10 Best Ways to Boost Remote Employee Engagement workplace

The surge of remote work has revolutionized the way organizations operate, allowing employees to work from anywhere globally. And let’s be honest: “Remote work is going to STAY FOR BETTER!”

More than 30% of US workers have remote jobs, and almost all remote workers wanted to continue working from home at least part-time in their careers. However, working remotely also has come with some challenges that you must deal with as an HR, Manager or a Team Lead –

• Ensure that your remote workers are engaged, productive, and aligned with your organization’s vision and values.
• Encourage teamwork, communication, and trust among your remote teammates.
• Make your remote workers feel appreciated, supported, and rewarded for their work.

These are some of the factors that every leader and manager should address in order to increase engagement among their remote workers. 

Good employee engagement can lead to real company growth! A Gallup study even found that engaged workforces are up to 21% more profitable than those with low engagement levels. But employee engagement is much more than keeping them happy. 

In this blog post, I’m going to share 10 ways to keep your employees engaged, connected, and happy leading to a positive and productive remote work culture.

What is Remote Employee Engagement & Why It’s Important?

Remote employee engagement is the degree to which remote workers feel connected, motivated, and valued by their organization and their team. It is a crucial factor for the success of any remote work arrangement, as it affects productivity, retention, collaboration, and innovation.

Why is remote employee engagement important?

Because remote workers face unique challenges that can impact their performance and well-being, such as isolation, communication barriers, lack of feedback, and blurred work-life boundaries. These challenges can lead to lower levels of engagement, which can result in higher turnover, lower quality of work, and reduced customer satisfaction.

Therefore, remote employee engagement is not only important for the remote workers themselves but also for the organization as a whole. Some of the benefits of better-engaged remote employees are –

• Higher Productivity: Engaged remote workers are more productive, focused, efficient, and proactive in their work. They also take fewer sick days and are less likely to experience burnout.
• Greater Retention: Engaged remote workers are more loyal, committed, and satisfied with their jobs. They are less likely to look for other opportunities or quit their jobs.
• Better Collaboration: Engaged remote workers are more cooperative, supportive, and communicative with their colleagues and managers. They also contribute more to the team’s culture and goals.
• More Innovation: Engaged remote workers are more creative, curious, and willing to try new things. They also seek feedback and learning opportunities to improve their skills and knowledge.

10 Best Ways to Engage Remote Employees

Now that we know why remote employee engagement matters, let’s have a look at 10 tried and tested ways to boost your remote employee engagement.

1. Set Clear Goals

One of the best ways to engage remote employees and improve teamwork is to set clear and realistic goals for them. This will help them understand what is expected of them, how their work contributes to the organization’s vision and mission, and how they will be measured and rewarded. Setting clear goals will also help remote employees stay focused, organized, and accountable for their work.

To set clear goals for remote employees, you can use the SMART framework, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. You can also use OKR management software such as Lattice or Weekdone to create and track goals for your remote team.

2. Prioritize Communication & Collaboration

Communication and collaboration are essential for any team, but they become even more important when working remotely. Remote employees need to communicate frequently and effectively with their managers, peers, and clients to stay aligned, informed, and engaged. They also need to collaborate with their team members on projects, tasks, and ideas to achieve the best results.

To prioritize communication and collaboration for your remote team, you can use collaborative technology tools and platforms that facilitate different modes of communication such as instant messaging apps (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Pumble), video conferencing platforms (Zoom, Google Meet), project management tools (Basecamp, Wrike), and document sharing tools (Google Docs, Dropbox). You can also establish regular communication routines such as bi-weekly check-ins, weekly meetings, monthly reviews, and quarterly feedback sessions or even create a dedicated messaging channel for chit-chat.

3. Recognize Employees

Recognizing employees is another effective way to engage remote employees. Remote employees may feel invisible or undervalued if they don’t receive appreciation or acknowledgment for their work. Recognizing employees can boost their morale, motivation, and loyalty. It can also foster a culture of gratitude and positivity in your remote team.

Here are some of the ways you can do so:

1. Send them a personalized thank-you note or email for their work.
2. Give them a shout-out or praise them publicly in a team meeting or on a social media platform.
3. Reward them with a gift card, bonus, or other incentives for their achievements.
4. Nominate them for an award or recognition program in your organization.
5. Use employee recognition platforms such as Bonusly, Connecteam, or Nectar to create a gamified system of recognition where employees can give and receive points, badges, or rewards for their work.

4. Host Virtual Events, Hangouts, and Games

Another way to keep your remote team engaged and connected is to host virtual events, hangouts, and games. These are fun and interactive ways to foster team spirit, collaboration, and communication among your remote employees. Virtual events can also help you celebrate achievements, milestones, or special occasions with your team.

