Remote work is quickly becoming the new normal. According to a Gallup survey, 43% of employed Americans are working remotely at least some of the time. This means that employers need to take special care in adapting to the new environment. One way is to ask the right questions in a remote work employee survey.

Organizations should consider asking the following five essential questions in a remote work employee survey to gain a better understanding of their remote employees’ experience:

1. What Do You Like and Dislike About Working Remotely?

Asking your employees about their likes and dislikes with working remotely gives you valuable insights into their experience. This question helps you identify what is working and what needs to be improved. For example, some employees might find that they are more productive and organized while working remotely, while others might miss the social interactions of the office. Understanding the employees’ views on remote work can help you create strategies to make the experience better.

2. How Do You Handle Working Alone?

Remote work often means that employees are working alone and do not have the benefit of in-person interactions with their colleagues. Asking this question helps you understand how your employees are managing working alone and gives you the opportunity to offer additional resources or support if needed. For example, you could invest in virtual team-building activities to help keep employees connected and motivated.

3. Do You Have Sufficient Resources for Working Remotely?

Working remotely requires access to the right resources, such as a reliable internet connection, a comfortable workspace, and the right technology. Asking this question helps you understand if your employees have the resources they need to do their job efficiently and effectively. If not, you can provide the necessary resources to ensure that your remote workers have everything they need to succeed.

4. Are Your Career Development Needs Being Met?

Remote work can create unique challenges when it comes to career development. Asking this question helps you understand if your remote employees are getting the support and resources they need to grow and succeed in their roles. You may need to provide additional training or resources, such as mentorship programs or virtual networking events, to ensure your remote workers have the same career opportunities as their in-office colleagues.

5. Do You Feel Supported by Management?

This question helps you understand how your remote employees feel about the support they are receiving from their managers. It’s important to make sure that your remote workers are getting the guidance and feedback they need to be successful. If not, you can provide additional training or resources to ensure that your managers are adequately supporting their remote employees.

In summary, asking the right questions in a remote work employee survey can help employers gain valuable insights into their remote employees’ experience. Asking the five essential questions outlined above can help employers understand their employees’ likes and dislikes, manage working alone, provide adequate resources, meet career development needs, and ensure that employees feel supported.