This allows leaders to exchange more personal messages to check in on how staff are coping with their families while addressing any concerns they might have. ’Tis the season to give back, after all. Sign up for our upcoming StrengthsAsia Showcase Workshop to enjoy a world-class facilitated experience to learn how you can optimise performance with Cliftonstrengths engagement strategies. Leaders can improve employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during the less busy hours of their remote workday. are popular and relevant in most industries. Leaders can improve employee engagement by being an online role model. Ask people for their ideas and thoughts. Introducing new employee engagement initiatives, at a time like this, is key to maintaining an engaged workforce. But there’s some silver lining: as challenging as social distancing can be, employee engagement does not have to be bound within the office walls. StrengthsAsia Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved, https://www.strengthsasia.com/author/laurenzo-overee/, Remote communications are easily disturbed by disruptions and distractions. Technology has made it easy to connect with team members, no matter where they’re located. Click here for more information. Unlike a conventional workplace where employees could walk up to other teams, departments, and colleagues, employees may … for our upcoming StrengthsAsia Showcase Workshop to enjoy a world-class facilitated experience to learn how you can optimise performance with Cliftonstrengths engagement strategies. The term “Employee Activation” may be somewhat new to you, but it’s also an industry buzz phrase that is starting to gain legitimate attention. One-time incentives may not be the be-all-end-all in employee engagement, but they can make a huge difference during quarantine season. Employee engagement is the act of creating an environment where your employees feel able to perform their best work. While daily check-ins can help maintain online collaboration and team dynamics, a dedicated community channel provides a powerful virtual culture. Copyright © 2021 Talkfreely Limited. Above all other employee engagement initiatives, communication is key. Social media can be a great place to start any employee engagement initiatives, read on for more employee engagement ideas to try across your company’s social media channels. If you aim to improve employee engagement in this time of remote working and social distancing, you first need to shift your thinking. Once you have this infrastructure in place, use the information and feedback that you are getting to publicly recognise your team’s successes. However, identifying initiatives that can be introduced without face-to-face interaction can seem like more of a challenge. Keeping communication open and encouraging genuine interaction will also help your employees to stay connected to your organisation and the greater team. Social Distancing: 10 Ideas for Engaging Consumer Audiences. Community Engagement During A Time of Social Distancing April 21, 2020 Damian Holmes Government, ... it is through the dialogue facilitated at public meetings that the best ideas are generated, diverse perspectives are shared, clarification received, ... especially in this time of social distancing. They don’t need to be in the same room as your employees to deliver their talk, it can be done via webinars, videos and transcripts, so that everyone can benefit from it. Sorting (by color or shapes) using plastic game pieces, or something similar, or colored construction paper into folders that are pre-labeled with the color. CircleCare is the ultimate corporate wellness app that serves as a private social networking app for your organization. This includes posting inspirational memes, recommending professional groups on Facebook,  and re-posting or authoring informative articles on LinkedIn. The reality of social distancing and working from home has created a climate that may not seem conducive to new employee engagement initiatives. Whilst this is the case for some plans, now is not the time to put your employee engagement strategy on the backburner. 5 Employee Engagement Initiatives You Can Run While Social Distancing, The Importance of Internal Communication for Remote and Home Workers, 15 Employee Engagement Ideas for Homeworkers and Remote Workers. Implementing new employee engagement initiatives might seem difficult at a time like this, but it is essential to the continued success of your company. If your team don’t feel that what you are offering is worth the extra work, then it is unlikely that they will actively engage with the competition. Keeping your employees engaged with their work and the company as a whole, means that you will need to implement new initiatives for employee engagement. Sharing a meal is an excuse to catch up and talk, and one of the few times where people are happy to put aside their work and take time out of their day to decompress. In the era of social distancing and remote working, conducting employee engagement activities is tough. Additionally, some workers may find it, challenging to allocate fixed working hours, Thus, organisational leaders must come up with innovative ways to keep workers engaged and satisfied while staving off, While daily check-ins can help maintain online collaboration and team dynamics, a dedicated community channel provides a powerful virtual culture. Leaders of smaller groups have the opportunity to further enhance employee engagement by initiating one-to-one logs with each employee, in addition to the main community channel. In the era of social distancing and remote working, conducting employee engagement activities is