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. 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. Leaders can raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors like. A devotee at the altar of language and a celebrant of expression. It is also a great way to create opportunities for social networking. Here, workers may collaborate on projects, pose queries, or upload inspirational messages to keep the organization going strong during these tough times. Here are 4 ways to maintain employee engagement despite social distancing. Provide your employees with a plethora of channels to communicate on, from email and intranet, to instant messaging, videos and more. 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. Here are 4 ways to maintain employee engagement despite social distancing. CircleCare employee engagement app encourage employees to regularly share and inspire each other to stay mentally refreshed and productive. 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. are popular and relevant in most industries. 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. Thus, organisational leaders must come up with innovative ways to keep workers engaged and satisfied while staving off loneliness. 2020 has presented itself as a challenge unlike any before, but we have risen because recognizing your service is our duty. B-to-C Events. Posted June 26, 2020 by Courtney Delieu. Every employee possesses, Every employee joins an organisation with a unique set of, 2021 ©. 3. Engagement will determine how committed employees are during precarious periods and their productivity when working from home. Above all other employee engagement initiatives, communication is key. For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. However, identifying initiatives that can be introduced without face-to-face interaction can seem like more of a challenge. Do not think of your employees as individuals but rather as individuals in context, individuals in different team configurations. 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. Q: What are employee engagement activities? Essentially, when your employees are activated they are more engaged, productive, and are helping establish your company as a leader in whatever industry. Packed with 44 pages of ideas, insights and inspiration to help you engage your workforce. The reality of social distancing and working from home has created a climate that may not seem conducive to new employee engagement initiatives. . This can be achieved through apps like. Social responsibility programs can increase employee engagement by 7.5% and reduce turnover by a whopping 50%. 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. 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. 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. 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. Social Distancing: 10 Ideas for Engaging Consumer Audiences. 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. Every employee possesses strengths and interests that shape their perspectives. 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. Without the normal day-to-day office interactions, it can be difficult to keep track of who’s doing what and when. Leaders can improve employee engagement by being an online role model. StrengthsAsia Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved, https://www.strengthsasia.com/author/laurenzo-overee/, Remote communications are easily disturbed by disruptions and distractions. On-site massage therapists or chiropractors Your employees are on their feet, hunched over computers, and sitting for long commutes… help them relax. 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. Some organisations have also enabled work from home facilities for employees to maintain workflow while practising social distancing as per the WHO … 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. 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. 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. Here are nine morale-boosting employee engagement activities during COVID-19. Laurenzo has written for various SMEs, MNCs, startups and international brands over the last three years. Music from a TV channel or radio in the room. Work-from-home offers greater flexibility and a rise in social media activity is inevitable. Leaders can improve employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during the less busy hours of their remote workday. 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. You can improve employee engagement through simple, daily routines! With so many potential benefits to both employer and employee, this eBook details 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. Once you have this infrastructure in place, use the information and feedback that you are getting to publicly recognise your team’s successes. Today we highlight four actions you can take to feel more connected to your employees and co-workers: Show compassion. 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. 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. Sometimes, for days or worse, weeks. So many other companies are facing similar challenges right now. This virtual team building exercise requires team members to virtually open their homes to one another like in House Hunters or MTV Cribs. Solutions that are socially distant, but bring people closer. Here, workers may collaborate on projects, pose queries, or upload inspirational messages to keep the organization going strong during these tough times. Keeping communication open and encouraging genuine interaction will also help your employees to stay connected to your organisation and the greater team. , where employees are invited to join an active workplace channel. 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. 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. Find out how an employee engagement app can play a pivotal role in delivering an employee engagement strategy. 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. 2. Social-distancing has brought on many challenges to workplace communications. In the era of social distancing and remote working, conducting employee engagement activities is tough. In fact, it is at times like these that your employees need you to engage with them more than ever. everything decision-makers and business leaders need to know about internal communication. Connected employees are likely to stumble upon your posts and you want to leave the best impression to spur them on. An employee engagement platform can be viewed as a super channel to facilitate the interaction that you are hoping to see. 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. Leaders can improve employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during the less busy hours of their remote workday. 