Employees globally have found a much better work-life balance with new ways of working. Alamy
Employees globally have found a much better work-life balance with new ways of working. Alamy
Employees globally have found a much better work-life balance with new ways of working. Alamy
Employees globally have found a much better work-life balance with new ways of working. Alamy

How to keep remote employees motivated and engaged


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A recent report by Cisco found that 90 per cent of UAE employees want to work either in a hybrid or fully remote working model in the future. Let that sink in.

It’s no surprise really. We’ve heard countless testimonials of the benefits of global hiring, whether it is from business leaders who have noted that remote work helps increase employee productivity or from employees who have found a much better work-life balance with these new ways of working.

This should incentivise companies to embrace a long-term, remote-first approach. However, building a great distributed workforce culture isn’t easy, given the lack of face-to-face communication and perks of in-office bonding. But it’s more than possible.

Whether the company is fully distributed or hybrid, the distributed team deserves investment in a remote work culture.

According to a FlexJobs study, toxic workplace culture has been the leading cause of employees quitting their jobs, especially during the Great Resignation. At the same time, companies that nurture a culture of learning and improvement have been able to retain employees for almost twice as long as the average retention span of 2.9 years.

It highlighted that when leaders nurture interpersonal relationships, foster belonging and celebrate accomplishments in the workplace, employees are about 400 per cent more likely to feel engaged in their role.

Engagement correlates to increased employee satisfaction and retention, which can even positively impact company profitability.

Moreover, leveraging technology can strengthen a company culture.

Encourage employee resource groups

Employee resource groups are employee-led groups where workers gather in a safe space to discuss and support common goals and experiences. These groups encourage employees to build trust with their peers, facilitate friendships and bring their full selves to work each day.

The groups can help distributed workers bond as they don’t have a physical office space to spend time together like office employees.

When implemented correctly, on a company-wide level, they can help identify issues before they escalate and reduce the possibility of the environment becoming toxic.

Groups related to mental health are particularly helpful in companies embracing global hiring since the time difference can affect communication and lack of water cooler face-to-face chats can cause isolation in a remote set up.

Talk about career development with employees

Once employees become more tenured in their role, encourage them to be transparent with their manager on growth areas and see if they can leverage their experience to reach a higher level of contribution.

That could be organising team meetings for collaboration, creating a training session where they excel or connecting one-on-one with a team member each week to check in on them and act as a leader.

Have a shared goal to boost collaboration

Shared visions and common goals develop a bond between leaders and employees, allowing them to enjoy success and face failure as a team.

Although we are unique individuals with different aspirations, once employees join a team within a particular organisation, it is not all about professional growth; it is also about the company's growth.

That’s the reason senior leaders should focus on creating a shared goal and encouraging employees to work together to achieve it.

____________

Top 15 companies to work for in the UAE, according to LinkedIn — in pictures

This is where sharing the results also makes an impact — when the team knows about the difference they’re making, they’ll feel motivated to do even more.

Create and foster intentional connections and mentoring

Leaders should make themselves available to build one-on-one connections with employees at all levels as well as encourage other senior leaders to do the same for less experienced colleagues.

Senior leaders can give more junior employees unique insight into company priorities and share stories and tips from their own career development. Providing employees with a meeting template or guidelines ahead of the call will allow them to be prepared to make the most of the time.

Mentor relationships can enhance the bond between employees. More than 70 per cent of Fortune 500 companies implement mentoring programmes, and many of them have seen positive effects on different aspects of company culture, such as diversity and better employee experience.

Finally, I will say that whether the employees work from the office or opt for remote work, leaders need to establish a team culture to keep everything and everyone together.

As business leaders, it is worth keeping front of mind that hiring a top-notch workforce depends on the values the company promotes.

Tarek Salam is head of Mena expansion at Deel

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates

Rainbow

Kesha

(Kemosabe)

Where to submit a sample

Volunteers of all ages can submit DNA samples at centres across Abu Dhabi, including: Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec), Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City, NMC Royal Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, NMC Royal Women's Hospital, Bareen International Hospital, Al Towayya in Al Ain, NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain

The biog

Born: High Wycombe, England

Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels

Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.

Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.

Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.

The%C2%A0specs%20
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)

Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)

Lazio v Napoli (9pm)

Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)

Sunday

Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)

Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)

Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)

Torino v Bologna (6pm)

Verona v Genoa (9pm)

Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)

Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)

 

 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Fight card

1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)

2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)

3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)

4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)

5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)

6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)

7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)

8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)

9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)

10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)

11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)

12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet

Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder

Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Racecard

6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m  

6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m  

7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m  

7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m  

8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m  

8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m  

9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m   

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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'Shakuntala Devi'

Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra

Director: Anu Menon

Rating: Three out of five stars

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

57%20Seconds
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Updated: October 11, 2022, 4:00 AM`