Employees who work in the office are more aware of what is happening within the organization and they have better access to company resources. Moreover, they can easily attend meetings or presentations (and sometimes more importantly they meet people by the coffee machine...).Thus, recent news, events, or updates can easily spread within the workplace.

But those who are working remotely or located in other regional offices, often lack the resources and information they need to work effectively and they can feel a cultural disconnect without the human interaction. Because of this, they are more reliant on other modes of communication such as email, phone calls, video conferencing, and intranet platforms. 

If they feel left out of what is happening within the organization. This can have an impact on their morale and productivity. 

Let’s find out how you can effectively communicate with your remote or isolated employees.

2. Lack of Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is one of the most important factors that affect the success of your business. Many remote employees find it difficult to engage with their colleagues online because they are not comfortable or used to the format of the meeting. 

To help your employees interact with each other, you need to provide the right communication tools and facilitate spontaneous interactions and an encouraging culture to ask questions.

3. Technology Issues

We rely on technology for day-to-day communications, so it’s no surprise technology issues are one of the common challenges in both remote and in-office working environments. 

Unstable internet connection, audio, and video issues are just some of the technological challenges that remote employees face.

To make sure that you’re getting the message across, use several communication channels (eg movie table or browser) in case one is down.

6. Oversaturation of Team Meetings

Due to a lack of face-to-face interactions, many employers schedule lots of team meetings. Team meetings keep everyone in the loop, which is very important. However, scheduling too many meetings can cause communication problems and employee productivity decreases. 

Moreover, remote employees will have less time to focus on doing more productive work which can lead to resentment or frustration towards the management. 

To prevent this, try to limit virtual meetings and make sure that it’s absolutely necessary. You can also consider brainstorming sessions or workshops to make meetings more engaging.  Try and schedule a 10-minute break if the calls last more than 45-60 minutes.