Remote workers: how to engage them?

The debate over the great return to the office continues. One of the key arguments cited by its proponents is the low engagement rate of remote workers. However, research shows that a full-time physical presence in the organization is not necessary to maintain engagement. So how to influence remote worker engagement?

Although employers are reducing the number of remote jobs (in the United States, a jump from 5% to 60% in 2020, followed by a gradual decline to 27% in 2023[1]), economists have no doubt that remote workers will stay with us forever. There are a number of benefits for employees (flexibility, greater autonomy, time savings, etc.) and employers (lower labor costs, access to a larger talent pool in the labor market, increased employee satisfaction, etc.) in favor of this form, but it is not without risks.

Engagement of remote workers – challenges

One of the main risks that arise in the context of remote workers is the limited ability to influence their engagement. The Gallup report shows that remote workers are more likely to lose their connection to the organization’s mission or purpose, and thus feel less of a sense of belonging to the company. Employers also highlight the difficulty of establishing and maintaining relationships with remote co-workers, both on the employee-manager line and between co-workers. All of these elements can negatively affect employee engagement and reduce productivity. However, there are solutions that effectively support remote workers.

How does Workai affect remote worker engagement?

In a digital work environment, supporting remote employee engagement requires a new approach and, above all, the right tools. The optimal solution is to implement Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management platforms, such as Workai. They allow employers to interact with remote workers on several levels. How does Workai work?

Project and task management

Workai is a tool that supports employees in planning and carrying out their daily duties. The “Tasks” module in the mobile application brings order to the information chaos that can be experienced when working in a completely remote, dynamic business environment. The prioritization option, synchronized with other internal systems, improves efficiency and thus engagement. Tasks and deadlines can be assigned to individuals, teams or projects, and the remote employee and his supervisor can track their status, ask questions, support colleagues or send them reminders.

Communication and remote collaboration

Effective and efficient communication in a remote work environment consists of at least several elements, including:

– maintaining constant contact with superiors and team members,

– easy access to documents, the ability to share them and a quick search engine,

– access to personalized company communications in a variety of formats,

– ability to quickly exchange information on both sides, comment, respond or report problems.

Workai integrates various communication channels (intranet, forums, chat rooms, database) that make it easier for remote employees to integrate into the organizational culture, supporting their engagement. It’s also an essential tool for responding to the ongoing needs of remote workers and creating a more welcoming workspace for them.

Analytics and reporting

It’s difficult to support and build employee engagement in any workplace (remote or onsite) without tracking the reactions, sentiment and needs of the people a company employs. Workai’s analytics module allows you to quickly generate reports with survey results and provides engagement metrics such as platform activity and message reach. This allows you to quickly identify potential sources of declining engagement and take corrective action, as well as forecast future trends in employee engagement and performance.

Workai helps create a friendly, engaging, safe and tailored work environment. Using data, Workai’s algorithms help manage the experience of remote workers throughout the employment cycle, so the organization can successfully achieve its strategic goals.

[1] Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/03/the-future-of-remote-work-labor-experts-weigh-in.html [accessed 21.09].