Remote work is a new normal. And most of the organizations face one common challenge: How to create new and sustainable employee engagement practices that will reinvigorate productivity?
In this article, you’ll discover some proven tips to improve employee engagement.
1. Give Employees a Sense of Belonging
‘What’s the best practice to keep employees engaged?” We asked the attendees of the HR Round-table.
And they answered: Giving your employees a sense of belonging is the best thing you can do. This practice is especially important since we are in the middle of the pandemic crisis.
Most of your employees will be working from a remote environment. While most of them find it comforting and flexible, eventually, a social circle catches up. The best thing you can do is to provide your employees with a sense of belonging. Encourage team-building exercises so that employees stay motivated.
For example, organize a fun hour once a week where your employees can get together. You can take the help of many remote working apps and organize fun games and quizzes etc.
2. Communicate Regularly
Communication is one of the best tools for employee engagement. As a team leader or head of the organization, it becomes your responsibility to create an open communication environment.
Remember that communication helps bring forward the difficulties faced by your employees and creates an atmosphere of transparency. Initiate a conversation and ask your employees to join in.
For example, organize a fun Friday or town hall session, where employees can suggest improvements in the organization and freely discuss ideas. Regular communication helps employees feel that their voice matters in the organization.
3. Define Your Channels of Communication
While communication is essential, it is also necessary for you to define proper channels of communication. This will provide the means for your employees to stay connected. Pick a tool that best fits in the needs of your organization.
For example, most companies encourage their employees to use Slack or MS Teams for everyday collaboration. You can look at the pros and cons of a tool and pick the one that aligns with your necessities. Alternatively, you can also use a tool like Asana or Trello to keep track of your employees’ daily work progress.
4. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Feedback
Peer to peer review and feedback are the best as they help highlight several details that are often missed by seniors. Since your employees carry out the actual execution of tasks, they are the best to share feedback about something.
You can use employee recognition tools to transfer reward points to employees or colleagues as an appreciation of their hard work. This helps in enhancing our company’s teamwork and motivation.
5. Role of HR in Engaging Employees
Engaging employees must be on the task list of your organization’s human resource department. Whether your employees are working on-site or from a remote environment, make sure your HR team prioritizes engagement.
For example, the HR department can organize Yoga and Zumba sessions and call a stand-up artist for a laughter-filled comedy session. Little activities like these give employees something to look forward to at the end of the day. It also helps in busting stress and breaking the monotony of work.
