{"id":5496,"date":"2019-02-27T09:30:10","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T17:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/?p=5496"},"modified":"2024-04-21T22:28:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T05:28:59","slug":"4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Tips to Be An Engaged Remote Employee"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Remote work can be a dream scenario for some. In fact, it is often expressed that those who desire to work solo, in quiet environments, and on their own schedule are the most successful remote employees. Recently, we\u2019ve discussed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/10-tips-to-stay-productive-at-work\/\">tips to stay productive at work<\/a>. However, working remotely serves up its own unique set of challenges. One of which involves making connections with coworkers.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_50 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\" role=\"button\"><label for=\"item-69ec1995c15b8\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-69ec1995c15b8\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee\/#Utilize_All_Communication_Platforms\" title=\"Utilize All Communication Platforms\">Utilize All Communication Platforms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee\/#Engage_in_Verbal_Communication\" title=\"Engage in Verbal Communication\">Engage in Verbal Communication<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee\/#Initiate_The_Conversation\" title=\"Initiate The Conversation\">Initiate The Conversation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee\/#Stick_to_a_Schedule\" title=\"Stick to a Schedule\">Stick to a Schedule<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/4-tips-to-be-an-engaged-remote-employee\/#About_the_Author\" title=\"About the Author\">About the Author<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>It is not mandatory that you become friends with your fellow employees to succeed, but you should still form connections with your peers and superiors to aid in growing your career. When you\u2019re not in the office, it can sometimes be easy to be overlooked or quite frankly, forgotten. How do you still engage with your coworkers even though you may not be in the same space?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Utilize_All_Communication_Platforms\"><\/span>Utilize All Communication Platforms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The best way to build connections with your team is through communication. Utilizing any and all communication channels provided by your workplace is the easiest way to remain connected. Even from afar, remote employees can be kept up-to-date and receive information in real time. Utilizing instant messaging apps, video conferencing and phone conferencing capabilities are just a few examples of the channels that keep remote works integrated with the in house team. For the employers that might be reading, consider integrating a unified communications service into your arsenal of tools for your employees. This will unite all of your platforms in one accessible place; meaning employees will be better equipped to better keep track of all incoming and outbound messages.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Engage_in_Verbal_Communication\"><\/span>Engage in Verbal Communication<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Working remote doesn\u2019t mean that your coworkers should never see or hear from you verbally. Take the initiative to go one step further than email or instant message when communicating. Whether it&#8217;s once a day or once a week, allowing your coworkers to communicate with more than just the written word can really reinforce your presence in your job and your work. So, take advantage of every opportunity to form even deeper and more personal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cleverism.com\/skills-and-tools\/verbal-communication\/\">connections through verbal communication<\/a>. Good verbal communication is said to increase the ability to share ideas, suggestions, and opinions with each other. Therefore, the more often remote workers engage in verbal communication, the more comfortable they will become with their in-house team. The more your superiors and teammates are able to interact with you, the less it will matter that you are not in the office.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Initiate_The_Conversation\"><\/span>Initiate The Conversation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Much to the advice above, putting communication channels to good use will make all the difference. Don\u2019t wait for team members to contact you, take the initiative and begin conversations on your own. Whether it\u2019s a team member you work closely with, or your boss, making consistent connections will help establish familiarity and a new level of comfort. Now, don\u2019t go overboard. You want to show that you\u2019re engaged and not distracted. Not being in the office and seeing body language can make social cues harder to pick up on. Try and become familiar with how your coworkers use their time and pay attention to as much of their work routine as you can. Knowing when someone typically comes online and what time of day they engage the most will help you gauge whether or not it is a good time to reach out.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stick_to_a_Schedule\"><\/span>Stick to a Schedule<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Developing a routine can improve your work and engagement in more ways than one. Often times, remote employees have the ability to work hours outside of the standard 9-5. While some modification won\u2019t hurt, try to stay working within the standard work hours of your place of employment. This will ensure that you are accessible to your peers and vice versa. Additionally, setting a standard workday for yourself can often aid in holding yourself accountable for the time you are expected to work, as well as knowing when to stop so you don\u2019t experience burn out. Know when you are most productive and save your most consuming tasks for that time of day. When you have a steady workflow that integrates nicely with your team, you are more likely to be able to communicate more clearly.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_Author\"><\/span><em>About the Author<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Meryl Colls<\/strong> is a communication aficionado who is always eager to share how to improve the way in which we transfer messages. No matter the industry, communication is an integral part of achieving our goals. Meryl is dedicated to sharing best practices to aid in the effort of becoming more effective communicators.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remote work can be a dream scenario for some. In fact, it is often expressed that those who desire to work solo, in quiet environments, and on their own schedule are the most successful remote employees. Recently, we\u2019ve discussed tips to stay productive at work. However, working remotely serves up its own unique set of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5496"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9549,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496\/revisions\/9549"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}