Since
the onset of Covid-19, many employees had to begin to work remotely. In addition, the prevalence for working from
home has also increased in recent years.
This may be a novel concept for some, but it could become a the reality for
many.
Whether
you are new to having employees working remotely or have veteran telecommuters,
employees often begin to feel disconnected from their colleagues and
organization when they spend the majority of their working hours logging in
from home. Research shows that even in the best of times, only 19% of employees
consider themselves ‘very engaged,’ so the question for remote employees is how
to keep them feeling content and being productive?
Stay
connected through Culture Continuity
Maintaining
a consistent organizational culture for remote employees plays an important
role in keeping them engaged. The old
adage can easily run true…”out of sight, out of mind,” but it doesn’t have
to. Here are some things you can do to
help.
Through
video conferencing, extend in-office experiences such as yoga, mindful, and
company-wide meetings. These shared experiences help colleagues to feel more
connected despite their physical distance.
Strive
to maintain your culture of recognition
Employee
recognition is a primary driver of engagement. In a Harvard Business Review
report that studied “The Impact of Employee Engagement on Performance,”
72% of respondents agreed that recognition given for high performers had a
significant impact on employee engagement. In addition, current industry
research has shown that up 82% of employees would like more recognition at work.
In the
month following the onset of the pandemic, one recognition company noted a 14%
increase in the number of recognitions sent across its platform. This
demonstrates that many organizations are getting it right during times of
crisis by increasing the frequency of peer-to-peer and leader-led recognition. Additionally you can look for new ways to
recognize milestones outside of performance, such as birthdays or personal
achievements.
The basics
of a well implemented recognition program are vastly important during trying
times. Make sure you use sincerity in recognizing your colleagues. Leaders must
lead by example, recognizing employees for living the organization’s values,
supporting their team members, hitting prescribed targets, etc. Propagate the
recognition using executives on down throughout the organization. It is especially important to allow for peer
to peer recognition which can be the strongest of all.
Measure
activity
Whether
your telecommuting continues to grow or your business goes back to normal, make
sure you measure employee activity during the cycle. You may see increased productivity within
some departments and challenges within others. Watch for attendance at
company-led virtual social events and examine their impact on overall
engagement. Collect as much data as you can to understand what the ideal state
of employee engagement looks like at your organization—whether it’s in-office
or working from home. This data is invaluable to evaluate how heavily your
culture is tied to being in the office and to understand how best to maintain
continuity during organizational change and times of uncertainty.
