How To Keep Remote Employees Engaged?

After the pandemic’s emergence, the business industry switched to remote working.

Employees started telecommuting, and people realized how traditional office-based systems could easily be replaced with a better alternative, i.e., the work-from-home culture.

Statistics by Zippia indicate that one-fourth of the American workforce currently works from home, and these numbers shall continue to increase.

But how do you keep remote employees engaged at work? This article explores some suggestions for managers.

Working remotely can be more productive than working with office-based workers. Moreover, 40% of employees claim they’re more productive when working from home. 

However, this socially distant working culture also has drawbacks, e.g., isolation, confinement, and the absence of face-to-face interactions. Therefore, if you want to know how to engage remote employees, you came to the right place.

12 Prime Steps To Keep Remote Employees Engaged:

A manager can overcome these demerits by keeping workers engaged via the following suggestions. So, read these suggestions carefully and implement them in your office to keep remote employees happy.

1. Use Online Tools:

Effective communication makes your employees virtually well-connected with each other. Many tech tools are available that can help you with remote employee engagement.

We’ve been using Zoom, and several alternatives exist to interact face-to-face digitally. Moreover, apps such as Dropbox help employees share documents and remain well-informed. Similarly, Slack and Trello make it easier for workers to manage projects, monitor their progress, and stay familiar with future tasks.

2. Hold Fun Events:

Workplaces should also involve celebrations, festivals, and get-togethers to hone teamwork among colleagues and make them know each other better. Companies around the world have started once again to organize team-based events.

Also, consider hosting holiday parties for remote staff; just find a reliable event provider to organize these gatherings. 

These service providers make office parties a celebratory experience for everyone, boosting employee engagement. This is one of the most credible answers to the ‘how to engage remote employees’

3. Offer Competitive Compensation:

Thirdly, motivating virtual workers isn’t that difficult if you compensate them appropriately. Studies are already showing that remote employees earn less than traditional employees. 

So, compensating your telecommuting workforce can quickly motivate them to stick with you.

Remember that a worker who works from home performs far better than an office-bound employee. So, compensating these telecommuters handsomely is a financially reasonable decision to be made by your company.

4. Encourage Workplace Friendships:

It’s been observed that workplace friendships motivate workers to stick with the company for a long time. Even remote employees can become friends while working online.

Using apps such as Zoom and WhatsApp can turn two met-at-work strangers into bosom buddies. Allow employees to chat freely with each other (without crossing professional boundaries) to bolster the workforce’s productivity. So, encouraging workplace relations can easily enhance employee engagement at work today.

5. Gamify Your Organization:

Recently, gamification has become a popular strategy in schools and offices to keep everyone more engaged. It means introducing game-related elements (such as point-scoring) in real-world scenes.

A business manager, for instance, can organize team-based competitions. Employees can earn points for being productive and redeem these points through rewards.

These healthy competitions in the office can hone the workforce’s motivation and motivate your virtual staff to work harder.

6. Trust Your Employees:

What does it mean to trust one’s workers? It means trusting them to get the job done right. When an employee has been delegated a task, it’s essential to trust that person to finish the project.

When the boss consistently interferes with the project, employees lose their self-esteem and feel unmotivated to do the task right. Sadly, remote employees complain about their bosses doubting them. A distrustful manager cannot motivate a team of people working from home.

Read these findings:

7. Encourage Peer-To-Peer Feedback:

Employee development isn’t possible without giving and receiving feedback. 

This feedback can hone employees’ performance, guide them, and make the workforce more efficient. But, peer-to-peer feedback can be even more effective because it involves colleagues coaching each other.

When employees are mentored by their colleagues, they become more invested in their work, thereby getting more productive. That’s why managers should promote peer-to-peer feedback

8. Give Proper Recognition:

How do you appreciate an employee or recognize your workers’ efforts? Paying them higher can help you win them over and convince them to work even harder. But there are other ways to acknowledge a remote e employee’s efforts, i.e., simply thanking them for their efforts and praising their diligence.

Give them personalized recognition. For instance, you can praise them by name in a Zoom call if they like public displays of approval. Learn what sort of approval motivates a worker.

9. Value Their Opinions:

Appreciate your employees and make them feel valued. Workers are more invested in organizations where their ideas are listened to, and contributions are respected.

Even small gestures matter! Small acts of dismissal can just as quickly disengage employees as small acts of approval can motivate them. Many companies celebrate a worker’s birthday to let that person know how they cherish their presence in the office. When workers are valued, they feel more engaged at work.

10. Encourage Employee Wellness:

Never neglect the well-being of your workers, even if they’re working remotely. It’s because they’re unable to perform well if they’re incapacitated. 

But how can you keep workers healthy when they’re distantly located? Well, offer incentives to your employees to prioritize self-care.

Stay connected with them and educate them about the importance of sleeping correctly. Monitor when workers are online and discourage them from working late for you. Encourage a work-life balance.

11. Foster Career Growth:

Young workers want managers to invest in their career advancement options. It’s estimated that 9 out of 10 millennials expect their bosses to offer them ongoing education opportunities. So, offer them mentorship opportunities and peer-to-peer feedback options. This can help you understand how to engage remote employees.

12. Hold virtual meetings

Now, this one is a no-brainer. Effective communication isn’t possible unless you hold regular meetings with your employees. However, remote employees deserve virtual meetings or Zoom calls.

That’s how employees can interact face-to-face with their employees. But it doesn’t mean your workers should interact digitally only for work-related purposes.

Instead, have them gather around online for recreational purposes, too. Let them bond and find a reason to stay at your office.

And It’s A Wrap!

In summation, this is how to engage remote employees. 2024 is coming to an end, and COVID-19’s impact is slowly receding after years. 

Statistics show that 55% of workers today want to work from home at least three days a week.

Business managers, therefore, are worried about keeping remote employees engaged. How can you prevent isolation from affecting a workforce’s productivity? We have discussed some methods to motivate your employees.

They all revolve around communicating with them, listening to their thoughts, and ensuring their health to keep them productive.

Host holiday parties for remote employees virtually to give your staff a bonding experience with other folks from the office. Recognize their efforts and appreciate their contributions to the company’s successes.

Offer them career growth options and competitive compensation to attract fresh talent. Respect your employees, make them feel valued, and gamify the network to boost productive competition.

Your employee-engagement-boosting efforts may be better if you are leveraging online tools correctly.

Read Also:

• How Remote Work Can Benefit Your Small Business
• Employee Training Videos: Practical Guidelines And Tips
• How To Choose The Best Company Gift For Your Employees