Yes, we think it is. Employee engagement – and more specifically – engagement of remote workers has consistently been cited as one of the top challenges organisations have faced for a number of years (State of the Sector, 2019).

And of course, knowing how to engage and motivate a remote workforce is not an issue that’s going away after we find a vaccine for COVID-19… in fact 25% of respondents in our 2020 employee experience survey said that increasing remote working/flexibility is one of the top three people trends that will underpin exceptional employee experiences in the next three to five years (Roundel 2020).

If anything, this global experience will exponentially propel us into a more flexible and remote forever way of working.

So why should businesses prioritise employee engagement?

It can be tricky to keep your personal and business purpose and values front of mind when you’re in the middle of a global crisis and having to make some pretty tough calls on a daily basis. But, customers, and importantly, employees will remember how businesses react during this time.

Research analysing companies after the 2008 recession found that those who prioritised people and culture not only survived, but actually outperformed their competitors threefold. And one year after the recession, organisations with highly engaged employees were able to achieve (MacLeod Report, 2009):

• 43% more revenue
• 12% better customer advocacy
• 18% higher productivity
• 4x times greater financial performance

The shorter-term benefits

Aligning how you engage your remote workers to your changing business priorities, over the coming weeks and months, will mean you add the most strategic value you can.

Putting your people at the heart of your engagement approach means you’ll be in touch with what your employees really need and value at this time. Helping you stem the tide of disengagement. And making sure your organisation stays true to its values during this testing time is mission critical – Internal Comms, HR, Employee Engagement and Experience specialists really need to lead the way here.

Not sure where to start?

Then why not book a seat on our virtual sofa? We are running a series of interactive Sofa Sessions focusing on the big topics our community is talking about. We’ve broken them down and turned them into step-by-step processes from design to delivery. The sessions are packed full of tangible resources, tools and takeaways. All in just 2.5 hours from the comfort of your own sofas!

• Developing an engagement strategy for remote workers
  12th May
• Building a world-class Internal Comms (IC) strategy
  13th May
• Building a game-changing Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
  14th May

Tickets are limited so book now to avoid disappointment.To get more of an idea of what to expect, watch the video below and click here to get your tickets.

If you would like to discuss any of this in more detail or have a specific challenge you’d like help with, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.