When your workforce works from anywhere, the tried and tested ways of keeping employees engaged are not always applicable. Company culture and creating connections become a challenge. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, 36% of leaders said that the biggest challenge in a hybrid work setup is the loss of company culture.
If you feel that your company culture is affected in a hybrid setup, look into your employee engagement efforts. Identify how you can keep hybrid employees engaged. To get you started, here are some ideas.
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Assign days where everyone in the team is on-site.
You can schedule a day where everyone in the team comes in so there's a chance to socialize and build a sense of togetherness.
On the other hand, if you have employees working remotely full-time, schedule a catch-up session where people can chat and socialize for a short while. Don’t forget to schedule it during office hours so it doesn’t eat up time outside of work.
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Make the most out of your communication tools.
Be transparent. Encourage managers and senior leadership to be more present in your communication channels. Think about it – it’s easy to stay updated when you’re in an office since you get to hear things over lunch or during coffee breaks. When you take that component away, how can employees be in the know?
If you’re sending company memos via email, why not try sending a condensed version through your messaging channels? Use these also recognize both big and small wins. Make it fun. Send notes and messages in the form of GIFs or memes. You can even send congratulatory messages to praise good presentations or reports for virtual pats on the back.
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Celebrate personal milestones.
Beyond the usual performance, noting personal milestones makes employees feel valued because you took the time to remember something important to them.
Celebrating your peers’ personal milestones lets them know that you see them as real people, that you appreciate who they are and the other events they have in their lives.
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Give incentives that allow them to choose.
Choice is a gift in itself. Giving an incentive that empowers your employees to choose their rewards makes it more impactful. Spending it on experiences or items that they really want makes it more memorable.
If you’re setting up an incentives program, instead of giving cash bonuses, why not give gift certificates that empowers them to choose?
Now that the way we work is constantly shifting, engagement efforts are critical to keeping the environment enjoyable and productive.
To know how Sodexo’s solutions can help you in this effort, sign up here. For more ideas on incentives and engagement, check out our blog.