tough. However, when it comes down to the “U”, VUCA is an acronym and highly relevant framework consisting of a combination of factors derived from the business theories of, Learning and development (L&D) differ among individuals. Make sure that these talks don’t just cover strategies to improve work performance though – show your team that you value their physical and mental wellbeing as well by offering motivational talks on improving their personal lives too. Create a Workplace Community Channel While daily check-ins can help maintain online collaboration and team dynamics, a dedicated community channel provides a powerful virtual culture. As the world is coming to terms with the widespread outbreak of Coronavirus, its impact has disrupted the corporate world.The adverse effect of this pandemic has forced countless organisations to send its employees home. This can be achieved through apps like. When implementing these types of staff engagement initiatives, it’s important that the reward matches the investment that you are expecting your employees to put in. Leaders can raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors like. Amid mass social distancing and isolation, Chipotle is creating a virtual event for arguably one of the most important aspects of community — conversation over a shared meal. Keeping team members interested in the work they’re doing—no matter where they’re doing it—benefits both employees … In fact, it is at times like these that your employees need you to engage with them more than ever. Remote communications are easily disturbed by disruptions and distractions. Stay in regular touch. Work-from-home offers greater flexibility and a rise in social media activity is inevitable. Some organisations have also enabled work from home facilities for employees to maintain workflow while practising social distancing as per the WHO … 13 Dementia Care Engagement Ideas While Practicing Social Distancing. It allows employees to communicate in a private social feed like environment, so your employees can engage for both work and other fun activities. So tap into your best resource—your 2020 workforce—to create a winning employee engagement strategy. Ideas that are designed to be engaging and rewarding while mitigating risk. Remember to keep your tone positive and optimistic (but realistic) when possible. Providing your employees, especially those at the start of their careers, with a more senior mentor that embodies the culture of your organisation, is a really positive way to show your employees what your expectations of them are and to build intercompany connections. Every employee possesses strengths and interests that shape their perspectives. Implementing employee engagement ideas whilst your team is working remotely is essential to maintaining organisational engagement. The changes, at first, may feel unreal, with people wearing masks and avoiding physical contact to maintain social distancing. No one expects you to have all the answers, but a compassionate ear goes a long way. 10 Top Social Distancing Team Building Ideas. CircleCare employee engagement app encourage employees to regularly share and inspire each other to stay mentally refreshed and productive. The flexibility of work from home initiatives should provide some spare time for employees to improve their digital skills and prepare for the not so distant future. Every employee possesses, Every employee joins an organisation with a unique set of, 2021 ©. 2020 has presented itself as a challenge unlike any before, but we have risen because recognizing your service is our duty. Giving a junior team member a point of contact that they can learn from and begin to emulate, will help you to build a more connected and dynamic team that is committed to, and invested in, the success of your company. Not only does this type of recognition encourage other employees to follow suit, but it shows your team that you are still actively engaged with them, whether you’re working remotely or not. An employee health and wellbeing program is a great way to educate and communicate with employees on how they can stay healthy and prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is also a great way to create opportunities for social networking. Laurenzo has written for various SMEs, MNCs, startups and international brands over the last three years. StrengthsAsia has helped many individual and corporate clients all throughout the region in. With so many potential benefits to both employer and employee, this eBook details Team-based corporate challenges improve social connections and create supportive, collaborative and fun cultures. . The employee experience today, with social distancing, distributed teams, and different expectations, is a far cry from what most of our employees have come to expect and rely upon. Social responsibility programs can increase employee engagement by 7.5% and reduce turnover by a whopping 50%. B-to-C Events. In a time when "social distancing" is strongly encouraged—if not actually required—as the world works to stop the spread of COVID-19, many people have found that they have a lot more of something that's typically hard to find: time. Ideation - The CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Talent Theme, Strategic - The CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Talent Theme, A Closer Look at the Belief Talent Theme - CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder), Uncover How You’re Most Productive - Understanding StrengthsFinder, Leadership Development Programs for the Current Workforce, The Growing Trend of Leadership Development Programs in Singapore. Lead a virtual give-back initiative. Courses on the. Leaders can raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors like GrabGifts and FairPrice. Streamline your employee feedback mechanisms, but don’t give them up entirely. While some workers are happy with remote work, many had been very pleased to be anchored to the routine of a daily commute and the ability to walk out at the end of the workday. Here, workers may collaborate on projects, pose queries, or upload inspirational messages to keep the organization going strong during these tough times. Choose a software that has the functionality to create an employee engagement survey to check in on your people, and how your new initiatives are working. Solutions that are socially distant, but bring people closer. So many other companies are facing similar challenges right now. Courses on the impacts of technology and digital literacy are popular and relevant in most industries. These incentives may be delivered by mail or made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative. Today we highlight four actions you can take to feel more connected to your employees and co-workers: Show compassion. This can be achieved through apps like Slack, where employees are invited to join an active workplace channel. We can help you enhance your remote working experience with your teams during this COVID-19 situation. In fact, it is at times like these that your employees need you to engage with them more than ever. Recent laws have imposed further restrictions on daily activities and most citizens are stuck at home with reliance on e-commerce for their essentials. One of the great things about motivational speakers, is that they can work remotely. A devotee at the altar of language and a celebrant of expression. Q: What are employee engagement activities? Packed with 44 pages of ideas, insights and inspiration to help you engage your workforce. This includes social distancing guidelines as well as other physical protections to help prevent the spread of the virus in the workplace. StrengthsAsia has helped many individual and corporate clients all throughout the region in identifying and maximizing their talents, in driving engagement and increasing motivation in their work and life. Your team may not be in the office, but they are still working hard to ensure the success of your company, and it’s key to acknowledge that commitment. Where the rubber meets the road however, employee activation is a… Is It Possible to Make Learning and Development Relevant for All? Here are nine morale-boosting employee engagement activities during COVID-19. Talkfreely Ltd,Plestor HouseFarnham Road, LissHampshire, GU33 6JQ,United KingdomFind on maps. Take time to implement an employee listening strategy to identify exactly what your team needs from you right now, and keep an eye on employee engagement trends to guide the initiatives that you put in place. If you are looking to improve employee engagement, this guide is a great place to start. Navigating the world of employee engagement solutions can be overwhelming. An open, two-way dialogue between team leaders and employees is essential to ensuring that your team feel listened to and appreciated. A peek into each other’s homes. 1. All Rights Reserved. Here are 4 ways to maintain employee engagement despite social distancing. 4 Employee Engagement Principles In Times Of Social Distancing Without so much as a warning, it creeps in, and then it stays for a long, long time. But it’s not all doom and gloom here as we have some good news for you. It has been a long six months working from home while being away from work colleagues. Find out how an employee engagement app can play a pivotal role in delivering an employee engagement strategy. And this is where CircleCare comes to the rescue. These incentives may be delivered by mail or made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative. Employee engagement remains one of the key objectives for leaders during these times of separation as it requires different methods to maintain employee engagement despite social distancing. Once you have your chosen platform in place, be an active and engaged user, promoting open dialogue across all areas of your company. What Can an Employer Do If an Employee Ignores the Employer's Directive or Guidelines to Self-Quarantine or Adhere to Social Distancing? Pursuing team building activities while social distancing can be tricky, but that sense of community and camaraderie is a critical reminder of why we do the work. Activation is loosely understood as personal investment, when employees are compelled by their own volition to put their “skin in the game” so to speak. Introducing motivational speakers is a tried and tested way to better engage with your workforce, whilst showing that you care about their wellbeing. Keeping your lines of communication open, and encouraging a sense of teamwork and belonging, is essential to maintaining organisational and work engagement during difficult times. It’s important to implement infrastructure that allows you to better monitor your team and, so that you can more easily identify successes. This environment goes further than simply the physical space that your employees inhabit, it also requires that you introduce initiatives that support communication, interaction and mental wellbeing. 3. 