How can you increase remote employee engagement in 2021? As COVID-19 keeps workers at home, remote employee engagement strategy comes into focus for employers.
With the COVID-19 Pandemic still sweeping through the United States, many people have been working from home for almost a year with no end in sight. Over two thirds of Americans who can work from home are continuing to do so, according to a 2021 survey conducted by Pew Research Trends. More importantly, 54 percent of those currently working from home report a desire to stay remote even after the pandemic has ended.
Remote-work employees can feel stranded and not engaged
But no employee is an island. While working from home offers employees enhanced flexibility and further protection against exposure to COVID-19, it can also pose significant challenges to remote employee engagement and communication among an unprepared workforce
How can you increase engagement among remote-work employees?
What steps can you take to increase remote employee engagement in 2021? Try these three strategies.
1. Be intentional about non-work communication with remote-work employees.
At the office, employees talk about work, but they also make jokes, grab lunch, and stretch their legs by the water cooler. These moments may not feel immediately productive, but they’re vital for building team unity and trust. From home, casual conversations with employees are often lost, resulting in employees who feel isolated from their peers and who may be less likely to reach out to team members for help when needed.
Focus on remote employee engagement outside of a traditionally productive setting. As an employer, make an effort to not only keep your communication open to lighter commentary, but actually schedule time for employees to get together to socialize in remote or virtual spaces. Coffee breaks and happy hours can go a long way to improve morale.
2. Prioritize mental health.
According to a new report from the ExecuSearch group, “over 50% of employees reported not getting mental health support during these unprecedented times.” The report also noted that employees marked “unplugging” as the number one challenge to remote work. Consider creating a framework for employees to practice mindfulness or meditation. It’s important to find time to step away from the screen.
In any case, make sure you check in often with your employees. Don’t just ask how the work is coming along, but ask how they are doing and in what ways they can be better supported by management.
3. Support financial wellbeing.
2020 was a difficult year for everyone. While we enter 2021 hopeful for improvement, things are still not normal. The biggest stressor for many employees is the state of their financial wellbeing. According to a 2021 Capital One CreditWise survey, 73% of Americans rank their finances as the most significant source of stress in their life. Increase remote employee engagement by creating avenues for employee financial stress.
And, don’t forget that more than half of all households lost income during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even if your employees held onto their jobs, their spouse or partners might have lost their, taken a forced furlough, or experienced a temporary or permanent pay cut.
Best Money Moves boosts remote employee engagement
Best Money Moves offers a human-centered and individualized approach to financial wellbeing. The comprehensive and user friendly platform provides a plethora of financial resources and educational tools. The library of resources contains over 800 articles, videos, and calculators. Each Best Money Moves user has their personal feed tailored to the several distinct factors that monitor their personal stress.
This means your employee can use Best Money Moves to educate themselves on anything from investing in the stock market to co-signing loans to buying their first home. Employee information is always private but employers do have access to key analytics that show overall employee financial stress and stress levels over time. The Employer Dashboard also features information on program usage, debt and savings levels and more so employers can see just how valuable Best Money Moves is to their employees.
If you want to learn more about how Best Money Moves can bring financial wellness to your company, download our whitepapers.
