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Employees have said loud and clear that they prefer to work remotely. During the survey, 98% of workers said they wanted to work remotely at least part-time. And 63% consider remote working the most important factor in choosing their employer, even above salary!
Going remote offers organizations multiple opportunities, especially when it comes to hiring talent and reducing overhead. However, some challenges remain, such as how to keep employees connected, engaged and loyal.
Many companies have established simple, cost-effective employee engagement programs, which might include annual company events or weekly video chats. But these more “unconventional” strategies for building engagement go the extra mile and really show employees that you value them as people and that you know what matters most to them, from work-life balance to self-care and incentives financial.
While you don’t need to incorporate all five of these strategies, even one can clearly signal your appreciation for your employees, and you may want to start adding more since engaged employees are not only more productive, but also less likely to leave. and generate greater organizational success rates.
Related: How to Build a Thriving Organizational Culture in a Remote Workplace
1. Take employees on an offsite company retreat
Fully remote organizations often hold annual on-site meetings where employees can connect in person. Many of these meetings, however, focus on work, perhaps with a meeting or social event in the evening. While they’re cute, how about hosting an event that focuses on relaxation, connection, and self-care?
A corporate offsite retreat with sessions focused on personal or team development not only offers opportunities for deeper connection, but also teaches your employees valuable soft skills, such as how to calm an angry customer or adapt to the stress that can come with a promotion .
Recommendation: Talk to your team about what they would appreciate and hope to gain from this experience, then tailor your retreat to their needs. This will help ensure everyone leaves feeling appreciated, refreshed and motivated.
2. Implement a four-day work week
For many employees, every day is a maze of meetings, making it difficult to find time to complete tasks or start projects. This can leave employees overwhelmed and stressed. With burnout affecting nearly three-quarters of all workers, it’s critical to take employee stress seriously.
By implementing a four-day work week with the fifth day free from meetings or client interactions, employees can take the time they need to catch up and complete projects without interruption or enjoy a well-deserved break. Not only will you increase your productivity during the scheduled four working days, but you will also avoid burnout and demonstrate to your employees that their well-being is important to you.
Recommendation: Ensure that employees feel comfortable and confident taking days off when necessary. Examine work levels to determine that productivity expectations are reasonable and that people can balance whether or not to work on that optional fifth day.
3. Offer financial wellness benefits
Mental health is critical, but mental health care can seem like an afterthought, limited to mental health care coverage on an insurance plan. Consider implementing a wellness program where employees receive a monthly stipend for self-care, such as gym memberships, massages, spa treatments, yoga classes, or even mental health app subscriptions.
Empowering employees and offering them choices in how they spend their wellness allowance demonstrates that you, as an employer, recognize their individual needs and preferences, indicating that you value and understand them.
Recommendation: Encourage employees to use the new benefits with regular messages and reminders in company communications.
Related: Don’t underestimate the importance of employee well-being. Your business will suffer the most.
4. Encourage peer-to-peer financial recognition
Compliments during a weekly all-hands meeting and other verbal recognition are nice, but when it comes to the workplace, nothing says “I appreciate you” as much as financial compensation. Platforms like Motivosity or Bonusly enable peer-to-peer financial recognition to help organizations build a culture of appreciation. Through these platforms, each team member receives a monthly budget to tip colleagues for their assistance or exceptional work. This system not only motivates employees and encourages teamwork, but also ensures that additional efforts that can easily go unnoticed are recognized.
Recommendation: Clearly define the behaviors or achievements that merit financial recognition to ensure consistency and fairness in the recognition process.
5. Provide paid downtime
The “water cooler” has always been a symbol for casual personal interactions in an office environment. When it comes to remote work, these interactions can be rare: perhaps a couple of minutes of connection on a video call before another colleague logs on. Paid downtime, such as a stipend for a virtual team lunch, can help facilitate these types of social interactions so team members can connect on a more personal level without work-related discussions getting in the way . By getting to know each other better, team members can develop a sense of camaraderie and belonging, which can be lost in remote environments.
Recommendation: Create dedicated communication channels for casual conversations so team members can share and connect over personal interests or hobbies. These moments of connection will contribute to a positive team culture that will influence the entire organization.
Employees want to feel appreciated and supported. By providing them with financial rewards and new ways to connect, you can create a workforce that is attuned, engaged, loyal to your organization, and eager to help your company succeed.
Related: Reinventing Remote Work: 10 Unconventional Strategies for Creating a Culture of Engagement and Innovation