How can you engage virtual employees?

𝙄𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 (yes, I am a fully remote worker myself!), while virtual employees love autonomy, they equally value the feeling of inclusion. Consider organising a weekly "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session with "higher-ups" - your heads of, your directors, your execs. This informal setting can bridge gaps and remove hierarchical barriers.

I was in a team of a mixed group (office and remote workers) CV-19. During the first six months our engagement (Gallup) drops especially around the question - I have a best friend at work. People feel that the distance has created a lack of care from their colleagues. We were not checking on each other apart from job related issues and that social touch and inclusion that a physical presence provides was missing. We decided to be more social and provide WhatsApp status and check-in platform to share our daily feelings and moods. We also initiated online TGIF (thank god its Friday) fun day at the end of each month to bond and have fun together online. This really helps create a community of workers who feel they belong and are cared about.

Engaging employees virtually is the toughest task for HR and managers, its impossible , doesnt matter how innovative you can think of but you have to think of how can you meet virtually working people meet inperson, I remember my business head proposing to go meet them in-person. To build better relationships, collaboration, and trust; create continous connect between different teams, ask them to come to office for collaboration weeks, find ways and purpose for them to come to work.

"Communication" both formal and informal is a key for growth & efficient teamwork. What we need to understand is what needs to be said and what need not be communicated. An Effective Communicator uses their intelligence to present what is required and pause when required.

Strategizing your plan of action is important in engaging virtual employees. 1. Understand and define the level of engagement of employees before activating any engagement activities. Getting to know their interests, motivations, and passions on what will entice them to participate. 2. Defining the goal, objectives, and success measures which will serve as your guide or blueprint in designing and conceptualizing the programs involved and logistics needed for employee event. 3. Effective communication by constant and use of visually striking and entertaining materials (pints/ads/videos) across channels. 4. Simplified mechanics, clear guidelines, timely and relevant activities that can be participated across workforce generations.

For remote workers, the ability to build rapport with other teammates is essential. From my own personal experience, working remotely can be lonely sometimes when you do not have a physical office or colleagues you could meet up with. Connecting over a Teams call for work is the interaction a remote worker would have with a colleague. However, there's no social aspect to those calls as time is tight and keeping those calls on agenda is important. Hence, for colleagues to build rapport, there needs to be virtual team building activities to help colleagues connect with one another outside of work calls.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, there is a Māori (our indigenous peoples) concept called "whanaungatanga". It's about building connections with others in a deeper meaningful way that creates links with one another and an understanding of who you are. In an organisational context, we can use this concept to mean creating deep connections that allow us to work better with each other. Too often, connections as teams can be about team fit - where we want fairly similar folx to work in the same way. But rather it's about understanding what makes each of us different, and we are able to bring our unique voices and perspectives to the table. We celebrate and embrace our diversity. This can also be achieved with virtual teams.

When it comes to remote employees of small teams, having group video calls and 1:1 conversations in which you inquire about their feelings regarding the business and their own lives can help inform you on what types of engagement is needed. There might be a need for more rewards and recognition, a sense of community may be lacking, or there is confusion on how your team’s work makes a difference for the company strategy. This simple act of regularly checking in can tell you so much about your team, what is working, and where you need to adjust your management to better engage them.

In regards to building trust and rapport, we have to be particularly mindful about hybrid teams. If there is one or two people working remotely and the rest of the team sits "on site", we should take an extra effort to make the remote people feel included, being mindful and actively push to level the playing field. Remote people may not feel to be equally recognized, included into lively team discussions on site while they trying hard to follow the debate online, no informal coffee chats in the office or even may not have equal opportunities for development or growth as people may tend to forget about them. Not all remote workers have the option to work from the office due to geographical distance, family situation or even some impairment.

There is no alternative to "Trust", it has to be there. For this, Rapport with your Teammates, Seniors, Colleagues and even your Business Associates is of critical importance. Many times, I have noticed professionals undermining the value of a good rapport. Since knowledge, experience, skills will definitely take you far but your interpersonal skills will take you farthest.

One thing I have found helpful is when you pick up a need of a team member - could be a family need that is holding the individual back from fully participating in meetings, having their camera on during team sessions, etc. and you reach out privately to have a personal chat without pulling in the entire structure of the organization. Recognition is not only in rewards. It simply means seeing. So if you can see beyond a statistic and see a human being with needs and you make the effort to meet some of them, you win them for life - even when they leave your employment.

"Recognition" and "Constructive Feedback" are 2 power tools that any good organization with a progressive thought process needs to implement. Its a must. It fosters a team-building spirit and creates a healthy work ambience where Employees feel valued.

Actually, I disagree with solely relying on structured formats for feedback. While those have their place, spontaneous feedback – even a quick message saying “Great job on that presentation earlier!” – goes a long way. Recognition needn’t always be grand.

Feedback and personalized recognition are pivotal tools for engaging virtual employees. Constructive feedback helps remote workers grow and feel supported, while timely recognition demonstrates appreciation for their dedication. Utilizing a variety of methods, such as well written emails, certificates, or public acknowledgments, not only reinforces their value but also contributes to a positive and motivating virtual work environment.

Virtual employees might feel out of sight out of mind and "unseen" especially if other members of the team are co-located and have a greater share of mind among peers, managers and leaders. Actively reflecting on questions like: 1. Do I seek inputs from the same people or do I consciously reach out to everyone on the team based on their skills, experience and aspirations? 2. As a manager and leader, do I provide equal opportunity to grow and develop to all my team members? Or do I inadvertently give in person team members disproportionately more opportunity?

