Here are some ways in which we believe you can keep your workforce engaged, inspired and connected during this time:

Impactful Employee Appreciation

A simple thank you for a job well done is very powerful. However, with no face-to-face interaction, coupled with a sense of isolation, managers need to ensure that they ‘deliberately’ thank and recognize/reward their employees. This may be through a personal message, a voice note or even a recorded video. If your organization has a rewards and recognition portal or a communications forum, a public announcement of an employee’s achievements can amplify the impact of a humble thank you. Appreciation is known to have a dramatically positive influence on an employee’s performance and engagement, leading to an 81% increase in motivation, as per a study conducted by Glassdoor.

Practical Perks

Some great ways to support your employees during the pandemic phase can be through monetary perks. Discount vouchers on essential supplies like groceries or household items, discounted access to fitness resources etc. can prove invaluable for an employee while costing the company a minimal amount. This time can also be a good opportunity for organizations to train and upskill their workforce by integrating their learning systems with their rewards mechanisms and possibly offering access to select online courses.

Non-traditional awards

In the absence of traditional award ceremonies and town halls, performance can still be rewarded through unconventional methods like using a rewards and recognition software. Be it a day off, online apparel vouchers or a child’s toy set, employees can choose their rewards through a points-based rewards system. On the other hand, the reward ‘points’ that employees have already accrued can be doubled or made eligible for donations to organizations working for COVID relief. The organization can also assign extra points for exhibiting values like ‘safe practices’ or ‘hygiene’ depending on the industry.

Balancing Work and Play

While the work environment can be easily replicated in most homes through conference calls and team sync ups, your weekly happy hours and chai sessions cannot! Thus, it is the need of the hour to have virtual bonding events where colleagues can continue to connect in an informal environment. Using platforms to facilitate daily online quizzes, talent shows, trivia nights etc. have been shown to boost engagement and most importantly, reduce burnout among employees.

Tracking Engagement

Pulse surveys can help identify problem areas as employees settle into their work-from-home routines and solve them in time to prevent significant productivity losses. Be it a lack of infrastructure, team coordination or difficult personal circumstances, using technical tools to gather concerns and opinions on new company policies can help employees feel safe and supported by the organization.

This blog talks about different ways in which organizations can support and appreciate their employees as they work remotely to make them feel connected, included and acknowledged during times of crisis. Ultimately, the objective is to maintain focus on a strong employee engagement program- leading to increased loyalty and reduced employee turnover, irrespective of where employees are working from.