The number of people working from home has surged since the beginning of the pandemic. An estimated one in five Australians does remote work, either full-time or part-time. Employees of BPO providers are even more likely to do remote work due to the nature of their jobs. A growing number of companies are outsourcing certain tasks to offshore staff and other companies that rely heavily on remote staff.
While there are many clear benefits of remote work, employees have some unique frustrations as well. For example, one of the most common complaints raised by remote workers is that they feel isolated or lonely. One survey shows that 90% of remote employees feel stressed out at work and one of the biggest reasons is that they feel disconnected from the rest of the workplace.
BPO providers and other companies with remote workers must take some important steps to build solidarity between their workers. One of the most important things they should do is develop team-building exercises. These activities can be performed both offline and online, depending on whether or not workers can ever meet in person.
Great team-building exercises for employees at BPO companies and other remote workplaces
There are many different steps that BPO providers and other remote workplaces can take to build relationships with their employees. Some of the best ideas are listed below.
Hold mandatory virtual chats at least once a week
Workers will feel more connected when they see each other’s faces and hear their voices. It is a good idea to host video chats at least once a week. Employees will feel more connected when they pick up nonverbal cues often missed during text-based conversations. Employers may want to make these weekly meetings mandatory so that shyer employees must step out of their comfort zones and connect with their peers.
Give employees the opportunity to have conversations about uplifting developments in their work and personal lives
Remote workers can easily get burnt out when they have to think about their job all day without being able to blow off steam with their coworkers. Therefore, they can decompress more quickly when their employers give them an opportunity to talk about non-work related things. However, they may be opposed to discussing with each other if certain employees always tend to harp on negative things.
BPO providers and other remote workplaces can improve workplace morale and give employees an opportunity to form closer relationships by encouraging them to have discussions about positive developments in their lives. One solution is to have a forum or discussion board to talk about uplifting developments in their personal lives.
Encourage employees to participate in online games and contests
Many traditional workplaces encourage employees to go bowling or participate in other social activities together. BPO companies and other firms with primarily remote workplaces can take a similar approach, but they will need to be more creative.
Companies with remote employees can have online games and contests. For example, some companies have started offering desk photo contests. Employees are encouraged to show the photos they have on their desks while working from home. They can vote on the best pictures and possibly even give a small prize to the winner.
Offer virtual lunch breaks
Virtual employees can also be encouraged to participate in virtual lunch breaks. People can participate in these meetings from their favourite cafés and show other people where they eat. This can be an interesting learning experience in multicultural teams (such as companies outsourcing in the Philippines) since employees will get to see new cuisines and can then enjoy them outside their own country. Companies with large enough budgets may even offer to pay for their employees’ meals when they eat at a local restaurant.
Host virtual movie nights
Employers can also post monthly movie nights to give employees an opportunity to socialise together. They can provide employees with the opportunity to vote on their favourite movies to watch together. Of course, the employer has to make sure that it has the necessary licenses if they are going to be streaming them to numerous employees.
Offer remote classes and workshops
All companies that offer remote work opportunities will need to train employees to do their jobs more effectively. It may be more efficient to have a series of training videos or documents every employee will read on their own time. However, holding virtual video classes can make employees feel more engaged. They can have the opportunity to ask questions together and learn from each other’s insights.
BPO companies and other remote workplaces must make employees feel connected
The rise of remote work has been a net positive for many people. However, it has also increased feelings of loneliness among employees. Many remote workers feel isolated from the rest of their teams.
BPO firms and other companies with remote workplaces should organise team-building exercises to help build workplace cohesion. The tips listed above should be a good start for outsourcing admin trying to build engagement among their remote staff.
