Working from home allows employees to save money on their commute, take advantage of more flexibility, and enjoy greater job satisfaction. If you manage a team that works remotely, though, you know that there are also many challenges that accompany a virtual environment. Among these is the struggle to keep team members engaged and informed. With every staff member working in their own orbit, achieving a sense of cohesion can be difficult, and a disparate team is likely to lack engagement. Don’t worry, though — if you’ve figured out how to use virtual background in Teams, you can crack the code to capture your team’s attention once again.
Engaging Virtual Experience
The first step to regaining engagement from employees is developing a virtual experience that’s easy to engage with. Any sane person would feel unengaged if their workday consists of answering emails for eight hours. You should invest in your team’s experience by diversifying their tasks, checking in regularly, and facilitating video calls that help everybody stay connected. If you’re using Zoom for a video conference, you should check the Zoom virtual background requirements and ensure that your device is in compliance. You can then host a team-building exercise on a live call, encouraging staff members to join in and participate.
Activities like this can go a long way in combatting disengagement and helping keep everybody on the team stay informed, too. In an in-person workplace, it’s easy to ensure that team members are aware of the latest news and developments. In a virtual workplace where everybody’s juggling emails, calls, and chats, it’s easier for employees to miss essential information. Scheduling a daily video call is the best way to check in and reiterate any key points that every team member needs to know.
Personalized Attention to Detail
Another common reason for lack of engagement amongst virtual teams is leadership that does not lead by example. You might not realize it, but if you aren’t actively exhibiting enthusiasm, your subordinates might interpret your tepid temperament as an indication that you are unengaged. Unsurprisingly, if this is the case, your team will likely follow suit and start to check out, too. It isn’t always easy to detect enthusiasm in the online workplace, so management should make an obvious effort to display excitement when engaging with team members. One way to do this is by investing in personal details that help your team feel connected and committed.
Installing a virtual background for Google Meet, for example, offers the appearance of a unified office. You can customize the image to include your company’s logo or branding, too, to reinforce the sense of camaraderie that a customized background provides. A virtual office scene is a great backdrop for meetings, but the most important factor is what you say in meetings. In addition to reviewing important company information, you should take the time to offer personal acknowledgments to team members, including recognition of a job well done or happy birthday wishes on a team member’s special day.