After the pandemic proved to both employers and employees that remote work was feasible, the demand for work from home positions has increased. While companies that embrace remote or hybrid workplaces have an advantage in attracting top tier talent, they must also grapple with keeping off-site employees engaged.

Collaboration, communication, and inclusion are much more difficult when employees are distributed across the country or the globe. Some remote workers also worry about being passed over for promotions and a lack of interaction with their colleagues.

Their fears are not completely unfounded. A 2021 survey of remote workers revealed that 80% believed that their career prospects were hindered as a result of working from home. Another 50% experienced burnout due to a poor work-life balance and social isolation. Rather than seeking to go back into the office, workers expect their employers to improve conditions for remote employees.

Companies can leverage the same technology that makes remote work possible to create an engaging and fair culture that supports both in-house and off-site employees.

Virtual Onboarding Plans

Traditional employee onboarding mainly focuses on filling out tax forms and insurance documents. However, employers can gain far better outcomes by using this orientation period to integrate new hires into the company culture. Employees who undergo a structured onboarding process stay in their positions much longer than those who do not.

Employers can offer the same experience to remote employees by creating a virtual onboarding process that includes a combination of self-paced modules and team meetings that covers technical and culture focused topics.

As with any other onboarding process, employers should collect feedback from remote workers to assess if the orientation was successful. For example, new hires can fill out an email or text message survey to anonymously share  their opinions.

Asynchronous and Synchronous Communication

While web-based communication tools have existed for decades, the shift to remote work made many of the applications more popular in the workplace. Providing a mix of asynchronous and synchronous communication channels gives remote workers the flexibility they need to contribute to team projects.

Web conferencing softwares, such as Zoom or Microsoft (News - Alert) Teams, are the most common synchronous communication tools. Holding meetings at times that are accessible across several time zones ensure that all workers can meaningfully participate.

Asynchronous communication tools are much more varied and facilitate collaboration between remote and in-office employees. For example, colleagues in different time zones can use messaging features within a project management tool or word processor to write notes or ask questions. Software such as Loom and Reverb enable employees to create short video and audio files that can be easily shared by email, instant message, or uploaded into communal storage.

Web-based Collaboration Spaces

The pandemic forced many employers to recreate many aspects of the office environment in a virtual space. Collaboration tools such as Slack, Basecamp, and Trello have transformed into remote workspaces where all employees can interact together.

There are several best practices for ensuring that a virtual office is conducive to productivity. For example, employees should be encouraged to log into the workspace for most of all of their workday.

Employers can also demonstrate the usefulness of the virtual office by hosting all-hands-on-deck meetings, such as brainstorming sessions, where everyone in attendance can contribute. As all the contributions are captured within the software platform, employees can refer back to these sessions to develop their projects.

Virtual offices are also perfect for fostering company culture through non-work related events. Employees may be encouraged to share photos of their pets, or a favorite recipe. Many companies also offer a virtual happy hour where remote and in-office colleagues can bring a beverage of their choice and connect to one another in a more informal way.

Adapted Employee Recognition Programs

Recognition and reward programs boost employee engagement and dedication to their company. Most types of awards can be translated in ways that remote workers can appreciate. For example, the traditional employee of the month recognition wall can appear on the company’s website or as a social media post.

Since remote workers don’t have the same opportunities to receive verbal praise in spontaneous conversations, some may have difficulty assessing if their work is up to par. Employers should ensure that managers are meeting with remote employees regularly and providing positive feedback in real-time through virtual communication tools.

Employers can also mail out thank you gifts or notes to remote workers to add a human touch. Firms with larger budgets can coordinate employee retreats in locations accessible to all team members.