The rise of remote work and flexible schedules has given birth to the hybrid workforce. While a workplace can be considered “hybrid” in many different ways, every hybrid business must effectively engage and motivate its employees to succeed. In this guide, we’ll share eight strategies to engage a hybrid workforce and unleash its full potential.
The importance of hybrid workforce engagement
Employee engagement can make or break a company. Creating an environment where employees feel valued and connected is vital for employee satisfaction and well-being. Engagement enhances productivity, innovation and overall performance. However, keeping hybrid employees engaged is often challenging because they’re less connected than employees who come into an office and interact with each other every day.
One key to engaging a hybrid workforce is recognizing the differences between remote and in-office employees. Remote workers often need different types of support and communication compared to their in-office counterparts. Tailoring resources and tools for each group bridges the gap and fosters a sense of inclusivity.
Keeping a hybrid workforce engaged is important for many reasons. For example, it:
- Enhances productivity: Engaged employees are motivated to do their work. And companies that foster a culture of engagement remove barriers to productivity. Harvard Business Review reports that organizations with high engagement levels report 22% higher productivity levels.
- Improves work quality: Engagement not only improves productivity; it improves work quality. A report from Gallup found that engaged teams reduced defects in their work, resulting in 41% higher quality.
- Increases customer satisfaction: When employees feel connected to their work, they’re more likely to do it well. This leads to more satisfied customers who receive top-notch service while having issues resolved quickly. Gallup found organizations with high engagement see 10% higher customer loyalty.
- Spurs creativity and innovation: Because engaged employees feel more connected to their organizations and committed to overall success, they are more likely to put additional time and effort into thinking of creative solutions. They also feel more comfortable bringing their ideas to the table because they trust their supervisors will champion them.
- Increases retention: Gallup reports that actively engaged employees are less likely to look for jobs outside the organization. Disengaged teams, on the other hand, may have turnover rates up to 43% higher than engaged teams.
- Reduces absenteeism: Actively disengaged employees are more likely to call in sick or miss work. They may also come to work without participating, a phenomenon called presenteeism. Meanwhile, engaged teams see up to 81% reduction in absenteeism.
- Creates a healthy workplace culture: Employees who are motivated, connected and satisfied spread their morale to other workers. Organizations that foster engagement prioritize and encourage employee health and well-being, including mental health. This creates a feedback loop of a healthy company culture.
- Better bottom line: According to Gallup, organizations that create a culture of engagement see 23% better profits than those that don’t.
Causes of hybrid workforce disengagement
Offering flexible work schedules is one important way employers are responding to employee disengagement today. According to Gallup, 60% of employees prefer hybrid work options. However, many of the perks that come with a hybrid work environment like working from home and flexible schedules may also cause disengagement if you don’t properly address them.
The number one cause of disengagement is a lack of social connection with colleagues. While communication and collaboration tools keep employees in touch, it doesn’t make up for the social time office employees spend together by going to lunch or chatting during breaks. Remote employees often feel out of the loop compared to their in-office counterparts and may not feel a sense of belonging with the company. They’re also more likely to be overlooked when it comes to promotions or opportunities, according to Forbes.
Hybrid working models also present challenges to schedules and routines. Remote workers are more likely to blur the lines between work time and personal time because they can access their work at any time. This is often damaging to mental health and work-life balance because breaks and separation from work are important. For employees who return to the office part-time, it’s often difficult to adjust between remote and in-office schedules to create a sense of routine.
8 strategies to engage a hybrid workforce
There are several strategies to boost engagement in hybrid workforces, whether you want to prevent disengagement or fix existing problems.
1. Track employee engagement using software
Most employers use employee engagement surveys to track employee engagement. While these can be effective, self-reporting doesn’t give you the full picture. Employee engagement software like ActivTrak provides a holistic view of your workforce, including early signs of disengagement or burnout.
ActivTrak’s solution shows managers and supervisors key engagement markers like productivity, quality of work, distractions, time efficiency and more. Team leaders can use these insights to quickly spot red flags and step in to support employees who are at risk or already disengaged.
These insights equip managers to come up with better solutions. For example, a manager who sees an employee taking longer than expected for a particular task can provide additional training in that area. However, a manager who sees an employee working long hours because they’re involved in several projects may find it’s better to redistribute workloads for the entire team.