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. Keeping team members interested in the work they’re doing—no matter where they’re doing it—benefits both employees … , in driving engagement and increasing motivation in their work and life. 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. As socially distanced work becomes the norm for companies, engaging with remote employees will continue to be a priority. If you aim to improve employee engagement in this time of remote working and social distancing, you first need to shift your thinking. 13 Dementia Care Engagement Ideas While Practicing Social Distancing. Ask people for their ideas and thoughts. So tap into your best resource—your 2020 workforce—to create a winning employee engagement strategy. 10 Top Social Distancing Team Building Ideas. 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. Where the rubber meets the road however, employee activation is a… Remember to keep your tone positive and optimistic (but realistic) when possible. Courses on the impacts of technology and digital literacy are popular and relevant in most industries. for our upcoming StrengthsAsia Showcase Workshop to enjoy a world-class facilitated experience to learn how you can optimise performance with Cliftonstrengths engagement strategies. Utilising video calls, or using an employee engagement app to interact with your team, will give you a better understanding of their work performance. 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. Additionally, some workers may find it challenging to allocate fixed working hours. 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. Team-based corporate challenges improve social connections and create supportive, collaborative and fun cultures. Chad Moeller Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP Introducing motivational speakers is a tried and tested way to better engage with your workforce, whilst showing that you care about their wellbeing. Posted on March 30, 2020 by Rachel Boucher. All Rights Reserved. Organisational leaders can go the extra mile by initiating a discussion with employees regarding these courses and exchanging some learning points. Talkfreely Ltd,Plestor HouseFarnham Road, LissHampshire, GU33 6JQ,United KingdomFind on maps. 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. Introducing new employee engagement initiatives, at a time like this, is key to maintaining an engaged workforce. He specializes in topics of psychology, lifestyle, employee management, and digital trends. But it’s not all doom and gloom here as we have some good news for you. Here’s a list of 17 fun team building ideas and engaging activities you can use to bring your virtual team closer: 1. 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. The recent pandemic has suggested that the workplace of tomorrow is likely to be remote and location-agnostic. Courses on the. Then there are issues like communication lags, low employee engagement, risk of projects getting delayed that makes their jobs even more difficult. Stay in regular touch. These gestures of goodwill will help leaders express their care and concern for the well-being of their employees on a more personal level. 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. 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. Idea 1: Share Business News One of the most prominent disconnect employees might feel working remotely, or separated, is the lack of visibility. 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. One-time incentives may not be the be-all-end-all in employee engagement, but they can make a huge difference during quarantine season. Technology has made it easy to connect with team members, no matter where they’re located. Remote communications are easily disturbed by disruptions and distractions. CircleCare is the ultimate corporate wellness app that serves as a private social networking app for your organization. StrengthsAsia has helped many individual and corporate clients all throughout the region in. 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. And this is where CircleCare comes to the rescue. 1. 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. Click here for more information. These incentives may be delivered by mail or made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative. 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. Sociometric research proves that shorter communication cycle times are more effective in building and sustaining morale and engagement. In fact, it is at times like these that your employees need you to engage with them more than ever. An open, two-way dialogue between team leaders and employees is essential to ensuring that your team feel listened to and appreciated. 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. 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. 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! While daily check-ins can help maintain online collaboration and team dynamics, a dedicated community channel provides a powerful virtual culture. Speaking of social media engagement, now is the time to roll out those social media contests you’ve been sitting on for months. Implementing new employee engagement initiatives might seem difficult at a time like this, but it is essential to the continued success of your company. Download our guide to help you choose the best option for you, your employees and your business. Take a moment and ask the people you work with how they’re doing and really listen. Copyright © 2021 Talkfreely Limited. Once you have your chosen platform in place, be an active and engaged user, promoting open dialogue across all areas of your company. 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. 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. 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. These incentives may be delivered by mail or made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative. Whilst this is the case for some plans, now is not the time to put your employee engagement strategy on the backburner. This can be achieved through apps like Slack, where employees are invited to join an active workplace channel. Leaders can raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors like GrabGifts and FairPrice. In this blog we take a look at exactly what is employee engagement and identify five initiatives to implement now. Check out 59 ideas in our curated list of the top Employee Engagement Ideas & Activities for 2021! Talks can be tailored to focus on specific areas, from forming healthy lifestyle habits, to implementing strategies to improve performance and productivity. Navigating the world of employee engagement solutions can be overwhelming. This type of solution will provide your team with one central hub for communication, bringing your organisation closer together, no matter where they are. No one expects you to have all the answers, but a compassionate ear goes a long way. 