Tips on Building Engagement in a Remote Work Environment

If you are like me, virtual meetings in a fully remote or hybrid setting can get a little stale, and it’s more and more of a challenge to feel connected as a team. It’s more important than ever to keep positive energy and engagement as high as possible during this Great Resignation Era! So what can you do as a Manager or Leader to ensure your team is staying engaged? Here are a few tips we’ve heard from other companies, or have adopted with our own team members, to keep the positive energy going strong!

1. How do I create a virtual meeting with the same energy as it used to be in person?
   1. Make sure to look at the camera to help with eye contact, as we usually look at other people on the screen or ourselves.
   2. Be sure to bring the same energy you would IN PERSON to your virtual meetings – literally, before you join, assume you are walking into an in person meeting.
   3. Consider a call with a colleague before, and a different colleague after, the meeting as a means of connecting on a personal basis.
   4. Try to avoid looking at your phone or multi-tasking during the meeting.  Employees can tell when you’re not actively engaged!
2. How do I continuously build a good relationship with my employees from afar?
   1. Send video messages to people on your team to let them know you’re thinking of them, to tell them something you appreciate about them, or to congratulate them on a task well done. It goes a lot further than a text or email.
   2. Surprise them with a random, small gift that you know they’ll like (gift card, food item, office item, etc.).  Looking for creative ideas?  Check out sugarwish.com.
   3. Step outside the business.  Ask them about their families, their latest vacation, or perhaps something you heard they accomplished outside the office.  Show that you care to know them as a person!
3. Just how important are things like facial expressions and gestures in communication, especially in virtual environments?
   1. Extremely important! Think of communication as a mirror. The person you see in the mirror is who will be showing up that day in the eyes of your team. Be positive and someone worth following. Be expressive and SHOW that you are listening.  So the question is….which emotion will you chose? Will you chose boredom or will you chose excitement and reassurance, and above all…passion?