You can use AddEvent to share virtual events and hangouts with your team online. The tool allows you to embed event calendars on your company’s intranet so that your remote employees can stay up to date with upcoming events and be a part of them.

This makes it easy to organize virtual events, fun game sessions, and hangouts that challenge your remote team’s creativity, and problem-solving skills.

5. Create a Culture of Feedback

Feedback is essential for remote employees to know how they are performing, what they are doing well, and what they need to improve. Feedback also helps remote employees learn new skills, grow professionally, and achieve their goals. To create a culture of feedback –

• You can start by providing timely and constructive feedback to your remote employees on a regular basis. 
• Ask for feedback from your remote employees on how you can support them better as a manager or leader. 
• Encourage peer-to-peer feedback among your remote team members to foster collaboration and learning.
• Use online feedback platforms such as SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Lattice to collect feedback from your remote employees on various aspects of their work experience such as engagement, satisfaction, well-being, and challenges.

6. Encourage Remote Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is very important when it comes to building remote-first culture in your organization. During the pandemic, many organizations turned to remote work and employees started reporting burnout and even left their jobs because of overwork and lack of work-life balance. A lot of employees were showing their frustration on social media by posting similar images as this one –

You need to respect your remote employees’ working hours and boundaries where you should not expect them to be available 24/7 or respond to messages or calls outside their working hours.

Rather you should promote flexible working arrangements that allow your remote employees to choose when and where they work best. Encourage your remote employees to take breaks during the day and use their vacation time or sick leave when needed.

You can also organize fun and social activities for your remote team such as virtual happy hours, trivia games, or online yoga classes to help them relax and bond with their colleagues.

7. Offer Flexible Working Hours

One of the benefits of working remotely is having more control over your schedule. As a remote team leader, you can offer flexible working hours to your employees, as long as they meet their deadlines and attend the required meetings. This way, you can accommodate different time zones, personal preferences, and work-life balance needs.

Flexible working hours can also boost productivity, creativity, and morale among your remote team members. They can work when they feel most energized, motivated, and focused, without being constrained by a rigid 9-to-5 routine. They can also adjust their hours to fit their family obligations, hobbies, or other personal commitments.

8. Create Health & Wellness Programs

Working remotely can also pose some challenges to your employees’ physical and mental health. In many scenarios, it can lead to isolation, stress, or burnout. That’s why it’s important to create health and wellness programs for your remote teams, to help them stay healthy and happy.

One way to do that is to offer gym subscriptions, yoga classes, meditation apps, or other fitness-related perks to your remote employees. You can encourage them to take regular breaks, stretch, walk, or do physical activity during the day. You can also organize wellness challenges or competitions, where employees can earn rewards or recognition.

You can also create a safe and supportive environment where employees can share their feelings, challenges, or concerns with each other or with you. Shopify, Basecamp, and Doist are some companies that offer fitness allowances, mental health days, mindfulness workshops, or peer support groups.

9. Provide Learning & Development Opportunities

Investing in the growth and development of remote employees enhances their engagement and skills. Organizations should offer learning and development opportunities tailored to the needs of remote teams. 

Online courses, webinars, and virtual workshops promote professional growth and demonstrate a commitment to remote employees’ long-term success and career progression. 

For instance, organizations can provide access to e-learning platforms or sponsor remote employees’ participation in relevant industry conferences or certifications.

10. Surprise Employees with Gifts

Surprising remote employees with thoughtful gifts can go a long way in boosting engagement and morale. Sending care packages, personalized notes, or gift cards as tokens of appreciation can make remote employees feel valued and recognized. 

These gestures show that the organization cares about their well-being and recognizes their contributions. For example, during the holiday season or on work anniversaries, organizations can send gift boxes filled with goodies or personalized items to remote employees’ homes as a special surprise.

Unleashing the Potential of Remote Employee Engagement

In the era of remote work, organizations must prioritize remote employee engagement to foster a motivated, productive, and satisfied workforce. Remember, engaged remote employees are more likely to stay loyal, perform at their best, and contribute to a positive work culture. 

By implementing the above-mentioned ways to boost remote employee engagement, organizations can create an environment where remote employees thrive, resulting in improved productivity, satisfaction, and organizational success. 

So, let’s embrace the power of remote employee engagement and unlock the limitless possibilities it offers for the future of work.

Author Bio – 

Pratik Shinde

Pratik Shinde is a Content Creator at Make SaaS Better, Freelance Content Marketer, and an SEO enthusiast. He helps fast-paced B2B SaaS startups acquire customers through organic marketing efforts. He likes reading philosophy, writing non-fiction, thoughtful walking, running, and traveling.