Engaging Remote Employees: Adapting Your Approach to the Hybrid Workplace

The rise of remote and hybrid workplaces means business owners are faced with the challenge of maintaining their culture and managing performance. It is important for employers to adapt their business strategies while prioritising employee experience.

Remote / hybrid employee engagement goes beyond simply replacing face-to-face meetings with video conferencing. It requires companies to invest in creating a new dynamic workplace and company culture that brings remote workers together. This involves a two-way process between managers and employees, where organisations interact with their employees to keep them involved and motivated, while employees provide feedback on how their working situation can be improved. 

Why is remote employee engagement so important? 

When managers and employees work in harmony, it creates a successful remote working environment with positive employee engagement. For employees, this offers benefits such as increased autonomy over their work schedule, better work-life balance, and reduced workplace stress. For companies, remote work leads to higher productivity, increased job satisfaction among employees, and significant cost savings.

To effectively keep remote employees engaged, managers should consider the following strategies:

• Encourage flexible working practices. Recognise remote employees have different optimal working times and accommodate their preferences to meet deadlines. Move away from the traditional 9-to-5 model and focus on setting clear expectations while regularly checking in to ensure they are not struggling.
• Promote wellbeing and healthy lifestyles. Remote workers may find it challenging to disconnect from work, leading to burnout and health issues. Encourage regular breaks, resources and to health resources, and create a workplace culture that values work-life balance.
• Support remote working in company communications. Update internal workplace policies to include information on remote work and ensure clear communication of tasks and deadlines. Use internal newsletters to share company news and successes to engage remote employees.
• Provide the right home office equipment. Remote employees require reliable technology to access information and stay connected. Invest in high-quality hardware, such as laptops and reliable broadband, to support seamless communication and collaboration.
• Utilise appropriate remote work tools. Email alone is not sufficient for effective communication. Explore task and project management platforms, video conferencing tools, cloud storage, and remote team management apps to facilitate collaboration and streamline workflows.
• Foster strong communication between managers and employees. Regularly check in with remote team members through video conferencing, providing support and monitoring for any challenges. Schedule 1:1 support meetings and ensure remote employees feel heard and understood.
• Facilitate social connections virtually. Remote employees may feel isolated, so invest in virtual social software to create platforms for casual conversations. Encourage virtual coffee breaks, pub quizzes, and team-building activities to foster social interactions.
• Include remote workers in onsite office culture. Make video conferencing a norm to enable face-to-face interactions. Take time for informal conversations before and after calls and organise virtual tours of workspaces. Plan occasional meetups for remote and on-site employees to interact in person.
• Take an interest in employees’ personal circumstances. Show empathy and understanding for the challenges remote employees may face at home. Managers should respectfully enquire about personal circumstances to provide necessary support and build trust.
• Show appreciation for remote employees’ contributions. Regularly acknowledge and recognise the work done by remote employees. Make recognition visible to the entire organisation through team chats, virtual cards, or company awards.
• Seek employee feedback. Create opportunities for remote employees to provide feedback on work, strategy, or processes. Use surveys such as eNPS, pulse surveys, or our HR SnapShot to understand employee engagement levels and identify areas for improvement.

As remote work becomes increasingly common, it is crucial for organisations to adapt their approach and prioritise employee engagement. This goes beyond simply replacing in-person interactions with video conferencing; it requires a concerted effort to create a dynamic remote work environment and foster a strong company culture that brings remote employees together. 

Remote employee engagement is important because it leads to a successful remote working environment with positive outcomes for both employees and companies. Employees benefit from increased autonomy, better work-life balance, and reduced stress; while companies enjoy higher productivity, increased job satisfaction and cost savings. Organisations should actively seek employee feedback to gauge engagement levels and identify areas for improvement. Employee engagement surveys can provide valuable insights that help organisations refine their workplace culture. 

By implementing these strategies, organisations can effectively engage remote employees, enhance the employee experience and cultivate a thriving virtual workplace. Adapting to the virtual workplace is essential for those organisations where this is the most appropriate way to operate to ensure the business thrives and that the well-being and productivity of their remote workforce is where it needs to be.