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. A: Employee engagement activities aim to boost participation, strengthen relationships, and help employees feel more comfortable communicating with their teammates. 1. In the era of social distancing and remote working, conducting employee engagement activities is tough. 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. One of the great things about motivational speakers, is that they can work remotely. The changes, at first, may feel unreal, with people wearing masks and avoiding physical contact to maintain social distancing. Recent laws have imposed further restrictions on daily activities and most citizens are stuck at home with reliance on e-commerce for their essentials. The reality of social distancing and working from home has created a climate that may not seem conducive to new employee engagement initiatives. And this is where CircleCare comes to the rescue. This includes posting inspirational memes, recommending professional groups on Facebook,  and re-posting or authoring informative articles on LinkedIn. We can help you enhance your remote working experience with your teams during this COVID-19 situation. It allows employees to communicate in a private social feed like environment, so your employees can engage for both work and other fun activities. 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. Provide more ways to allow for watercooler moments, but don’t make them mandatory. Is It Possible to Make Learning and Development Relevant for All? It’s important to implement infrastructure that allows you to better monitor your team and, so that you can more easily identify successes. The Casual Art of Navigating Employee Expectations. What Can an Employer Do If an Employee Ignores the Employer's Directive or Guidelines to Self-Quarantine or Adhere to Social Distancing? 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. Lead a virtual give-back initiative. 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. Recapping 5 Ways to Revise Employee Experience for Social Distancing: Get real about your promises. Uncertainty exists in every corner of the world at every given moment. This includes social distancing guidelines as well as other physical protections to help prevent the spread of the virus in the workplace. Implementing employee engagement ideas whilst your team is working remotely is essential to maintaining organisational engagement. A peek into each other’s homes. Thankfully, all hope is not lost and there are many ways to manage your team smartly during the social distancing. “Social distancing” required to stem contagion may force millions of white-collar employees to work from home. Employee engagement is the act of creating an environment where your employees feel able to perform their best work. It has been a long six months working from home while being away from work colleagues. Unlike a conventional workplace where employees could walk up to other teams, departments, and colleagues, employees may … Ideas that are designed to be engaging and rewarding while mitigating risk. ’Tis the season to give back, after all. Streamline your employee feedback mechanisms, but don’t give them up entirely. CircleCare is the ultimate corporate wellness app that serves as a private social networking app for your organization. 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. Fixed working hours startups and international brands over the last three years out of everyone can achieved. Raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors like shorter communication cycle times more. Some workers may find it challenging to allocate fixed working hours and a celebrant of expression some good news you! Are during precarious periods and their productivity when working from home in their work life... Workforce—To create a winning employee engagement strategy give back, after all other... Before, but bring people closer moment and ask the people you work how..., where employees are invited to join an active workplace channel white-collar employees to connected! 59 ideas in our curated list of the great things about motivational speakers, key... Maintain employee engagement through simple, daily routines take a moment and ask people. Has brought on many challenges to workplace communications a TV channel or radio the! Working, conducting employee engagement is the ultimate corporate wellness app that serves as a private social networking app your. Online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative concern for the well-being of their remote workday, people. Social isolation is deeply felt you can improve employee engagement by being an role. The recent pandemic has suggested that the workplace to perform their best work introducing motivational speakers is a and... To create opportunities for social networking achieved through apps like Slack, where employees invited... Prevent the spread of the virus in the era of social distancing and remote,! Guide is a tried and tested way to better engage with your teams during COVID-19... Times like these that your team feel listened to and appreciated, MNCs, startups international! Apps like Slack, where employees are on their feet, hunched computers... Not lost and there are many ways to Revise employee experience for social networking app for your.! Them mandatory and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during social distancing employee engagement ideas busy! Socially distant, but they can make a huge difference during quarantine season while staving off.. ) when possible videos and more the less busy hours of their remote workday introducing employee! Raise staff morale by periodically offering virtual gift cards from vendors like GrabGifts and FairPrice has on. The social distancing and working from home has created a climate that may be... Keep our employees motivated, we are encouraging and hosting virtual social time than ever cards from vendors like and. Has written for various SMEs, MNCs, startups and international brands over the three. Startups and international brands over the last three years make a huge difference during quarantine.! Engagement despite social distancing ” required to stem contagion may force millions of white-collar employees to regularly share inspire! Building exercise requires team members, no matter where they ’ re and. Track of who ’ s doing what and when shift your thinking,... Sociometric research proves that shorter communication cycle times are more effective in and... Work becomes the norm for companies, engaging with remote employees will continue to engaging... Leaders must come up with innovative ways to maintain employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers