Providing engaging feedback while working remotely

We have adapted to a new normal, moving our water cooler conversations to text chats and trading conference rooms for virtual meetings. As supervisors and remote employees alike adjusted to the changes, our organizations may have foregone traditional feedback of the annual review.

However, a change in where we do our work does not mean we should stop the evaluation of our work. As our businesses prepare for the looming threat of a second wave of coronavirus and the prospect of extending work from home as a result, it’s important to evaluate successes and failures of the past few months.

We’ve learned that remote employees need to feel socially connected to their teams and understand how their contributions make an impact on the company’s optimal performance. Discussions about performance, goals and challenges should be part of routine conversation so there are no surprises by the time the formal evaluation takes place. An effective leader must establish trust, rapport and open communication to lay the groundwork necessary for future conversations about performance.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for providing feedback to remote employees.