5 Top Tips for Engaging a Remote Workforce

Great company culture doesn’t happen by accident; it should be a continuous process of assessment, maintenance and revision to ensure that every single employee feels valued and trusted to complete their work. Whether you’re adding a remote hire to your team or your entire business is going remote for lockdown, maintaining a great company culture that reaches everyone regardless of their location is no small feat. So, be intentional with it. Here are our five top tips for engaging a remote workforce.

Daily Check-ins

One of the greatest challenges of this year has been the strain on mental health and wellbeing, so it is important that we check-in on one another regularly. Managers need to maintain regular communication with their teams, not only to clearly communicate workload expectations and celebrate team accomplishments but to monitor how their teams are coping; individuals who live alone are likely to face different challenges to those who may be parents or full-time carers, we must acknowledge the unique challenges individuals may face as they adjust to working from home and provide support where possible.

Company-wide Communication

It may sound a little like organised fun but having a scheduled company-wide (virtual) meeting offers a fantastic opportunity to share good news, organisation announcements and critical updates (regarding COVID, for example). It also presents a fantastic opportunity to present company-wide incentives or initiatives – nothing says team building (and lifts spirits) like a spot of healthy competition – and offers a place to celebrate the achievements of all departments and encourage cross-functional bonding.

Virtual Team Building

What kind of platform of communication could your business offer to accommodate a bit of team building? Have you considered investing in an internal communications platform that encourages colleague created content? You don’t necessarily need your own intranet (though they are worth considering), platforms such as Yammer or Facebook Workplace are enterprise social networking tools that will offer a place for your business to upload news, tips and guidance but also a place for colleagues share stories, photos and working from home tips.

Employee Engagement Surveys

Employee engagement surveys present a fantastic opportunity for your business to self-asses, review and refine your approach. Hosting regular employee engagement surveys will encourage an open platform of communication and feedback between your business and your teams, ensuring that your employees feel valued and heard. They offer a safe platform for employees to anonymously raise any issues they may be facing, presenting your business with the opportunity to address and resolve them.

Employee Assistance Programs

Now more than ever, it is important to check in on your teams, their needs and their wellbeing. 2020 has been a testing year, so it may be in your best interest to invest in a little bit of additional support. Employee assistance programs provide confidential counselling services to help your team with challenges relating to work, family, stress, finances, and other personal issues. Fostering and maintaining great company culture, even when your workforce is remote, will boost employee morale and loyalty and therefore increase productivity.

If you would like to know more, in our latest webinar, ‘Engaging a Remote Workforce’ we invited industry leaders to discuss the impact of remote working in regard to wellbeing, engagement, communication, and culture change. You can find the full recording of this webinar here: https://youtu.be/bpL7Z6_DlXo