Although remote work can boost efficiency, it presents specific challenges that companies must overcome to remain competitive. Communication, appreciation, successful onboarding, and professional growth are easy to overlook. Micromanagement is a typical management style, and it breeds mistrust among employees.
The good news is that companies can conquer these obstacles by implementing tried-and-true strategies that allow remote workers to collaborate and stay engaged. Here are three ways to implement remote employee engagement:
Provide a Real Voice in the Organization
With recurring employee engagement surveys, you can give your remote employees a chance to speak up. Pulse surveys can be used to track how well those topics are received over time, while always-on feedback platforms enable workers to provide feedback on anything at any time. When you combine the two tactics, you get a complete picture of how your employees feel. And, through an employee engagement tool, managers can easily review, evaluate, and act on all of the data they collect.
Show that they’re Appreciated
Recognizing employees is an important aspect of keeping remote staff engaged. The secret to a confident, high-performing workforce is regular expressions of gratitude. Recognition, both social and monetary, is a crucial way to counteract negative emotions. In reality, social recognition can be more successful than monetary recognition in terms of engagement and retention.
Provide Tools for Communication and Collaboration
Employees who work remotely can feel lonely and disconnected. Create a mechanism for regular, organized contact among peers and between managers and their direct reports to avoid this. Scheduled check-ins encourage social communication and keep teams on track. But don’t go overboard. With an ad hoc call, it’s easy to interrupt someone’s workflow or fall into the micromanagement pit. Explore tools to promote effective collaboration and coordination once you’ve decided on a successful meeting cadence.