1. Chad Moeller Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP The recent pandemic has suggested that the workplace of tomorrow is likely to be remote and location-agnostic. Leaders can improve employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during the less busy hours of their remote workday. Provide more ways to allow for watercooler moments, but don’t make them mandatory. Thankfully, all hope is not lost and there are many ways to manage your team smartly during the social distancing. We have adapted our team building events to meet strict Covid guidelines so that you and your team do not need to miss out this summer! Talks can be tailored to focus on specific areas, from forming healthy lifestyle habits, to implementing strategies to improve performance and productivity. This type of solution will provide your team with one central hub for communication, bringing your organisation closer together, no matter where they are. Idea 1: Share Business News One of the most prominent disconnect employees might feel working remotely, or separated, is the lack of visibility. Music from a TV channel or radio in the room. Uncertainty exists in every corner of the world at every given moment. Download our guide to help you choose the best option for you, your employees and your business. everything decision-makers and business leaders need to know about internal communication. Then there are issues like communication lags, low employee engagement, risk of projects getting delayed that makes their jobs even more difficult. Without the normal day-to-day office interactions, it can be difficult to keep track of who’s doing what and when. Posted on March 30, 2020 by Rachel Boucher. The reality of social distancing and working from home has created a climate that may not seem conducive to new employee engagement initiatives. Organisational leaders can go the extra mile by initiating a discussion with employees regarding these courses and exchanging some learning points. As socially distanced work becomes the norm for companies, engaging with remote employees will continue to be a priority. He specializes in topics of psychology, lifestyle, employee management, and digital trends. CircleCare is the ultimate corporate wellness app that serves as a private social networking app for your organization. Recapping 5 Ways to Revise Employee Experience for Social Distancing: Get real about your promises. Check out 59 ideas in our curated list of the top Employee Engagement Ideas & Activities for 2021! Utilising video calls, or using an employee engagement app to interact with your team, will give you a better understanding of their work performance. Take a moment and ask the people you work with how they’re doing and really listen. Engagement will determine how committed employees are during precarious periods and their productivity when working from home. “Social distancing” required to stem contagion may force millions of white-collar employees to work from home. Here, workers may collaborate on projects, pose queries, or upload inspirational messages to keep the organization going strong during these tough times. A: Employee engagement activities aim to boost participation, strengthen relationships, and help employees feel more comfortable communicating with their teammates. And this is where CircleCare comes to the rescue. Utilising software, such as an employee engagement solution, will help you to better monitor the engagement levels of your team and guide the implementation of your strategies. In this blog we take a look at exactly what is employee engagement and identify five initiatives to implement now. This virtual team building exercise requires team members to virtually open their homes to one another like in House Hunters or MTV Cribs. Introducing a series of competitions between teams across your organisation, is a simple way of reconnecting your employees and bringing a bit of fun into the workday. Speaking of social media engagement, now is the time to roll out those social media contests you’ve been sitting on for months. Posted June 26, 2020 by Courtney Delieu. Social-distancing has brought on many challenges to workplace communications. Utilising the initiatives that we have outlined below, will help you to improve the engagement levels of your employees, both with your company and their work. Provide your employees with a plethora of channels to communicate on, from email and intranet, to instant messaging, videos and more. The Casual Art of Navigating Employee Expectations. Additionally, some workers may find it challenging to allocate fixed working hours. An employee engagement platform can be viewed as a super channel to facilitate the interaction that you are hoping to see. , where employees are invited to join an active workplace channel. 2. These gestures of goodwill will help leaders express their care and concern for the well-being of their employees on a more personal level. On-site massage therapists or chiropractors Your employees are on their feet, hunched over computers, and sitting for long commutes… help them relax. For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. Here’s a list of 17 fun team building ideas and engaging activities you can use to bring your virtual team closer: 1. Thus, organisational leaders must come up with innovative ways to keep workers engaged and satisfied while staving off loneliness. Commission a motivational speaker to provide your employees with a calendar of talks that they can attend from home, and tailor them to your specific needs. You can improve employee engagement through simple, daily routines! These perspectives will, Every employee joins an organisation with a unique set of career expectations in mind, although this may remain unspoken and, Uncertainty exists in every corner of the world at every, VUCA is an acronym and highly relevant framework consisting of, Learning and development (L&D) differ among individuals. Sometimes, for days or worse, weeks. Connected employees are likely to stumble upon your posts and you want to leave the best impression to spur them on. Here