Remote work is not going away anytime soon (or how about never) which means employee engagement is now more important than ever. Why? The employee’s experience has been dramatically altered and while 2020 was the year of adapting quickly to change and employees were likely forgiving of management hiccups, 2021 will see employees not so lenient of their employer’s inattention to company culture.

But it may seem daunting trying to determine the best ways to build on company culture in the midst of a pandemic while still adjusting to a much-changed business landscape. However, employee experience is not to be ignored and there are several ways to smartly develop a successful program, and then keep it going.

Getting employee engagement off the ground

1. Get feedback from your employees. One of the most effective ways in making informed decisions is to ask staff to identify areas of growth via an anonymous survey. Knowing the weak points is half the battle and a great starting point to building new programs.
2. Involve the team. It’s best to approach engagement programs holistically, it takes more than one department to solve problems and maintain a healthy company culture. Diversifying the outreach will not only benefit its’ effectiveness but help to ensure consistency and permanency. Speaking of…
3. Follow-through! Mark this one down as the single most important task to complete. Employee engagement efforts are only successful if they are both thorough and Also keep in mind that employees take note of a company’s track record of following-through and weigh it seriously.

Supporting employee engagement programs

1. Keep HR in the loop. Any programs should be developed with the eye of HR on it in order to ensure that new policies are in compliance with current laws. Also utilize the department in measuring the success of the program.
2. Maintain rational decision-making. Company culture is more than regular engagement of staff, it’s the employee experience and this includes being able to trust that employers can respond to crises sensibly and lead the company through it successfully.
3. Check in. A common mistake with employee engagement is to delegate it and then forget it. Don’t do that. Ask for feedback on a regular basis (check in with HR!) and make adjustments as needed. Don’t let engagement grow stale.

If you’re struggling to develop an engagement program that works with the specifics of your company’s remote staff, Eos HR can help! We’re a team of HR professionals helping small businesses implement smart solutions to meet challenges, large or small. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more.

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