Tips for Keeping a Remote Team Engaged Post-Covid
We don’t need to remind you of what happened in March 2020 - none of us will be forgetting that in a hurry. In a matter of months, the percentage of people working from home in the UK went from just a few percent to nearly half of all workers in the country, and this has kickstarted a new era of working.
Here at UNBXD, it was no different. When the pandemic hit, we switched our entire team to remote working. We opened a new office space in 2022, and 75% of our team is still fully remote, with the rest enjoying a flexible hybrid structure where the office is available for them to use whenever they want.
85% of people working from home are keen on this idea of hybrid working, and 78% of workers say their work life balance is better when working from home. But whilst remote working comes with benefits for many, there are some challenges to be aware of, which can lead to team members becoming disengaged.
Remote working is here to stay, so keep reading for our insights into remote employee engagement!
Signs your remote team is becoming disengaged
The key to recognising early signs of remote team disengagement is to know your team, understand what they’re like when they’re engaged, and keep an eye out for changes in their behaviour. Some employees are simply more introverted than others, or have a different style of working which doesn’t involve them reaching out to other team members as much.
Signs an employee may be disengaging include:
No longer active in chats or reaching out to other team members or managers
No longer meeting deadlines or achieving a high quality of work
No longer sharing ideas or goals
No longer seeming upbeat and energetic for a long period of time (burn-out)
What causes remote workers to become disengaged?
If you think a remote team member may be disengaging, the best way to find out why is to have an open and honest one-to-one conversation with them. This will allow your employee to feel heard, and allow you to tailor your actions to improve their engagement at work.
Sometimes, employee disengagement can be caused by factors such as an employee’s physical or mental health or difficult situations in their personal lives including the loss of a loved one or money troubles. Here, the best way forward will differ, but offering as much understanding and support as possible is key.
Other reasons remote workers can become disengaged include:
Excessive workload for an extended period of time
Lack of training, support or feedback
Lack of recognition including praise, rewards and pay
Lack of opportunity for growth or progression in their role
Tips for keeping your remote team engaged
Prioritise employee recognition
When working together in an office, it can be easier to organically praise and recognise your employees for their hard work. 20% of remote workers in the UK feel they receive less recognition when working from home, which leads to teams becoming disengaged. In fact, employee engagement is generally 14% lower in teams which don’t receive recognition.
The best way to ensure all employees receive high levels of recognition for their efforts is to implement an Employee Recognition Programme. This can include anything from years of service awards, social media shoutouts and employee of the month to monetary awards like extra PTO, gift cards, training opportunities and bonuses.
Praise is best given when employees don’t expect it, rather than only at structured times or events. Praise should always be specific and personal - instead of saying ‘good job’, praise your employee for their hard work or achievement on a specific task. This is even better when this is something they’ve previously struggled with or if it’s a specific goal of theirs.
Provide growth opportunities
Investing in your employees should mean much more than simply paying a wage. Providing personalised training opportunities, which support your employees with goals they’ve discussed with you, will make team members feel valued and appreciated. This can include anything from official qualifications to noteworthy conferences in your industry.
You should always have an awareness of where your employees wish to go, and where they see themselves in the future. If you can provide a clear pathway to this goal, they will be much more engaged. Are they interested in a managerial role? Do they want to develop their technical skills? Are they keen to take on extra responsibilities or try new things?
Set clear goals
In remote teams, it’s easy for tasks and goals to get lost with a myriad of group chats, email chains and project management apps. Things can also get lost in translation, particularly if there are multiple managers or teams collaborating on various projects. It can be challenging for employees to figure out which tasks should be prioritised, which can be frustrating and stressful.
To avoid this, set clear goals and timelines and, where possible, make them visible to all team members and managers. This level of transparency will prevent wires from being crossed and unrealistic expectations from being set. Smaller goals are more easy to digest, so don’t forget the various steps which may be included in a larger task. For example, the task ‘write a blog’ could be split into planning, research, structuring, writing, editing, proofreading, imagery and posting. Not all tasks will need this level of breakdown: ask your employees what works best for them!
Choose the right communication tools
We’re not short of options when it comes to remote working communication tools, with a whole host of apps designed for anything from project management to timesheets to group chats. Shop around and discover which combination of tools work best for you and your team, and set clear guidelines for how each tool will be used within your workflow.
Examples of remote working communication tools include:
Zoom
Microsoft Teams
Basecamp 3
Slack
Asana
Trello
Hubstaff
Encourage informal interactions
Office-based chats over coffee or across the room are hard to replicate in remote teams - that much is true. These natural, organic conversations now have to be actively encouraged, which can lead to less relationship building between team members. Whilst the beginning of the pandemic had us all loving a weekly after-hours virtual quiz, this might not be the most popular option now we’re no longer stuck indoors.
Instead, foster a culture which encourages these informal interactions. Set up virtual coffee dates within work hours with no agendas, just to catch up with the team. Pair up employees in ‘buddy’ programmes to encourage them to talk one-on-one - something which can be daunting, especially for new employees. Figure out what people have in common, and create channels or group chats specifically to talk about these non-work-related topics.
Hold regular team meetings
As well as informal interactions, make sure you hold regular, productive, efficient team meetings to ensure everyone is clear on their current goals and to share company or industry news and updates. Encourage team members to have their cameras on to ensure everyone is engaged within the meeting - and make it worthwhile!
Provide home office support
When your team works in an office space, the company provides the PCs, the monitors, the desk, the chairs, the phones and so on. At the beginning of the pandemic, we all converted to home working in a matter of days, using whatever we could to carry out our roles - but three years on, providing home office support such as ergonomic furniture and expensive technology is much more possible.
Consider allocating a budget to provide your remote team with the sort of support they’d receive working in-house. Working on the sofa, sitting on an uncomfortable chair or using a slow, overheating laptop can all reduce employee happiness and productivity. Providing team members with the home office support they need to carry out their job can do wonders for their engagement.
Offer special perks
The majority of UK employees working from home do so because the increased flexibility allows them to save time and money, spend more time with their families, feel more rested and develop healthier habits. As these are factors which are highly valued by the remote workforce, offering perks which further enhance them can be a great way to improve employee satisfaction and engagement.
The perks most valued by your employees will depend on their demographics, your industry and their job roles, so do some research first to see what they’d prefer. The best way to find out is to ask them, so carrying out internal surveys is a good idea.
Special perks you could offer to your remote employees include:
Employee discounts
Internet allowances
Subscriptions to platforms like Netflix and Disney+
Gym subscriptions
Private healthcare
Generous PTO
What are the benefits of having an engaged remote team?
Engaged employees:
Are proactive, seek and implement feedback, and find ways to improve productivity
Look at the big picture and understand how their work ties into the company’s goals, incentivising them to meet goals and complete work to a high standard
See a future at the company, improving employee retention and increasing the number of employees who progress through the ranks within your company
UNBXD is a Creative Digital Agency which specialises in digital marketing, website and software development, media production and branding and identity to create exciting, innovative solutions for breakthrough brands.
We are experts in supporting brands to outline clear objectives, develop strong communication strategies and create unique content which truly engages their audience.
