Remote Work: 6 Questions You Should Be Asking Your Employees and Managers Now

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to businesses around the world. For many, the scramble to adjust to a remote work environment rapidly has significantly impacted employees and managers. Even organizations who are accustomed to a distributed workforce are struggling, as employees cope with new demands, such as caring for children during the workday or general stress related to the current health crisis.

Do you know which of your employees or managers is struggling? How distracted are they by the current health crisis? What additional support or resources can be provided to help them cope while maintaining their productivity? Companies who can understand and help their employees effectively manage these new stressors will achieve the best outcomes during these uncertain times.

At Explorance, we want to help by sharing a few questions that you can ask your employees and managers to quickly gather their perspectives and adjust communications, resources, and other supports accordingly.

Questions for employees:

The first five questions are designed to be used with a scale of emoticons, stars, or traditional scale headers from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The final question is open-ended.

1. At this time, I am confident in my personal health and safety.
2. I have the tools and resources needed to work successfully in a virtual environment.
3. I understand what is expected of me as a remote employee.
4. I feel connected to my fellow colleagues.
5. I feel connected to my manager.
6. How can we improve your remote working experience?

Questions for managers:

1. At this time, I am confident in my personal health and safety.
2. I have the tools and resources needed to manage my team in a virtual environment successfully.
3. I understand what is expected of me as a remote manager.
4. I feel connected to my fellow colleagues.
5. I feel connected to my employees.
6. How can we improve your remote working experience?

Asking these questions shows that your company cares, and thoughtful action based on the results will build confidence among all employees.

In this time of significant change and uncertainty, there are bound to be challenges. Companies who understand the concerns and challenges facing their employees and make rapid adjustments to improve will yield the best outcomes and greatest success for all.

Feedback such as this must be timely and personal. Explorance stands ready to assist your company with innovative feedback solutions, including Bluepulse, a real-time, 2-way engagement tool that allows for instant, confidential feedback, and personalized follow up. It’s easy to get started, and we are offering special incentives to help organizations gather the feedback they need. Learn more about Bluepulse here.