The way we work has changed significantly over the last few years, with many companies adopting a more remote and hybrid way of working. This has provided many advantages and enabled companies to reduce staff turnover, cut costs and offer more flexibility to employees. However some employees and workers can be left feeling isolated, distracted and less communicative, leading to anxiety and mental health issues. This in turn has an effect on other team members, and ultimately the company. So what can you do to manage some of these problems?

• Have a weekly/fortnightly/monthly team meeting in person, allowing staff to catchup, socialise and bond over their work. This will help staff keep focused and positive about their workload.
• Encourage remote staff to come into the office more than once a week, so they can connect with all colleagues regularly, have a sense of belonging, and access facilities that may not be available to them at home.
• If you work for yourself, consider booking a hotdesk on a regular basis so you can get into a different workspace, meet with like minded professionals and cut down on distractions that may be preventing you from finishing projects or work on time.
• Join online local business groups that meet regularly throughout the year. This can be really beneficial if you are a small company as you can share tips, pick up information on your sector and make new business connections.
• Set up satellite offices near some of your remote workers and meet with them in person throughout the year at the workspace. Collaboration will improve and you will benefit from more engaging brainstorming sessions. Staff retention will increase as workers will feel valued and as important as the ones who are based more locally to the main office.

The key is to make sure that you and staff keep engaged, focused and socialise with colleagues regularly. Wakefield Business Centres can offer you an effective remote working solution that can be flexible to you and your business needs, whether it be hot desks, private office space, virtual offices or meeting rooms, our facilities provide a professional environment for those times when remote work benefits from a physical presence. Our business centres are centrally located and provide excellent transport links, so if you feel that we can assist in providing you with a solution, then we encourage you to book in a viewing as we would be delighted to show you how we can benefit your company.