How to Build Engagement with Remote Employees

Remote work is here to stay. There are many contributing factors why someone might work remotely, including the capabilities of technology, potential cost savings for both the company and employee with reduced overhead and commuting costs, and an increased desire to achieve work-life balance. In addition, we don’t want to overlook the impact Covid had in promoting a remote environment at the time. But while there can be benefits with remote workers, it can also introduce a unique set of issues that can negatively impact an organization. To make remote work successful, companies need to know how to keep remote employees engaged and working to their best potential. Let’s explore why that’s difficult and what to do about it.

Two Key Issues Surrounding Remote Employee Engagement

When it comes to engaging remote workers, there are two critical factors that must be present: trust and communication. Without these, high-performing teams cannot exist, and remote employees will disengage from work.

First, let’s tackle trust. There must be a high level of trust between the employee and the company when working remotely. Workers have a natural sort of autonomy working remotely, being able to step away from their desks or take breaks while still getting their work done. At the same time, companies need to trust that workers are not abusing this autonomy. Whether the reason for remote work is to reduce overhead or promote a more balanced lifestyle for the employee, key performance indicators (KPIs) such as those focused on production and performance still need to be met. If employers and employees can’t find a balance and level of trust that helps engage remote employees, they may end up with an ineffective and inefficient arrangement that creates frustration on both sides.

The second common issue surrounding remote work is poor or infrequent communication. In a Dale Carnegie global Teamwork study, 84% of the remote workers who were part of teams that exceeded team goals over the past year reported being extremely or very satisfied with the level of team communication present. In contrast, only 14% of remote workers on teams who failed to meet goals were satisfied with the level of communication. If companies want high-performing teams, they will likely have to step up their communications game, such as implementing a communications strategy.

 

Four Ways to Improve Engagement 

It’s no secret that employee engagement drives positive business results. In 2023, 33% of employees were engaged (a slight drop from the high of 36% in 2020), but Gallup’s findings also state that “Not engaged or actively disengaged employees account for approximately $1.9 trillion in lost productivity nationally.” When it comes to how to increase employee engagement remotely, consider these critical actions.

Initiate Frequent and Transparent Communication

Dale Carnegie knew that communication is the key to everything in life and business. As such, leaders need to initiate frequent communication (without micromanaging) and be transparent and forthcoming with information that affects each employee and the company. Schedule consistent one-on-one and team meetings to maintain communication and provide updates. Be sure not to make these check-ins all about work, either. Spend some time talking about things outside of work, asking questions, and showing interest to help create connections similar to those we can experience in a face-to-face environment.

During work-specific check-ins, use effective communication tools to ensure everything is communicated clearly. For example, set clear expectations. Ensure employees know their goals, deadlines, and priorities. Open channels of communication for workers to reach leaders and each other. There are many communication tools to engage remote employees. Consider using Teams, Slack, or an email platform to create open lines of communication for quick questions and sharing information.

Create a Strong Virtual Culture 

Engaging remote workers starts with building a digital culture that is inclusive, helpful, and clear for everyone. This means purposefully choosing how and when technology will be used to engage remote employees. Your virtual culture should also promote inclusivity, encouraging and celebrating diverse voices and perspectives.

Some other ideas for remote team engagement include:

• Celebrations: Consider holding celebrations for or at least observing and recognizing diverse holidays and global events.
• Social Events: Organize team-building activities like virtual lunches that are themed or strictly set aside for fun games or activities.
• Camera-On Policy: While it can be convenient in a virtual culture to keep cameras off, a strong virtual culture is supported when participants can see one another.
• All-Company Meetings: This could be a time to provide updates on the company goals or strategy, state the company’s successes and setbacks, and offer information on the status of initiatives.
• Virtual All-Company Retreat: Make it interactive by including employee engagement activities for remote employees. There are many engaging online resources and tools available to create active participation and connections to one another and the company.

 

Build Trust and Autonomy

The best way to empower employees is to give them the freedom to make decisions and manage their work. Trust their expertise. Allow employees to take ownership of their tasks and projects.  This then includes celebrating their successes. Recognize accomplishments publicly and offer praise for achievements. Draw attention to the unique ways the employee used their skills and talents to get the work done. This is how you show and live a culture of trust and autonomy.

Creating a trust-centric workplace also means fostering a sense of belonging among employees. Involve employees in important all-company meetings or cross-functional meetings, particularly when discussing strategy. Open and honest communication supported by humble leadership can do wonders in engaging workers and fostering a culture of trust.

Collect Feedback and Continuously Improve

Engagement is not a one-and-done achievement; it is a daily goal every company should be pursuing. This is why collecting feedback and making adjustments to your engagement tactics is key. Gather employee feedback regularly to identify areas for improvement. You can do this via annual or quarterly employee surveys or brief touch-point surveys. Make sure you act on the feedback, using it to make necessary changes and improvements. This is sure to enhance team member satisfaction.

Engage Employees through Continued Learning

Remote employee engagement is a large topic, and there are many tools and strategies available to raise engagement scores among employees. Engagement starts with a foundation of effective communication. Consider on-demand courses for your leaders and employees, such as the Communication Skills Video Collection, designed to encompass many of the topics and skills employees need to succeed in this remote environment. To learn more, browse available resources or find your local Dale Carnegie partner at dalecarnegie.com.

Learn more about Dale Carnegie Books & Dale Carnegie’s worldwide bestseller, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

To learn more, browse available resources or find your local Dale Carnegie partner at dalecarnegie.com and review our courses here!

We thank Myron A. Harmon, Vice President of Human Resources at Dale Carnegie and Ass., for his valuable contributions to this blog article. His insights and feedback were incredibly valuable, making the article more informative and engaging for our readers.