I guess it depends on the type of work your team does, but... how about something like a monthly "Wild Idea Wednesday" where employees pitch out-of-the-box ideas without fear of judgement? Some might just be the next big innovation!

Encouraging collaboration and innovation requires some change management on the part of managers. Platforms for collaboration like Slack and Teams are just there to enable the process but to facilitate the conversations requires a culture of exchange and trust within the team. How are you currently using Teams? If you are simply using it for file sharing, you are not maximizing the platform's capabilities. Is there an open discussion around topics taking place on the channels between colleagues?

Spending intentional time focusing on tasks that the team doesn't like doing and what isn't adding value to the business/customer, is important. So, an example is brainstorming on what gets in the way of impactful work, voting as a team and then breaking into small groups to produce with solutions to either automate or eliminate if possible. The team can then decide on the plan and the leader supports the effort needed to make it happen. If teams remove what they dread or feel like is a waste of time, they can focus on more impactful and rewarding work. This can be done virtually, no room required.

My project team met every Wednesday to ideate. Everyone looked forward to it. Wednesday evenings over food, laughter, chats, intense brainstorms, teases, accommodating distractions and bam! An idea will drop out of a comment or loud thought. The bonding was awesome. As a team leader, it made me smile thinking of the team. The shift to virtual took a toll on team members who are in-person bias. On return from virtual, we had to re-look at efficiencies in our meetings. What has worked for us is accommodating and working with the shifts to ensure innovation, efficiency and growth. I also created sub teams on specific needs to facilitate execution of multiple projects.

I believe promoting collaboration and innovation among virtual employees is essential for a thriving remote work environment. Encouraging teamwork and idea sharing can lead to groundbreaking solutions. For instance, using tools like Google Workspace or Trello for project collaboration or Slack for real-time communication can facilitate seamless collaboration. Moreover, fostering a culture of learning and experimentation, like hosting virtual brainstorming sessions or allowing employees to pilot new approaches, enables continuous growth and keeps remote teams engaged and motivated.

You should also consider sending out ergonomic furniture or even plants for their workspaces. It’s a small gesture, but it shows you care about their comfort. Or, to be a bit "outside-the-box": how about organising a virtual 'Walk and Talk' meeting where everyone takes a stroll while discussing whatever it is that you need to discuss? It's an excellent way for employees to stretch their legs and minds!

Providing EAP or an onsite gym are simply hygiene factors which employers check off the list. However, this goes beyond standard or statutory policies. It's about walking the talk. Ensure that your policies align with your actions. If you mention that you support employee's wellness and mental health and provide a last Friday of the month off but still require employees to join calls or meetings, that itself is a misalignment between behaviour and policy.

One thing that keeps me going is when I am conscious of "being real"! Knowing I can't do everything and being Ok with it is said and heard a lot... But hardly done, in my books! Being ok with it and being conscious of this aspect, I feel is one step closer to a solution rather than denial!

I wonder if the line ‘work-life balance’ really does exist. I see more of an ‘integration’ that needs to suit individuals’ capacities and needs. With the aid of technology, we work and live and live and work in a cycle that makes it difficult for many to cut the 2 in separate blocks. With wellness in mind, I would rather have the following: 1. Provide options of unplugging 2. Have avenues to recharge for team members 3. Enhance your work culture to take away shame of rest and relaxation (yes, because some work cultures make rest a sign of laziness. Sadly) 4. Encourage team members to have combinations that work for them and support their productivity and that of the wider team.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is paramount for engaging virtual employees. To support their well-being, encourage the creation of dedicated workspaces at home and both promote regular walking breaks or even walking meetings. Offering flexible schedules or remote work options lets employees adapt their work to their lives. Additionally, providing wellness resources like virtual fitness classes or mental health webinars demonstrates your commitment to their overall health, fostering a more engaged and motivated remote workforce.

In my experience, I have realised that virtual employees need a lot of communication. In any remote workplace, employees need to be encouraged and charged to communicate. Virtual engagement sessions need to be scheduled to allow for real time interactions. Also, goal setting must take center stage so that there is no room for ambiguity of expectations.

Above all, be transparent and clear in your communication which sets the tone for how the team will communicate with one another. Take the opportunity to check-in on your team during one-on-one calls and for team members to be transparent with you in their feedback, there needs to be trust built first. Also, besides looking into the feedback, remember to ask more 'why' and 'how' questions to prompt your team member's thought process.

Engaging virtual employees requires intention and effort since you lack the organic interactions of an office. Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to connect personally. Send encouraging messages or small gifts to show appreciation. Organize online social events for team bonding. Share wins and progress to foster a sense of purpose. Keep communication channels open for questions and feedback. Recognize achievements publicly. Build relationships and community despite the distance. With creativity and commitment, you can develop an engaged, productive virtual team.

Fantastic insights from the leaders on how we can enhance the employees in the virtual space. In addition to the above, i suggest we need to focus on the employees managers of how to manage their team who are virtual. Educate them on the stereotypes they might have on them, trust the team, be inclusive in every element of the team discussions, appreciate timely on the work done, make it surprise by ordering a cake, coffee or a coke or a snacks to the employee residence and project the virtual team member where it is due to the other team at the right time...the managers make or break the employee engagement circle. I consider them to play a pivotal role in this.

What I have seen work is taking time to know your team members. *Don’t allow individuals who work better with others to work by themselves virtually for so long. You will lose them. *Don’t micro-manage big picture workers - they will feel suffocated and not trusted. *Let your structures be human, not the other way round.