4 Remote Employee Engagement Strategies

Over the last year, many organizations have shifted to a remote work format. When it comes to managing remote teams, it is vital to ensure your employees stay engaged and transparent with their work. When communication and collaboration become strained within an organization, employees can often feel disconnected from their work and teams. HR Managers need to find creative ways to keep their employees engaged while they navigate this new normal.

Below are 4 remote employee engagement strategies that will help to supercharge your teams.

1. Implement Virtual Hangouts

Working remotely often feels lonely. It can be tough to feel connected to your colleagues while working from afar, so make sure to find ways to incorporate chats and activities outside of work. One remote employee engagement strategy is to use video chat apps to create a deeper connection among remote workers. Using software that promotes easy video conferencing, such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Hangouts, you and your employees can communicate more effectively and create a stronger team bond. Some fun ideas for team activities include:

• Quick virtual coffee breaks. Schedule a time for a short break from work where you and your colleagues can talk freely. This break will not only help you refocus and rejuvenate your mind, but it will also help you feel connected to your co-workers.
• Zoom happy hours. Create a timeline for when you and your employees can spend time conversing outside of a workday format. Take an hour at the end of the month and talk about what is happening in your lives or fun things coming up. You can even choose themes for these meetings, such as wearing costumes and playing games.
• Give a home tour. Once a week, have someone from your team take you on a tour of their at-home workspace! Show off your decor, the setting in which you work, or talk about what kinds of fun knick-knacks you have around the space. This helps you gain insight into the personality of the people on your team.
• Hold weekly check-ins. Checking in with your colleagues on the progress of your tasks and duties not only helps to keep each other accountable but also will help keep you focused on the task at hand. Remember that communication should be treated as two-way to keep your employees engaged and motivated.

2. Send Each Other Care Packages

Employees who feel valued in their roles perform better. In addition to higher productivity levels, employees who feel valued have a deeper trust in their work relationships and are more likely to remain in their roles. Letting your employees know that you are thinking of them and are there to support them can go a long way, especially when it comes to remote employees. One fun way to show you care is by sending care packages. These packages can range from small items to food or to gift cards that can be used at their discretion. This simple touch will illustrate the care and appreciation you have for your teams and will help to keep them engaged in their roles.

3. Show Appreciation Frequently

Recognition and appreciation are among the most important factors in determining the engagement and retention levels of employees. Having systems put in place that allow for frequent recognition will increase your teams’ productivity and engagement. When building out your appreciation programs, bear in mind that celebrating small wins can be just as effective as the big ones. Using tools such as ClearCompany’s Employee Engagement Software enables you to track your employees’ successes and recognize them in real time. As you reflect on your current recognition efforts and look toward the future, make sure you:

• Have a system in place to track the wins and progress of your team
• Encourage employees to share successes.
• Celebrate personal and professional milestones
• Frequently search out opportunities to show your appreciation.

40% of workers say they would put more effort into their work if they were more frequently recognized. Sending a thank you to an employee for completing a task, celebrating those who stepped up and took on increased responsibility, or sharing birthday remarks with employees will help create a culture of connectedness.

4. Ask for Feedback

A solid remote employee engagement strategy may be centered around receiving feedback. Your employees are your best source of information and should be viewed as such. Use tools such as engagement surveys to gather insights on the sentiment of your remote employees. Their responses will highlight whether your staff feels supported in their roles and areas that could use some improvement. When you frequently ask for feedback, you can make changes in real-time and show your employees that their voices matter. One way to get quick feedback is by sending pulse surveys. These surveys are short, anonymous, and done in real-time. Use their feedback to adjust your current process to foster a culture of increased engagement.

As we navigate this new normal, implementing remote employee engagement strategies will be essential for retaining your A Players and maintaining success. Organizations who place an emphasis on engaging their workforce see 21% higher productivity rates. Finding creative ways to motivate your employees and counter burnout will help your employees feel more connected to their work. To learn more about ClearCompany’s comprehensive Employee Engagement Suite, reach out to one of our experts and schedule your free demo.