Engaging Remote Staff- the new HR challenge

Employee engagement had been the buzzword of all large companies last few decades. The HR leader was always finding new ways to connect engagement to productivity. But how to engage people you do not see? Engaging remote talent is the new challenge. Gone are the social get togethers like off sites, reward and recognition nights, mega annual events and many team parties where employees would look forward to some fun evening after a day’s work, where they would make new friends and engage socially. This crisis has changed things.

While Work from Home is a dream come true for introverts, for the extroverts at work, it could be detrimental to their overall performance and their mental health. The sudden shift in work culture due to Covid 19 has caused severe and long lasting disruption. It is not easy to manage a blended workforce. So how do we promote employees who are virtual on engagement and wellness?

Here are some tips from me on how you can engage your remote employees during these uncertain times:

1.      Time to connect: The new HR leader has to shift from being a leader to a host. Any workplace is a story book filled with experiences, emotions, interactions and achievements. Now is the time to ‘communicate to engage’ about those stories with the employees.

2.      Understand employee personalities: This will help you know how people can respond in turbulent times and hence would give you the insight to manage them likewise.

3.      Build loyalty: Employees do not leave because of higher pays only. Loyalty comes when your employees feel they are part of the game and a good way to create that is through the incentive of a stock plan. I know of my friend’s son leaving a large corporate for a smaller company because of the boredom of working from home. Has he been loyal, it would not have been the same.

4.      Emotional Wellbeing: The situation is not going to get better soon. So reach out to your employees and check on them. Offer an Employee Assistance Program, arrange some online games night or just send them a gift. Make them feel you care for them and that they have someone to speak with.

5.      Physical Health: Working out of home is not a healthy option if all you do is sit on your desk throughout the day with only bio and food breaks. The current times have made us all couch potatoes. And we are working longer hours, sitting in front of computers. Engage employees to stretch every 2 hours for 5 minutes. Encourage them to move out to their lawns or balconies during the day or just walk up and down the stairs. Whatever it takes, just coax them to do some physical activity.

The way to put your employees at ease through all this is more and more communication. 

If you have more ideas, feel free to comment. I would be eager to know your thoughts and ideas.