Engaged employees translate to increased profits, higher retention rates, and improved customer service, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 Report. The document reveals that within a typical organization, the top-quartile teams or business units on engagement have 78% less absenteeism and 23% higher profitability than the bottom-quartile.
Low employee engagement is not just a concern for individual companies, but it also has a severe impact on the global economy: according to the survey, it costs a whopping USD 8.9 trillion, which is equivalent to 9% of the global GDP.
The facts and data above are compelling, and few employers would disregard them. However, the era of remote work has posed a new challenge even for companies that excelled in employee engagement. How to adapt? We list some methods below.
1. Regular online check-ins
Regular check-ins allow for nipping issues in the bud and fixing them before they escalate. There are no strict rules about how often they should occur; a manager should assess when to adjust the frequency based on the project’s and team’s stage. Just beware of the temptation of micromanaging, as it would only cost your team valuable time.
2. Use the right tools
Choose the appropriate tools to streamline communication, support asynchronous collaboration, establish effective workflows, and facilitate task management within your remote team. Take into account the size of your organization or team, as well as the complexity of your projects, to determine the best combination of tools for your needs.
- For communication, consider Gather, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Slack, VooV Meeting, or Zoom.
- For project management, popular choices are Trello, Asana, Monday.com, and ClickUp.
- For collaboration, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Notion are good options.
- Finally, for file sharing and storage, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive are reliable choices.
Depending on the specificities of your project, you may also be interested in virtual whiteboard tools like Miro, or automation and workflow tools like Zapier.
3. Two-way feedback
When giving feedback, be transparent. If expectations were not met, be clear about it — evasion will only leave your employee confused or delusional and, therefore, less likely to make the necessary improvements. Be open and honest while also taking the time to listen to their perspective. Inquire about any obstacles they face and how you can help them create conditions for their success. Lastly, collaborate to outline a concrete path forward.
4. Public recognition
Share some appreciation. According to American author Daniel H. Pink in his best-selling book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” (based on initial research led by experimental psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan), the three key generators of motivation are purpose, autonomy, and mastery. The latter means a sense of increasing confidence in our abilities, acquired through rapid external recognition that our efforts are proving successful.
You can highlight team and individual achievements by giving shout-outs during online meetings or on internal platforms. It’s also beneficial to encourage peer-to-peer recognition. Consider implementing programs like “employee of the month” or offering digital badges for contributions to help boost morale and foster a culture of excellence.
5. Milestones and personal moments
Celebrate birthdays or work anniversaries. In a remote setting, sending virtual cards or other digital tokens of appreciation, or even mailing physical gifts, can help strengthen engagement.
6. Short breaks
Just as you wouldn’t neglect to recharge your laptop, you shouldn’t refrain from recharging your own batteries. Research suggests that breaks during work hours can boost performance. Additionally, it’s good for everyone’s eye health, as staring at a screen nonstop can lead to eye strain. Encourage your team to take short breaks, and walk your talk. Remember to stay hydrated as well!
7. Professional development
Some companies are reluctant to offer professional development opportunities for employees because they worry about investing money in training programs for individuals who may eventually decide to change jobs. Such reasoning makes as much sense as treating your partner poorly because they might someday fall in love with someone else — it sounds more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Offer access to online learning platforms or even onsite training programs and workshops. Encourage employees to develop skills that interest both them and the company. Platforms like DevSkiller can help you detect those skill gaps in your company.
8. Career goals
The potential for future growth is a crucial element of employee satisfaction. Note that growth doesn’t necessarily mean climbing the corporate ladder. For example, a software developer might not be interested in taking on a management role. In this case, the next step in their career would be owning more complex and cross-functional software projects. That’s why it’s fundamental to understand your employees’ actual aspirations. Discuss career goals and provide guidance on how to grow within the company.
9. Virtual mentorship programs
Establish mentoring relationships where employees can learn from more experienced colleagues, fostering trust, belonging, and self-actualization for both mentors and mentees.
10. Social opportunities
Online team-building activities or casual virtual hangouts foster camaraderie and enhance teamwork. Aim to host a monthly online event, like a game evening, themed trivia, escape room, or coffee time. An exciting idea is to propose a rotating scheme for the event’s organization, keeping it always fresh with new ideas and allowing everyone to contribute.
If your company uses Slack, having channels for people to showcase their pets or share their hobbies will help create some human connection. You can also use the online platform Gather to replicate the office environment in a lively, game-like way.
