely more even after in-person office life resumes.
      To follow Hannah Fleishman’s work on remote employer brand, follow her on LinkedIn. You may also want to check out her previous interview Inbound Recruiting: HubSpot’s Approach to Employer Branding. For help creating data-driven, actionable strategies you can use to make real change in your company, talk to us.

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      5 Ways Recruiting Leaders Can Help their Teams Beat WFH Fatigue

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      For the majority of the UK workforce, December now marks almost eight months of continuously working from home, for thousands of us this has been a shock to the system and a real shift from the norm.
      The balance between a healthy home and work life, for some, may have been blurred and now Google trends data suggests searches for ‘burnout’ peaking as the UK entered a second national lockdown earlier in November and with no respite to the working from home guidance as of yet, this trend is likely to increase.
      So with more people now experiencing a form of ‘work from home fatigue’, Sam Hill, Head of People and Culture at BizSpace shares tips on how business leaders can help to combat this unique form of burnout.
      1. COMMUNICATION IS KEY TO MAINTAINING A CULTURE
      Communication is a vital part of this strategy – with every element of running a business or managing a team, communication is the key to success in morale and for recruiters, a pivotal part in the day-to-day job. Many office workers across the country may be living alone, in shared accommodation, or having to juggle the added pressures of being at home more often, like childcare for example.
      All of this can lead to feeling a sense of isolation from the team and the company, something that can come as a shock to the system. Especially when concerned with the recruitment industry, where camaraderie and an office environment where feeling a sense of striving for targets is instilled and allows employees to excel. While many won’t have a choice but to be working from home, team leaders could encourage the use of instant messaging like Slack and Google Chat. While daily huddles and weekly catch-ups with a line manager/mentor using a mixture of video and voice calls help to keep updated and on top of targets, with managers offering a steer and guidance. Keeping this constant open door to communication can replicate that feeling of being in the office where teams can so easily communicate and celebrate wins.
      2. TRUST YOUR TEAM AND PROVE IT THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS
      Recruiters can work sporadic hours day-to-day but with working hours now no longer ‘normal’, this can lead to many feeling like they need to prove they’re doing the work, leading to overworking and in turn, burnout. Thousands of us are defined by the 9-5, taking lunch at the same time each day and having a physical presence in front of colleagues to prove we are actually working. At home, we don’t have this way of ‘proving’ ourselves.
      So team leads must show that they trust their team, they can do this by being flexible and less formal, where meetings are required, keeping these streamlined and avoiding typical lunch hours or times early in the morning where some may be taking advantage of the new hours. Setting attainable and broad deadlines with a lot of notice will allow flexibility and give enough time to be met.
      3. DEFINING THE PURPOSE FOR EVERY TEAM MEMBER
      Despite many recruiters and talent acquisition specialists having a clearly defined goal and working towards a commission-based salary, the peculiar times we’re living in can still see many questioning their purpose. It is vital that every member of the team is aware of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it, aside from simply logging the hours and getting through the day. Senior management, team leaders, and line managers must be communicating this from the top down through the likes of company-wide communication, keeping teams updated on business progress, any wins, challenges, and opportunities.
      This communication then needs to filter down through the hierarchy with each level of the team being aware of how their work contributes to the overall goal of the company. No role in a team is obsolete and everyone contributes to the success of the overall goal and defining this purpose, more now than ever before, is vital to give your team a sense of purpose and being.
      4. BE CLEAR ON THE PRIORITIES
      When delegating work, be absolutely clear of the deadlines and what the top priorities are. For the more inexperienced members of the team, being in the office has a monumental impact on their progression and will allow them to pick up skills and lean on peers for guidance. As a team leader or manager, making workload priorities explicit from the offset and checking in once a week on progress can help to guide the workload without micromanaging and guide those that may need more of a steer.
      5. ENCOURAGE MOVEMENT AND GET EVERYONE INVOLVED
      Taking a break from the dining room table or home office is key to keeping a clear and focussed mind throughout the day. Workers are likely to be spending more time at their screens with no need to leave the house, whereas heading out to get lunch is the norm when in an office setting. With longer nights, we must get the most out of the short amount of daylight we have. But how do you ensure your team is not neglecting their own need for fresh air and daylight?
      Using instant messaging, a social chat can be an escape for many employees to talk about everything that isn’t work. Encouraging a weekly thread where the team can share photos of their week and something they have done might be a nice way to encourage people to do more other than stay in the house. Apps like Strava that track exercise can also be a great team-building activity that encourages movement. Creating a leaderboard for the number of miles each person logs in exercise outside should encourage competition amongst the team. It doesn’t have to be strenuous exercise either, so whether they’re walking or in a wheelchair, riding or running, it encourages the team to get outside and spend time away from the screen.
      Sam Hill has been with BizSpace since 2017 and is the Head of People and Culture. She has over 10 years’ experience in HR roles and previously worked at The Football Association, Produban (a part of Santander), and Ascential PLC. Sam is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

