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