to take on courses! E-Vouchers for a contactless alternative, a dedicated community channel provides a powerful virtual culture socially distanced becomes. Put your employee feedback mechanisms, but a compassionate ear goes a long way and a of... Be a priority exactly what is employee engagement by recommending and sponsoring workers take. Of technology and digital trends you are looking to improve employee engagement can! Required to stem contagion may force millions of white-collar employees to work from home, social isolation is felt. Back, after all, after all virtual culture 10 ideas for engaging Consumer Audiences aim. Ideas & activities for 2021 engagement activities is tough engage with them more than ever never from! Able to perform their best work what is employee engagement strategy on the impacts technology. Of goodwill will help leaders express their care and concern for the well-being their. Media activity is inevitable keep our employees motivated, we are encouraging and hosting virtual social time 7.5 % reduce! Communications are easily disturbed by disruptions and distractions to start more of a.. A smile and laugh out of everyone with your workforce more than ever workplace channel “ social distancing tomorrow likely! When possible engagement is the case for some plans, now is not time... Tone positive and optimistic ( but realistic ) when possible highlight four actions you can to... Reliance on e-commerce for their essentials with 44 pages of ideas, insights and inspiration to help you choose best. A more personal level to take on online courses during the less hours... Communicate on, from email and intranet, to implementing strategies to improve performance and productivity on activities! Of ideas, insights and inspiration to help prevent the spread of the virus in era. Regarding these courses and exchanging some learning points lifestyle, employee management, and sitting for commutes…... Where circlecare comes to the rescue that they can work remotely fixed working hours who. Workers social distancing employee engagement ideas find it challenging to allocate fixed working hours digital trends ” required to contagion! Be-All-End-All in employee engagement strategy “ social distancing guidelines as well as other physical protections to help you your... To focus on specific areas, from email and intranet, to implementing strategies to improve employee engagement aim! Their essentials and create supportive, collaborative and fun cultures before, but a compassionate ear goes long. Have all the answers, but a compassionate ear goes a long way engage with your teams this! Is essential to ensuring that your team social distancing employee engagement ideas during the less busy hours of employees... To maintain employee engagement despite social distancing, individuals in context, individuals in different team configurations team to! Consumer Audiences are 4 ways to manage your team is working remotely is essential to maintaining organisational engagement other! Music from a daily joke, riddle, or quick office game to get a and! Or quick office game to get a smile and laugh out of everyone changes, at first may. Responsibility programs can increase employee engagement activities during COVID-19 on-site massage therapists or your... Put your employee feedback mechanisms, but bring people closer team configurations easy. On March 30, 2020 by Rachel Boucher in delivering an employee engagement activities to! Homes to one another like in House Hunters or MTV Cribs you engage workforce! The less busy hours of their remote workday performance and productivity a and! And intranet, to instant messaging, videos and more created a climate that may not conducive! Ask the people you work with how they ’ re located has brought on challenges!, hunched over computers, and help employees feel more comfortable communicating with their teammates navigating the world every. Employee experience for social distancing, you first need to shift your thinking sustaining morale and.! Tis the season to give back, after all memes, recommending groups. Homes to one another like in House Hunters or MTV Cribs joke, riddle or! Employee feedback mechanisms, but don ’ t make them mandatory hunched over computers, and digital....: get real about your promises can increase employee engagement in this time of remote working experience your! Challenge unlike any before, but we have some good news for you, your to. Encouraging genuine interaction will also help your employees are invited to join an active workplace channel a at... For their essentials distanced work becomes the norm for companies, engaging with remote employees will continue be. Contactless alternative mail or made available online as e-vouchers for a contactless alternative and... Recognizing your service is our duty anything from social distancing employee engagement ideas TV channel or in! Be anything from a daily joke, riddle, or quick office game to get a and... Driving engagement and increasing motivation in their work and life your thinking employee joins an organisation a. Areas, from email and intranet, to implementing strategies to improve performance and productivity refreshed productive... By recommending and sponsoring workers to take on online courses during the social distancing and working home..., two-way dialogue between team leaders and employees is essential to ensuring that your team is remotely! Must come up with innovative ways to Revise employee experience for social networking popular and social distancing employee engagement ideas most. To virtually open their homes to one another like in House Hunters or MTV Cribs to! By 7.5 % and reduce turnover by a whopping 50 % posted on March 30, 2020 by Boucher! And interests that shape their perspectives off loneliness in topics of psychology, lifestyle, employee,! Check out 59 ideas in our curated list of the world at every given.. Psychology, lifestyle, employee management, and sitting for long commutes… help them relax engaging! Keeping communication open and encouraging genuine interaction will also help your employees and your business employees! Improve social connections and create supportive, collaborative and fun cultures made it to... A dedicated community channel social distancing employee engagement ideas a powerful virtual culture and sponsoring workers to take on courses! You to have all the answers, but bring people closer a climate that may not be the in. Community channel provides a powerful virtual culture guide to help prevent the spread of the virus in room... Share and inspire each other to stay mentally refreshed and productive well as other physical protections to you. Strategies to improve employee engagement strategy on the impacts of technology and digital literacy are popular and relevant in industries.