Ways To Engage Remote Employees

The ways to engage remote employees are usually designed centrally, and the largest variable is not central at all.

The direct manager decides most of it. Whether the one to one happens or gets cancelled. Whether it is a status update or an actual conversation. Whether workload is noticed before somebody breaks. Whether good work is mentioned to anybody else.

Remote amplifies that, because the manager is the main channel through which somebody experiences the organisation at all. In an office there are other signals. At home there are very few.

Which means engagement programmes that do not change manager behaviour tend not to move the numbers much at all. If one to ones are routinely being cancelled, start there before designing anything else.

Safe Work Australia covers psychosocial hazards including poor support. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s meetings management software and employee engagement surveys.