Ideas to help you increase employee engagement
The workplaces have evolved over time, and working life is different from what it was a decade ago. Let's do a simple exercise: Close your eyes, and what's the first image that comes to your mind when we say the word "office"? Is it a large physical space lined with cubicles OR an individual wearing headphones using a laptop in a home or café? We did this exercise with our clients, and 9 out of 10 came up with the second image. That is the new reality of our current times.
The office is no longer a physical space; it is a mindset!
While the employees feel relieved from the stress of a daily commute, as their manager, you are confronted with the challenge of keeping your employees engaged in work from home settings. The initial excitement of working from home has fizzled out, and employees are now missing coffee breaks, water cooler chats, and just the whole experience of working next to a colleague.
Though you are aware that remote employees respond to emails and attend all virtual meetings, there is a more profound realization that engagement and motivation levels are dipping. As working from home is here to stay, you need to adjust your management style to drive employee connections that boost employee engagement and productivity levels.
While the rules of the game have changed, there is still a tremendous opportunity to inspire your employees' attitude and behavior in a powerful way to create the right impact.
Have some 'real' fun together
Virtual happy hours started off as a great way to bring working from home teams to socialize over a Zoom meeting. But, very soon, people realized that it's "brain taxing" to get on the video call and show a happy, smiling face (even if they feel sleepy). Too much structure and pretentious feelings are unsatisfying. Many employees have begun to dread virtual happy hours.
So, what do employees want?
What they want is something that is more self-invigorating that utilizes their senses, gives them the joy of creating and helps them find their flow. Well-crafted virtual team building presents a unique opportunity for employees to experience positivity and fun. Keeping it voluntary takes away any element of anxiety related to participation. Employees get together and play as a group. It is a great way to engage employees in a fun and casual environment.
Create a sense of belonging
How do you make your work-from-home employees feel connected to their work and colleagues? You make them feel safe and valued for their uniqueness. This makes the employee happier and productive. And, as we know, happier and healthier employees are better able to cope with job stress.
As sometimes remote employees may feel lonely, invisible, and isolated, even a short virtual gathering, explicitly social, can do wonders in bringing team members closer together and nurture a sense of shared purpose and camaraderie. Getting employees to share personal snippets like a peek into each other's home, pictures of their work desks or pets, stories about highs and lows of a workweek, and their hobbies, families, and favorite shows helps them understand each other.
Creating a sense of belonging for working from home employees is all about carving out small moments for them to connect at a more personal level.
Build trust and connection
"When everything is virtual, receiving a physical package is delightful," said an employee who was sent a KraftyLab's soap-making kit as a birthday gift from her employer. Such small gestures show that you still care and remember your employees even when they are away from sight.
Without trust, there's no team. Of course, games and icebreakers make employees "feel good," but you need more meaningful virtual team building to foster trust and build connections among team members. Bring together a small group of employees to depend on each other and communicate with each other for navigating obstacles to achieve a goal. During virtual team building activities, employees put down their guards and expose their vulnerabilities; mistakes happen, but they learn to help each other to fill the gaps rather than pointing fingers.
Such activities go a long way in teaching remote employees to put their trust in each other. They realize they are not alone but part of a team.
Conclusion
If you are a manager or HR leader struggling to keep your remote employees engaged, you're not alone. In this new normal, Kraftylab works with several companies to help their remote employees find pleasure, meaning, and pride in their work and teams.
We would love to hear about your experiences and thoughts on managing employee engagement in work from home settings. Contact us, and we will get back to you within 48 hours.
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