How to Keep Employees Remotely Engaged
When the world suddenly moved to remote work in 2020, many individuals and companies struggled to adjust. Employees who went from an office environment with constant activity to alone at home experienced an internal battle to stay focused and productive while fighting the temptation to slack off. Supervisors and managers were no longer checking in on you, so it’s easy to get distracted. How can a company mitigate these temptations and keep employees engaged remotely? We’re going to give you a few ideas in this blog.
Over-Communicate
Word doesn’t spread as fast remotely as it does in an office. That can lead to people feeling out of the loop and unappreciated for not being told certain information. Leadership should over-communicate with remote employees. Make sure they know everything necessary to effectively do their job. Here are a few things that employees should know at a minimum:
- Changes in employee status (internal promotions, new hires, exits from the company)
- New company policies
- Company promotions or sales
Maintain Company Culture
This may be one of the hardest things to do while working remotely, but one of the most important as well. It can be lonely working from home five days a week. Virtual meetings aren’t as fun or engaging as meeting in person. Employees can start to feel disconnected from the culture that an office provides. Here are a few ideas of fun events companies can host to maintain company culture:
- Virtual happy hour
- Virtual game nights
- Sponsor in-person company events such as a meal, bowling, or volunteering (if COVID policies allow)
- Organize time for virtual co-working sessions
- Celebrate wins during meetings
- Host a remote lunch and learn
Require Video During Meetings
It’s all too easy to roll out of bed for a meeting and leave your video off. But that’s also the best way to check out of work and slack off for the day. Requiring video during virtual meetings will force employees to act like they’re still in the office by looking presentable and actively participating in the conversation. Getting dressed up for meetings or a remote workday improves productivity and performance too. It’s a win-win for the individual and the company.
Encourage Time Off
Getting into the habit of working extra hours is all too familiar to entrepreneurs, but now full-time employees are experiencing it as well while working from home. The lines between work and home life are easily blurred. An extra hour here or there may not seem like a big deal, but over time, it results in work fatigue. The last thing companies want is for employees to get burned out and leave the organization. Encourage employees to take time off and share pictures with the team after they return. Employees will come back feeling refreshed, and sharing pictures will stir positive conversation outside of work.
Keeping employees engaged while working remotely is a challenge for many companies. Maintaining company culture, requiring video during meetings, over-communicating, and encouraging time off can all help prevent work fatigue among employees. There will be a transition period while implementing these ideas, but stick it out, and I promise you will see positive and engaged employees as a result.
About Transformation Strategies
Founded by Tricia Steege in 2001, Transformation Strategies is a trusted consulting firm that assists our clients to realize their desired futures by partnering with them to create comprehensive change strategies and implementation plans that accomplish real results. We specialize in shifting whole systems at one time by helping our clients think the way the whole system thinks. Contact us today to get started.
