Engaging remote employees is crucial for companies with distributed workforces. With more employees working from home, it can be challenging to keep remote workers engaged, connected and productive.
This guide will provide 9 best practices for engaging your remote employees.
Background on Engaging Remote Employees
Remote work has been growing rapidly over the past decade.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 43% of employees work remotely at least some of the time.
Remote work offers many benefits, including greater flexibility, reduced commute times, and access to a wider talent pool. However, it also comes with some unique challenges.
Remote employees can feel isolated and disconnected from the company and their coworkers. This makes employee engagement more difficult, but also more important than ever.
Disengaged remote employees are more likely to be less productive, have higher turnover, and negatively impact the company culture.
That’s why it’s critical for companies to focus on keeping remote staff engaged.
9 Best Ways to Engage Remote Employees
Here are 9 tips for boosting engagement among your remote team members:
1. Encourage Regular Communication
- Schedule regular check-ins, both one-on-one and team-wide
- Use video conferencing instead of just phone calls
- Provide multiple communication channels like chat, email, intranet
2. Send Regular Company Updates
- Share newsletters, blogs, vlogs about company news
- Update on new products, services, campaigns, etc.
- Organize virtual social events and activities
- Randomly pair up remote workers for virtual coffee chats
- Send care packages or gifts to employees’ homes
4. Provide Mentorship and Coaching
- Assign mentors or coaches to new remote employees
- Offer leadership coaching for managers of remote teams
5. Recognize and Reward Contributions
- Implement remote-friendly recognition programs
- Send appreciation gifts or gift cards to top performers
- Share wins and milestones broadly
6. Encourage Collaboration and Feedback
- Use collaboration tools like Slack, Asana, Miro
- Solicit input through surveys, polls, suggestion boxes
7. Clarify Goals and Priorities
- Set clear objectives for remote employees
- Align individual goals with team and company goals
8. Offer Remote Onboarding and Training
- Send welcome kits to new remote workers
- Conduct virtual onboarding and training sessions
- Provide online training courses and resources
9. Build a Strong Remote Work Culture
- Role model effective communication and collaboration
- Highlight remote work perks and benefits
- Share remote work policies, guides and resources
Benefits of Engaging Remote Employees
- Increased job satisfaction and morale
- Improved productivity and performance
- Enhanced loyalty and retention
- Stronger company culture and cohesiveness
Challenges of Engaging Remote Teams
- Lack of face-to-face interaction
- Communication barriers across locations
- Difficulty building trust and relationships
- Feelings of isolation and disconnection
Conclusion
Engaging remote employees requires focus, intention, and the right tools and strategies.
By implementing regular communication, collaboration, recognition and onboarding, companies can keep their distributed teams feeling motivated, valued and connected to the organization.
The payoff of engagement is well worth the investment for retaining top talent, boosting productivity and nurturing a thriving remote work culture.