2. Promote open communication
Hybrid teams often feel disconnected when some members work remotely and others are in the office. Open communication is key to keeping employees connected and engaged. Ensure everyone has the right tools for keeping in touch, including robust communication and video conferencing tools as well as direct messaging or phone capabilities.
Collaboration tools provide another way for employees to communicate about work. Project management tools empower team members to track deadlines, responsibilities and progress without having to interrupt each other’s days or ask for updates.
3. Create a clear hybrid work policy
Offering flexible work arrangements gives employees ownership over their time and leads to better engagement. However, if you’re not clear and consistent around hybrid work policies they’ll open up opportunities for resentment.
Create a written policy that outlines who is allowed a hybrid schedule and what that entails. Include details on how employees earn or lose flexible working arrangements. Ensure everyone understands any rules around where and when employees work, such as whether you expect people to work from a home office or allow them to take work to a coffee shop or even a trip to another state.
It’s also important to outline any security or compliance requirements around hybrid working arrangements. Many workplaces are legally obligated to have their employees work from certain geographical locations. Others may need employees to use secure internet connections to ensure confidential information is kept private. Outline these issues along with any consequences of failing to comply in your policy.
4. Provide recognition and rewards
Recognizing employees for their achievements creates engagement for any team. For hybrid teams, recognition and rewards give remote workers another way to bond with team members and feel like an important part of the organization. Empower managers to celebrate employee wins like high customer service ratings, product launches or hitting company goals.
While promotions and raises are traditional ways to recognize employees for hard work, you have plenty of other options for rewarding employees. Celebrating milestones like employee hiring anniversaries or birthdays increases morale. Calling out employees’ good ideas and showing appreciation for their contributions to employee culture are other great ways to boost employee engagement.
5. Offer growth opportunities
Development and growth opportunities are major contributors to employee engagement. To avoid overlooking remote workers for promotions or other opportunities, offer every member of the team intentional, inclusive opportunities for growth. Leaders should empower employees to design a career path that includes specific achievements and milestones to pave the way.
Give employees opportunities to learn new skills while engaging with each other through lunch and learn sessions or online workshops. Recorded training sessions also allow employees to learn on their own time. The key is to offer continuing education support, whether through funding or flexibility, to empower employees to create their own development plans.
6. Seek employee feedback
Employees need to believe their opinion matters to feel engaged. They also need to see managers take their feedback seriously and trust their organizations will fix issues when they bring them up.
Managers should also provide ways for employees to communicate about their work, mental health and engagement. Beyond employee surveys, check in with employees regularly about their work, goals and any challenges they’re facing. To truly champion engagement, incorporate employee feedback into policies and procedures and have open conversations about any workplace changes.
7. Prioritize employee well-being
Burnout is a major problem for employees and organizations today, which means creating a culture that prioritizes mental health and employee well-being is increasingly important. Focus on fostering connections between employees, no matter where they work, with remote team-building activities like coffee chats or mentoring programs. In addition, monitor employee workloads to ensure nobody is overwhelmed and encourage breaks and time off to help employees recharge.
Other ways to foster employee well-being include hosting important discussions on mental health, celebrating mental health awareness or establishing mental health focus groups.
8. Ensure employees have productive work environments
Removing barriers to productivity increases engagement for in-office and remote employees. Make sure employees have the workspaces they need to get their jobs done. This means reducing ambient noise and distractions in the office, including unnecessary meetings. Provide meeting spaces that won’t interrupt individual work, and give employees who need quiet spaces access to closed rooms.
Remote workers also need appropriate tools for getting their work done. Make it easy to securely access work tools and files on laptops, tablets and mobile phones. And encourage employees to turn off notifications or block out distractions during focus time, either by using do not disturb functions or blocking off time on calendars. And lastly, consider providing remote employees with a stipend for comfortable and ergonomic workspace equipment such as standing desks or chairs for home offices.
Promote hybrid workforce engagement with ActivTrak
Keeping your hybrid workforce engaged requires a thoughtful and intentional approach. Fostering open communication, encouraging collaboration and providing flexible work options create an environment where employees thrive, feel valued and contribute to the company’s success.
Get ActivTrak’s comprehensive workforce management software to understand and optimize employee productivity and well-being today. Make more informed decisions that benefit your employees and your organization with deeper insights into engagement and how work gets done. To learn more about how our solutions can support your hybrid and remote workforce management, contact our sales team today.
