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    Bhavin Turakhia's WFH guide to boost employee productivity: Tea-tasting sessions, sharing stories

    Synopsis

    Online communication tools can make virtual living easy and convenient.

    Bhavin Turakhia​ feels online games and various virtual activities​ ​can keep employees motivated during these testing times.Agencies
    Bhavin Turakhia feels online games and various virtual activities can keep employees motivated during these testing times.
    By Bhavin Turakhia

    As the Covid-19 pandemic sweeps the world up with a storm, companies across the globe have rolled out working remotely to ensure the safety of employees. Here are some tips to keep your employees motivated and panic-free through various engagement activities, virtually.

    Virtual team building exercises
    Virtual team building activities are super fun and effective in promoting employee happiness and productivity. The human resources management can organise online games with teams competing against each other. These games can keep employees on the edge of their seats and help them refresh their mind. Other activities can be live coffee drinking breaks or virtual tea–tasting sessions post-work to make employee spend time with their colleagues. Various online communication tools like Zoom, Flock, Skype, Microsoft Teams, among others, can make virtual living easy and convenient.

    working from home1_iStockiStock
    Desperate times need desperate measures.

    Sharing inspiring stories
    The higher management should take the responsibility of keeping the employees engaged so that they know that everyone is together in the pandemic. Asking team members to share various inspiring stories, and case studies showcasing hardships and overcoming bad times can play a major mood-booster for employees. Personalised videos of how each employee is handling the lockdown period can be fun and inspiring too.

    Celebrating festivities virtually
    With the current scenario and the weekend bringing no special joy, every day being the same can be boring after a certain point of time. To boost productivity of employees, it is recommended to celebrate special days and festivals together, virtually. Birthdays can be celebrated on a group chat where all the employees can indulge in fun activities. You must have spend Ugadi, Good Friday & Easter in lockdown. But, make sure other festivals are celebrated virtually. These activities can ensure that employees don't feel lonely during festivals.

    work-Conference-call_GettyIGetty Images
    Live coffee breaks can help employee spend time with their colleagues.

    Friends and family engagements
    Times like these require support from friends and family to cope up through this pandemic. Encourage employees to spend enough time with family. Teammates living away from home can try to connect with family and friend, virtually. Reconnecting with old friends over calls can also bring out the best in terms of good vibes and positivity in work.

    Desperate times need desperate measures. With this lockdown, people can easily fall prey to anxiety, which can make them less productive and more stressed. It is important to bring in positive changes around you to keep yourself going. Technology during this global pandemic can help in reaching out to every individual conveniently. The employer should leverage most of the time to reconnect with each team members and build a strong bond till the end of this crisis.

    (The author is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zeta and Flock)

    Tips To Increase Productivity When Working From Home

    The nation-wide lockdown has introduced a new trend of working from home. As several businesses adapt to the new model, it is crucial for employees to know the best tips to ensure ease of working and better productivity.

    (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)

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