Employee retention in the home office – the most important measures
Working from home is becoming increasingly important for both companies and their employees. But what about employee engagement? It is clear that good employee retention in the home office has a positive effect on working together. We present helpful measures to make employees more productive and motivated when working from home.
This creates strong team loyalty, even at a distance Employee loyalty Home office
A strong team bond is essential for a good corporate culture and cooperation. When working from home or remotely, it is important to stay in constant contact despite the physical distance. Thanks to the latest technology, this connection takes place primarily via laptop.
But it’s not just meetings that are held virtually; lunch breaks can also take place with colleagues thanks to video calls. Joint company celebrations or events such as Christmas parties or team events can be held remotely, creating the opportunity for a private exchange and also strengthening the sense of community.
It is also possible to offer a mix of home office and office days. For example, employees can decide for themselves on which days they go to the office and thus stay in contact with each other.
Creating good working conditions = good employee retention
Generally speaking, it can be said that a satisfied employee has a good bond with the company. There are several factors that play a role in this:
- Open communication
- Objective
- Job security
- Remuneration
- Working environment
Measure 1 – Tailor-made employee retention
As a company, you should respond to the needs of individual employees. But this is often where the difficulty lies, because everyone is different and so are their needs. Tailored employee retention also means that you as a company need to ask yourself one question in advance: Which employees are worth investing in? You need to look at which colleagues are “worth more” from an economic perspective. These can be managers, long-serving employees or even very young talent.
Give employees the opportunity to become active themselves. Good employees want to make decisions and help shape the company. Listen, constantly exchange ideas and grow together. If you are in regular contact with your employees, you can also respond individually to the problems of your colleagues and find individual solutions for them.
The more individually tailored the measure is to the individual employee, the stronger the loyalty will ultimately be. In this case, employee retention measures can be as follows:
- Part-time work
- Possibility of a sabbatical year
- Support with childcare (especially when working from home)
Measure 2 – Regular feedback strengthens employee loyalty Home Office
Feedback is not a one-sided thing, as it helps both the company and its employees. Of course, the company can only improve and develop if colleagues drive it forward, get involved and think innovatively. Regular feedback meetings are a good basis for this, as they allow emerging problems to be identified and counteracted at an early stage.
Especially those who work remotely do not want to be forgotten. Feedback can be obtained here with the help of a survey, a video call or a telephone call.
Another plus point is that these discussions have a positive influence on loyalty. Because here, too, it is clear that if you take an interest in your employee and want them to do well, you can expect an increase in employee commitment.
Measure 3 – Career development opportunities from home
E-learning, webinars or other digital training opportunities are another way to motivate employees working from home. As a company, this measure shows that you are interested in the employee’s development.
Further training can be beneficial, for example, to learn new skills or to keep up with industry trends. In general, they definitely boost employees’ self-confidence and give them the feeling that they are progressing in their career. It is precisely this feeling that has a positive effect on employee retention despite working from home.
Promoting well-being in the home office
The well-being of employees is essential for a good working atmosphere. A healthy mind and body help them to stay in shape and focused. Breaks are “forgotten” or simply omitted, especially when working from home. However, they are important there too, because nobody can concentrate for 8 hours a day without interruption.
Getting up regularly, walking a few steps, having a second breakfast or a short coffee break in the afternoon can help to recharge your batteries. As an employer, you can proactively approach employees working from home and ensure that breaks are taken.
Employees tend to work extra hours at home in particular, as there is no longer a physical separation between the office and home. Quickly answering an email or watching a presentation in the evening. Define clear rules for this:
- No more answering mails after 8 pm
- Mute your work phone after work and put it in a drawer
- No work at the weekend
Live by these rules. Stick to normal working hours and your employees will follow suit. Don’t forget: happy employees are more productive and contribute to the success of the company.
