Struggling to Engage Remote Workers? HCM Technology Helps

In Brandon Hall Group’s recently completed research, 3 Pillars for Increasing Employee Engagement, we reveal a disturbingly low engagement level for remote workers. Only 15% of organizations surveyed indicated that most of their remote workers participate in engagement efforts and promote the organization internally and externally.

This is going to be a very significant issue for organizations as the percentage of remote workers continues to grow.  I will be talking about this issue and the broader topic of engagement and rewards and recognition in a March 8 webinar, sponsored by Engage2Excel. I hope you will join us.

According to the American Time Use Survey from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In 2016, on days they worked, 22 percent of employed persons did some or all of their work at home.” Other sources report a much higher percentage of remote workers.

One solution to engaging remote workers can be found in the use of HCM technology solutions. Our research found that using technology, such as a rewards and recognition solution or a coaching and mentoring solution, can increase engagement levels and provide a stronger connection to the organization. For example, 56% of organizations using coaching and mentoring technology reported an increase in employee engagement over the past year.

But the research shows that a substantial percentage of organizations with many disengaged remote workers are not using these solutions. In fact, organizations with mostly disengaged remote workers were almost twice as likely as organizations with mostly engaged remote workers not to have rewards and recognition technology.

This makes perfect sense. Without technology, it is very difficult, on a consistent basis, to involve remote workers in engagement activities, and align them with the organization’s mission, values, and culture.

Organizations need to make a concerted effort to engage remote workers, by improving communication, strengthening peer-to-peer and supervisor-to-peer collaboration, enabling their personal and professional development, and by facilitating their ability to comply with organizational policies. HCM technology can be of tremendous assistance in this endeavor.

Daria Friedman, Principal Analyst, Talent Acquisition, Brandon Hall Group

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Mike Cooke

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Mike Cooke

Chief Executive Officer of Brandon Hall Group Mike Cooke Prior to joining Brandon Hall Group, Mike Cooke was the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of AC Growth. Mike held leadership and executive positions for the majority of his career, at which he was responsible for steering sales and marketing teams to drive results and profitability. His background includes more than 15 years of experience in sales, marketing, management, and operations in the research, consulting, software and technology industries. Mike has extensive experience in sales, marketing and management having worked for several early high-growth emerging businesses and has implemented technology systems to support various critical sales, finance, marketing and client service functions. He is especially skilled in organizing the sales and service strategy to fully support a company’s growth strategy. The concept of growth was an absolute to Mike and a motivator in starting AC Growth, in order to help organizations achieve research driven results. Most recently, Mike was the VP and General Manager of Field Operations at Bersin & Associates, a global analyst and consulting services firm focused on all areas of enterprise learning, talent management and talent acquisition. Tasked with leading the company’s global expansion, Mike led all sales operations worldwide. During Mike’s tenure, the company has grown into a multi-national firm, conducting business in over 45 countries with over 4,500 multi-national organizations. Mike started his career at MicroVideo Learning Systems in 1992, eventually holding a senior management position and leading all corporate sales before founding Dynamic Minds. Mike was CEO and Co-Founder of Dynamic Minds, a custom developer of software programs, working with clients like Goldman Sachs, Prentice Hall, McGraw Hill and Merrill Lynch. Also, Mike worked for Oddcast, a leading provider of customer experience and marketing solutions, where he held a senior management position leading the company into new markets across various industries. Mike also serves on the Advisory Board for Carbon Solutions America, an independent sustainability consulting and carbon management firm that specializes in the design and implementation of greenhouse reduction and sustainability plans as well as managing the generation of carbon and renewal energy and energy efficiency credits. Mike attended University of Phoenix, studying Business Administration and Finance. He has also completed executive training at the Chicago Graduate School of Business in Chicago, IL.