11. Inclusive environment
There’s a strong link between inclusion and engagement. Employees feel a sense of belonging and are more likely to be engaged in a culture that values diversity and inclusion.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) defines inclusion as the “achievement of a work environment in which all individuals are treated fairly and respectfully, have equal access to opportunities and resources, and can contribute fully to the organization’s success.” When employees can expect their achievements to be recognized and rewarded justly, without bias or discrimination, they are more motivated to go the extra mile to contribute to the organization’s success.
12. Purpose-driven work
As we’ve seen above in item number 4, according to author Daniel H. Pink, there are three fundamental generators of motivation, and purpose is one of them, along with mastery and autonomy. So, don’t let your employees ever lose sight of how their work contributes to the company’s goals and how the company creates value for its customers or society. Communicate the company’s mission and values, and regularly connect employee contributions to the bigger picture. Employees feel more engaged when they understand how they’re helping the company fulfill its mission.
13. Empower decision-making
Now, we’ve arrived at the third motivator of employees according to Daniel H. Pink’s framework: autonomy. Give your team members some freedom to make decisions regarding their own work. When employees feel trusted and get the chance to do some things their own way, they become more invested in the outcomes.
14. Flexible schedules
This item is still about autonomy. Allow employees to have flexible work hours to manage personal commitments, while establishing some mandatory virtual core hours that suit everybody. This autonomy can enhance overall satisfaction and engagement, while also ensuring that team members still have some hours each day to work together.
15. Define clear goals and expectations
Implement quarterly OKRs or another suitable goal-setting framework to ensure employees have clear, measurable objectives. This allows them to track their progress effectively, manage themselves as they work towards these goals, and clearly understand the expectations set for them, which helps avoid any surprises.
16. Open innovation channels
Create opportunities for employees to share new ideas or improvements to processes. Organize brainstorming sessions and encourage employees to share their ideas, even if they’re still more like an embryo. Hosting online hackathons can also drive creativity and engagement.
17. Promote an open failure culture
Failure is often a necessary stage on the path to innovation and success. A company whose employees don’t take risks may end up in sheer mediocrity. Executives and managers can share their own failures to set an example and create a safe space for others to do the same. What’s crucial here is to encourage team members to learn from their failures and make improvements.
18. Cross-department collaboration
Collaboration between different teams or departments allows for the exchange of diverse perspectives that can spark innovation and keep employees engaged in problem-solving. Additionally, it can enhance company culture in a remote environment.
19. Mental health support
If your company can provide mental health benefits, consider doing so. This could mean ensuring that therapy is covered by the health insurance or offering mindfulness classes.
20. In-person meetings
Organizing in-person meetings now and then helps team members build rapport — and allows you to get to know them on a personal level. Holding these events in pleasant locations shows appreciation for their efforts.
21. Physical well-being
Having healthy employees can only benefit a company. If possible, provide your employees with a budget for creating a comfortable home office setup. Additionally, a gym membership discount is a great perk.
22. Share business updates
Keep employees informed about the company’s performance. Transparency builds trust and helps employees feel connected to the organization’s journey.
23. Invite employee input
During company updates, create opportunities for employees to ask questions and provide their perspectives on business decisions or changes.
24. Pulse surveys
Employee engagement should be checked regularly, not just once a year. That’s where pulse surveys come in. Pulse surveys are short questionnaires, typically consisting of 1 to 15 questions, designed to gather real-time feedback from employees (they can also be used to collect insights from customers or other stakeholders). Regular pulse surveys — either monthly or quarterly — will help you understand how employees feel and what could be improved. Just note that to prevent survey fatigue, the more frequent the pulse survey, the shorter it should be. That’s the same reason why you should avoid conducting weekly pulse surveys.
25. Follow through on feedback
Ensure that feedback from pulse surveys, company updates, or other channels leads to actionable results. If employees see that their suggestions lead to real improvements, they’ll feel valued and more engaged. On the other hand, if they see that you don’t do anything in response to what they shared, they will likely be discouraged from providing feedback in the future. Be sure to follow up on any improvements you implement using pulse surveys, creating a full feedback loop.
Key takeaways
Implementing these 25 tips will enhance employee engagement and productivity within your remote team or organization. By actively fostering an inclusive, empowering, and purpose-driven environment, companies can enhance both employee engagement and organizational success.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Love what you’ve just read? Subscribe to the TechTalents Insights newsletter and receive our best articles and interviews directly in your inbox. Click here to join the community!
