If your tried-and-true employee retention strategies involve in-person activities or benefits, you may wonder how to optimize employee engagement for remote employees. Remote employees can post unique challenges, even to companies who feel they are experts at keeping employees engaged. The shift to remote work left many companies feeling like they were losing the battle to keep remote employees engaged.
The Pros and Cons of Remote Employees
Allowing employees to work remotely has many benefits, including:
- better work-life balance for team members
- the ability to recruit from a larger geographic area
- savings on office rent
- Increased productivity
On the other hand, allowing employees to work remotely can also have drawbacks. One of the most often cited disadvantages of working remotely is that employees miss out on bonding and collaborating with their coworkers. When employees are remote, it may be harder to keep a finger on the pulse of their happiness. Studies say remote workers may feel more stressed, have more trouble sleeping, and feel isolated.
While offering remote work may be the best choice for your company and your employees, it’s important to understand employee engagement for remote workers. By actively pursuing opportunities to increase engagement and happiness, you improve your company’s chance of:
- Retaining good employees
- Increase the remote company culture
- Attracting new ones
- Increasing overall productivity
Measure Happiness
First, you'll want to measure their happiness to identify the right methods for increasing employee engagement for remote employees. However, this is easier said than done. Many companies make mistakes such as:
“Everyone got a raise, so they must be happy.”
“We did a survey, and most people said “yes” to a question about whether they were happy.”
“They seem engaged in their work, so they must be happy.”
Assumptions about remote workers’ happiness and engagement can be dangerous. You risk missing critical red flags that can cost you good employees and hurt your company’s reputation. Measuring employee happiness and expectations in a way that genuinely answers important questions is essential.
Make Choices
Your company cannot make everyone happy with every choice, which is okay! You are running a business, and compromises are always in the equation. However, having the correct data about happiness will aid you in making the decisions that will best serve your company and your employees. You’ll be able to treat people in ways that will increase employee engagement for remote and in-person workers.
Trust the Experts
You are an expert at your business, but that doesn’t mean you also need to be an expert in employee happiness. Whether your entire team is remote or you offer hybrid options, trust an expert to help you understand the standards of a happy workforce. At Amazing Workplace, we’ve set the standards for what it means to have happy employees.
Whether you’re looking for employee engagement from your remote workers or hoping to understand your team’s current mindset, start by scheduling a demo to learn more.