How to Keep Satellite Office Team Members Happy
It’s no secret that a good worker is a happy worker. When it comes to the workplace, a manager can make a substantial contribution towards the contentment of their team. There are numerous ways to do this, like treating them well and giving credit where credit is due. Providing a workspace that is bright and alive will also triumph over one that is dark and drab. Sometimes it’s the tiny touches that can make the biggest difference. But there’s an even bigger challenge when it comes to keeping team members happy who work in satellite offices (remote locations some distance away from the company’s main office).
The Office Evolution professional coworking center in Hackensack can certainly help. We provide an entire range of workspace options that cater to small businesses and large corporations that want to branch out and have a presence in the area through a satellite office. Our fully-equipped executive office suites, coworking lounge, meeting rooms and conference rooms, and common areas like a kitchen, beverage bar, and reception provide working environments designed to please a wide variety of member desires. We’ll look into the importance of workspace and productivity shortly.
HQ Employees and Everyone Else
There are many ways to run remote satellite offices. The suggestions we will discuss are based on the research and results of those who have experience in managing a workforce in remote locations.
Let’s assume you’re a company in New York but you want to branch out into Bergen County, New Jersey. And let’s say you’ve opened your new satellite office in our Hackensack coworking center. Okay, so far so good. Now, one of the most overlooked problems that can arise, if you’re not careful, is to create an invisible divide. Any feeling of US and THEM will not work in your favor. It’s important to make employees working in a satellite office to feel an important part of the organization, and not apart from it.
The solutions to these common dilemmas are key, but often forgotten. Here are the four main areas for consideration:
- Keep employee benefits constant across all offices
- Remember to include your satellite office(s) in all important communications
- Create and maintain clear goals and expectations
- Provide a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing work environment
Happy workers are happy for a reason. They feel involved and very much a part of what’s going on at any given time, wherever they happen to be located. If a worker feels as though they’re out of the loop, gossip and resentment can take hold. Disgruntled employees are the last thing any company with aspirations need.
Spread Company Benefits
Even small companies have some fringe benefits and work-related perks. It might be something as big as a company car, premium health insurance, a local gym membership or just a company dinner once a month, as a few examples. If these are things offered to the employees at the head office, they should also be available to those doing the same jobs in your satellite location. Yes an Office Evolution satellite office in Hackensack, NJ in the heart of Bergen County, New Jersey provides a wonderful working environment. Even so, you still want to avoid the invisible divide whenever possible. Small considerations can make the world of difference. A contented worker is far more productive than one with a grudge.
It Doesn’t Cost Much to Keep in Touch
Remember to keep the satellite office team in the loop at all times. Even if some communications might not involve them directly, it’s still wise to fill them in on what’s going on generally at HQ. Allow for some “face time” and invite staff from the satellite office to scheduled meetings at the main office when appropriate. If there’s nothing much to report, find something to communicate about, even if the topic has no direct relation to work. The point is to stay connected and make everyone feel a cherished part of company operations. Failure to openly and regularly communicate with staff working in satellite offices will leave them feeling undervalued and unappreciated.
Create and Maintain Clear Goals and Expectations
Nothing motivates people more in the workplace than having set standards and goals to achieve. This is equally important for remote staff. Those working in satellite offices may lack the usual hands-on supervision or visible chain of command structure. The way to keep them engaged and motivated is to create and maintain clear goals and expectations. Once again, regular and open communication between satellite office and head office is the bridge to a successful, collaborative team. A pat on the back for a job well done, physical or virtual, shows appreciation and instills commitment. It doesn’t cost much to keep in touch, and it’s a small commitment that benefits all parties.
The Importance of Workspace Design
It’s not only nice to work out of an attractive satellite office, it’s crucial. Even if the job is exciting, a dull and drab workspace will have a significant impact on productivity. There’s a definite balance on how to produce an office that will keep those who work in it fired up and productive.
The effective, or ineffective, décor and layout of an office has a direct impact on employees:
- Impacts productivity
- Impacts overall happiness
- Impacts absenteeism
Office design not only benefits employers and their employees, but also any prospects and clients that walk through the doors. There are a number of factors that go into making a favorable first impression, and the interior design of an office is one of the most important. From the employee perspective, the perfect satellite office works best if it ticks these four boxes:
- It’s fully-functional, with the space and technology to fuel productivity
- It’s visually appealing
- It’s comfortable
- It’s inviting
Any satellite office located at an Office Evolution coworking space throughout the US ticks all of the above. These are truly functional and incredibly comfortable spaces created with you in mind. The contemporary décor makes it aesthetically pleasing and creates a good first and lasting impression on all who use them. When you think about it, the average employee spends more time in the office than they do in the home, or at least more conscious hours. Our beautifully-designed centrally located office spaces help to improve employee morale and attitude. They provide people with places they want to be rather than places they have to be.
We can provide small and large companies with the perfect satellite office setup in Hackensack in Bergen County, New Jersey. We’re in a good central location with ample parking next to the building. For more on how we can help you and your business going forward, contact Office Evolution Hackensack, NJ today.
—
At Office Evolution Hackensack, we provide virtual office, coworking, and private office solutions. We offer meeting rooms, offices, a coworking lounge, a shared reception, a business address, and virtual receptionist services. We have many options and price points, and all terms are flexible. Plus, you become part of a community of like-minded professionals.
Whether you live in Teaneck, Bergenfield, Maywood, Teterboro, Hasbrouck Heights, Moonachie, Little Ferry, Rochelle Park, Dumont, Bogota, River Edge, New Milford, Hackensack, Englewood, Paramus, Tenafly and other communities nearby in Bergen and Essex counties, choosing Office Evolution Hackensack in New Jersey will help you be more professional, productive, and profitable.