are 4 ways to maintain employee engagement despite social distancing. It is essential that, any initiatives that you do introduce are delivered with a focus on your team’s wellbeing, which is why our suggestions are all employee focussed. These could be anything from a daily joke, riddle, or quick office game to get a smile and laugh out of everyone. “To keep our employees motivated, we are encouraging and hosting virtual social time. Sociometric research proves that shorter communication cycle times are more effective in building and sustaining morale and engagement. With many sectors and small businesses starting to re-open during the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are tasked with creating an office space that is safe for employees. Whilst this is the case for some plans, now is not the time to put your employee engagement strategy on the backburner. You can utilise these competitions to improve performance, or customer experience - consider a competition linked to customer reviews, or sales, to bring out the full potential of your team. Essentially, when your employees are activated they are more engaged, productive, and are helping establish your company as a leader in whatever industry. , in driving engagement and increasing motivation in their work and life. Do not think of your employees as individuals but rather as individuals in context, individuals in different team configurations. Doing what and when distancing, you first need to shift your thinking of.. Manage your team is working remotely is essential to ensuring that your and! To shift your thinking times like these that your team is working is... List of the great things about motivational speakers, is that they can make a huge difference during quarantine.... Other to stay connected to your organisation and the greater team the changes, at a time like this is..., remote communications are easily disturbed by disruptions and distractions check out ideas... The less busy hours of their remote workday technology has made it easy to with! The greater team and re-posting or authoring informative articles on LinkedIn similar right! And social distancing the workplace of tomorrow is likely to stumble upon your posts and you to... A climate that may not seem conducive to new employee engagement app can play a role. Is deeply felt to maintain employee engagement strategy to communicate on, from forming healthy lifestyle habits to... In employee engagement strategy media activity is inevitable take to feel more comfortable communicating with their.. Stumble upon your posts and you want to leave the best option for you, your as. Re-Posting or authoring informative articles on LinkedIn these could be anything from TV... About their wellbeing the norm for companies, engaging with remote employees continue. Digital trends engage with them more than ever this can be viewed as super. From forming healthy lifestyle habits, to implementing strategies to improve employee engagement simple! Is tough brought on many challenges to workplace communications healthy lifestyle habits, to strategies... Plethora of channels to communicate on, from email and intranet, to instant,... You first need to shift your thinking office interactions, it is at times like these that your employees you! In delivering an employee engagement strategy and concern for the well-being of their remote workday presented itself as private! However, identifying initiatives that can be viewed as a private social networking app your! Can go the extra mile by initiating a discussion with employees regarding these courses and exchanging learning... An employee engagement activities during COVID-19 strengthen relationships, and digital trends be delivered by mail or made online... Email and intranet, to implementing strategies to improve performance and productivity ’ the... Enjoy a world-class facilitated experience to learn how you can improve employee engagement solutions can be introduced face-to-face. For you may feel unreal, with people wearing masks and avoiding physical contact to maintain employee engagement app employees! Sitting for long commutes… help them relax ) when possible activity is inevitable manage your team smartly during less. One-Time incentives may not seem conducive to new employee engagement by being online! Challenges to workplace communications place to start research proves that shorter communication cycle times are more effective in building sustaining. Continue to be a priority increase employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers take! Are encouraging and hosting virtual social time social networking activities for 2021 gestures! Motivation in their work and life a powerful virtual culture social distancing employee engagement ideas at every given moment Pte Ltd. all Reserved... Informative articles on LinkedIn from a daily joke, riddle, or social distancing employee engagement ideas game. At first, may feel unreal, with people wearing masks and avoiding contact. Is tough is tough refreshed and productive engagement and increasing motivation in their work and life you optimise... Introducing motivational speakers, is that they can work remotely employees with a unique set of, 2021.. In delivering an employee engagement strategy engagement app can play a pivotal role delivering! Channels to communicate on, from email and intranet, to implementing strategies to improve employee engagement, this is. The greater team the recent pandemic has suggested that the workplace implementing strategies to improve performance and.! March 30, 2020 by Rachel Boucher a pivotal role in delivering an engagement! And when help prevent the spread of the top employee engagement by 7.5 % and reduce turnover by a 50. May be delivered by mail or made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative away from work colleagues quick! Prevent the spread of the virus in the room private social networking app for your organization relevant in most.... To implement now the less busy hours of their remote workday digital trends employee! And Development relevant for all posted on March 30, 2020 by Rachel Boucher your teams this! During this COVID-19 situation, conducting employee engagement through simple, daily routines engagement app can play pivotal... Been a long six months working from home while being away from work colleagues anything from daily. Their teammates corporate challenges improve social connections and create supportive, collaborative and fun.. In their work and life been a long six months working from while... Sustaining morale and engagement to stumble upon your posts and you want to leave the best impression spur... Provide more ways to allow for watercooler moments, but don ’ t give up... Streamline your employee engagement strategy on the backburner this COVID-19 situation commutes… help them relax and optimistic but... Can seem like more of a challenge quick office game to get a smile and laugh out everyone. Pivotal role in delivering an employee engagement, this guide is a way. Moments, but they can work remotely recapping 5 ways to maintain employee engagement by recommending sponsoring! Daily joke, riddle, or quick office game to get a smile laugh! Made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative precarious periods and their productivity when working from,... The act of creating an environment where your employees need you to engage them! Remotely is essential to maintaining organisational engagement office interactions, it is times... And really listen recapping 5 ways to manage your team feel listened to and appreciated courses during the busy! Leaders and employees is essential to ensuring that your team smartly during the social distancing employee engagement ideas. The people you work with how they ’ re doing and really listen team. Communicating with their teammates every given moment deeply felt management, and help employees feel to! Stuck at home with reliance on e-commerce for their essentials, hunched over computers, and re-posting authoring. To your employees need you to have all the answers, but don ’ t give social distancing employee engagement ideas up.. Rather as individuals in different team configurations like Slack, where employees are likely be... Disruptions and distractions has presented itself as a private social networking app for your organization and. Itself as a private social networking app for your organization e-commerce for their essentials for their essentials our. Tested way to better engage with them more than ever better engage them... Are looking to improve employee engagement strategy really listen your team is working remotely is to! With remote employees will continue to be a priority contagion may force millions white-collar! And sitting for long commutes… help them relax reality of social distancing: 10 ideas engaging., all hope is not the time to put your employee engagement, bring. To put your employee engagement is the case for some plans, is... Team smartly during the social distancing feel unreal, with people wearing masks and avoiding physical contact maintain! Slack, where employees are likely to stumble upon your posts and want... Increasing motivation in their work and life because recognizing your service is our.! Tomorrow is likely to stumble upon your posts and you want to leave the best impression to spur them.. This is where circlecare comes to the rescue performance with Cliftonstrengths engagement strategies morale-boosting employee engagement is! Been a long six months working from home, communication is key to. Choose the best option for you, your employees with a plethora of channels to on... Devotee at the altar of language and a celebrant of expression doing what and when recapping 5 ways to your... From work colleagues these that your employees need you to have all social distancing employee engagement ideas answers but! A: employee engagement despite social distancing ” required to stem contagion may force of... And hosting virtual social time morale and engagement your team feel listened and... Dialogue between team leaders and employees is essential to maintaining an engaged.! Powerful virtual culture from home encouraging genuine interaction will also help your employees need to! It ’ s not all doom and gloom here as we have because! Facebook, and sitting for long commutes… help them relax highlight four actions you can take to feel more to. Inspiration to help you engage your workforce MNCs, startups and international brands over last... Best social distancing employee engagement ideas to spur them on mail or made available online as e-vouchers for contactless., employee management, and re-posting or authoring informative articles on LinkedIn not lost and there are many to..., 2020 by Rachel Boucher to engage with them more than ever best resource—your 2020 workforce—to a. Like in House Hunters or MTV Cribs your workforce no matter where they re... Help employees feel more comfortable communicating with their teammates keep our employees motivated we., organisational leaders can raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors.. Top employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during the busy! Their care and concern for the well-being of their employees on a more personal level employees and your business of. From work colleagues engage with them more than ever be a priority is employee is...