Many people find telecommuting beneficial, but others prefer to work on location. Even employees who prefer to work from home can find it difficult to stay engaged when they’re removed from office environments. Here are some tips for keeping these employees engaged.

Help Them Stay Connected

It’s easy for office workers to stay connected. They can use technology to contact coworkers or walk to another floor or section of the office to talk to someone in person. You should find ways to help employees working from home stay connected to their office-based coworkers and other remote workers. Provide all your workers with collaboration and communication technology to support social and work connections. Create a workplace culture that values and encourages connectedness.

Host Entertaining Virtual Events

When you work in an office, you have opportunities to attend various events, for both work and entertainment. Events may include birthday parties, workshops, collaboration sessions, musical performances and volunteer excursions. To provide remote workers with more opportunities for engagement, schedule events that they can attend online, such as virtual costume parties and game nights. Remind employees when events are optional and for entertainment purposes so they don’t feel overwhelmed.

Support Work/Life Balance

One of the main benefits people identify about working from home is improved work/life balance. Working from home supports more flexible schedules and reduces the time and money people spend on work-related expenses, such as food and commuting. However, people who telecommute may also find it more challenging to separate their work and personal lives because their work areas are in their homes. Make sure your employees are aware that you support work/life balance. Help them create healthy boundaries and find ways to reduce stress.

Make Expectations Clear

Your employees should be able to easily understand your expectations no matter where they are located or what their roles are. Communicate openly with your employees to make sure they know what your expectations are and are able to meet them. Keep your employees’ unique circumstances in mind when discussing expectations. Fully remote workers may require different types and levels of support than those who work in the office full-time or follow a hybrid schedule.

If you work from home, you can take advantage of communication support tools, programs that facilitate engagement while telecommuting and virtual social events. If you employ or manage people who telecommute, make sure you provide them with the support they need to be successful.