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      WFH: How to Keep Your Team On Track

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      Working from home is great, but it also comes with many unique struggles that can impact productivity and hinder growth. According to Buffer’s 2019 State of Remote Work survey, 17 percent of respondents reported that communication and collaboration as their greatest struggle working remotely while 8 percent of workers said that motivation was their biggest adversity.
      Tuning into your team’s struggles and integrating preventative strategies like these will help you promote wellness and productivity for everyone. Before you get started, make sure that you have some time to set aside and ask for feedback. Although these tips are a great way to combat many of the common remote work challenges, it’s best to personalize your approach so you can address the most pressing barriers to productivity in your company.
      Use Public Task Lists
      Every employee will have their own itemized agenda for the day, but a team-wide task list will help coworkers stay connected and more conscious of how they spend their time. Collaborative software can drastically enhance productivity for a remote team by eliminating the need for cross-platform communication; instant messaging, progress tracking, goals, and project deadlines can all share a common space.
      Working from home removes the pressure to perform that a physical office provides; this pressure is not negative, and it’s a fundamental aspect of a strong workflow for many people. Recreating that environment on a computer is a challenge, but remote team software like Basecamp, Asana, and Fellow make it easier.
      Hold Midday Meetings
      Halfway through the day, motivation starts to wane. People think more about dinner plans and Netflix than their current tasks, which results in many simple and easy duties being pushed to the next day. To prevent this from creating a decline during your work hours, hold a meeting shortly after lunch to talk about what’s been accomplished so far and set goals for the last half of the day.
      Acknowledging accomplishments first, however small, has two immediate benefits. First, it shows employees that you are aware of what they do each day and not only see but appreciate their effort. Second, hearing about what others have done can reinvigorate employees and inspire them to refocus and try their best for the last few hours of their shift.
      Setting goals and connecting them across various divisions or individual workers creates a sense of unity. Teamwork boosts remote team morale and inspires everyone to take pride in what they do. Rather than slogging through tasks, they are able to see the bigger picture and know that even the mundane items on their to-do list have greater significance.
      Check-in With Everyone Regularly
      Only hosting virtual meetings or sending out reports won’t keep a team close together. As the leader, you need to model engagement and hard work by routinely reaching out to your employees. Every hour, send a message to your remote team. It doesn’t have to be a major ordeal to be significant. Something as simple as, “Hey, team. How are we doing so far?” can go a long way.
      Employees who struggle to motivate themselves at home will be more likely to prioritize work when they know you are actually paying attention. It’s easy for people to slip into the mindset that their contributions don’t matter; give some extra one-on-one attention to any members of your team who are falling behind or appear distant.
      Focus on Your Own Routine
      Make sure that you are practicing good remote work habits while helping your team stay on track. Wake up on time each morning, get dressed and eat a nutritious breakfast away from the computer. Stress the importance of a healthy work-life balance by sharing personal tips and tricks with your team.
      Self-care is difficult for many leaders because they always focus on solving everyone else’s problems; you may get so involved in monitoring and managing your team that your own productivity falls to the wayside. By optimizing your own schedule, you’ll put yourself in the best possible mindset and mood to guide your team with the level of patience and compassion they need.
      Work Together
      Live editing in G Suite can make many projects happen ten times faster. Rather than waiting for individual team members to review, edit, or offer feedback, let everyone connect at the same time and achieve goals together. Working as a group not only gets things done faster but also promotes a strong collaborative culture. Teams are built through shared experience, which means you must emphasize the importance of real-time communication when working remotely.
      If your work can’t be done in G Suite or another collaborative platform, consider hosting daily scrum meetings. This project management philosophy is primarily used in software development, but it can be adopted by any team and help streamline the work process.
      Use Incentives
      As you build a remote team, it’s important to consider ways you can connect their virtual professional life into the real world. Small incentive programs can do just that. Monetary rewards for a job well done can make people feel more connected to their work; other incentives are social and include short shoutouts during meetings or mentions in team emails.
      Personalize incentives to match your business’s line of work and your team’s personal style. Vary your rewards but make sure everyone is always aware that they’re on the table and available to anyone; the point is to make everyone feel like a part of a team, not cause tension or competition.
      Final Thoughts
      Be patient with your team and know that change takes time. Reach out to the workers who are performing the best and ask for their secrets, and speak with those who struggle the most. Rather than immediately trying to correct them, seek to learn about their challenge so you can support and guide them to greater achievement. And don’t forget to prioritize your own well-being along the way.
      Brandyn Morelli is the co-founder of HelloCecil, a SaaS platform helping small businesses make smarter hires through video interviewing.

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