12 minute read
10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR EMPLOYEES ENGAGED DURING A PANDEMIC
By Arienne Martinez, Director, Training & Development, HOMELINK N ow more than ever, employees are looking to their leaders for help navigating the global pandemic. While COVID-19 has had a significant impact on workplaces around the world, each of your employees is affected differently. Working remotely brings new challenges as well as new opportunities. [ Everyone hates a bogged down inbox and using multiple platforms— it’s best to pick one platform and stick to it. ] There is distraction. There is worry. There is a need for flexibility. But, there are still customers that need taken care of and work to be done.
These are the realities of working remotely. Some parents are still wondering how they’ve managed all summer with needy little coworkers running around the house as well as what the future of the rest of the school year has in store. Others are in a constant battle between worrying about loved ones being safe and feeling depressed seeing the same four walls every day.
There’s also a newly found appreciation for those who worked from home previously—how did they stay connected? Maybe they didn’t and this has opened your eyes to changes that need to be made throughout your organization. It seems as though we are all on the same playing field now when it comes to meeting with employees across the country because we all log in to a meeting with a link versus some of us heading into the conference room with a coffee while forgetting there are a few others, invisible, behind the phone. [ Without engaged employees, business as you know it is at risk. ]
Get on board with the same technology
Technology can be our best friend—and worst enemy. Everyone hates a bogged down inbox and using multiple platforms—it’s best to pick one platform and stick to it. Find a communication tool, collaboration tool, and project management tool to start. Here at VGM, we are embracing the new features that Office 365 has to offer, and it has been eye-opening. Breakout sessions have been a lifesaver in making sure employees are actively engaged during meetings. Most meeting applications like Zoom, Skype, or GoToMeetings are now all equipped with the ability to create separate breakout rooms within a meeting to facilitate small group discussions to brainstorm or problem-solve and then come back together as a group. Employees tend to feel more comfortable in small group settings whereas they may not speak up in a large meeting with everyone staring back at them, virtually of course.
There are so many companies making updates to their existing technical tools to make remote working more efficient and manageable. If you already work with Office 365, you’re in luck because new features are being released by Microsoft weekly to make virtual meetings, collaboration, and trainings more engaging. Microsoft has a great support site for all levels of training materials as well.
Without engaged employees, business as you know it is at risk. Here are 10 ways to keep your employees engaged during a pandemic to ensure your customers A few best practices:
are being taken care of.
Use instant messaging over email when available.
Send a quick video chat instead of a phone call.
Think of new creative ways to share information, such as a blog or even a short video. (Our employees look forward to the new format of the CEO updates each month, vlog style!)
By Arienne Martinez, Director, Training & Development, HOMELINK [ Don’t be afraid to video chat someone up randomly for a fast call; personal connection is valuable and necessary. Create a “camera on” culture ] and put in writing what is okay and what is not okay because unclear expectations will cause frustration and turmoil within the company. [ ] Can you afford to allow more flexibility with working hours or skipping lunch to be off a little earlier? Lead by example. When you have team meetings or one-on-ones with employees, let them see your face and encourage them to show theirs. Even quick calls Can you afford to allow more flexibility with working can turn into video chats. It’s the virtual version of an hours or skipping lunch to be off a little earlier? Now office walk-by. Over email or phone, it is difficult to that kids are home, could they work in the morning, understand the other person because you cannot see take a break, and work a few hours in the evening? their facial expressions, reactions, or nonverbals. Don’t What will it look like now with school in session? It is be afraid to video chat someone up randomly for a fast important to start thinking now about different ways call—personal connection is valuable and necessary. you can offer flexibility with scheduling, ad hoc workIf your staff doesn’t have company-issued technology from-home equipment in case it is needed, and even equipped with a camera, suggest having them use workloads for those that are maybe struggling more their cellphone for the meeting. You may be surprised personally than others. how many people are willing to do so to partake in some adult interaction again. Implement a virtual breakroom/social space One benefit to working remotely is you can actually make a fresh lunch instead of heating up leftovers or a frozen meal, but the lack of social interaction Be extra empathetic [ We all handle stress and anxiety differently, and it’s important to be understanding during these unprecedented times. ] with adults can be draining. One way to facilitate camaraderie is to set up a virtual breakroom. Whether Ask yourself, “What is the experience of dealing with you use Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Skype, you can set pandemic anxiety like for them?” We all handle stress up a recurring calendar invite to send to staff as an and anxiety differently, and it’s important to be optional check-in with their coworkers. Just be sure understanding during these unprecedented times. Be to adjust your settings so guests are allowed to join considerate that your staff is not just dealing with the before the host unless you plan on attending each pandemic, but the side effects as well, which can session! Get the family involved too! You can host kid include loneliness, hopelessness, and even loss of friendly lunch hours where children are welcome to passion or purpose. join their parents on a call and meet with other tiny coworkers. Encourage employees to show off their workspaces or do a house tour. We call it “VGM Cribs.” This is not the right time for higher expectations; people are having a hard time tackling the new normal and technology that has been forced upon them. Set clear but flexible expectations Besides, don’t make it harder on yourself to monitor Working remotely is our new normal, but have the expectations of your staff changed? Be sure to discuss new expectations virtually. Appreciate the work they’re doing and encourage breaks to avoid burnout. This is new for all of us, and while some may thrive, others
By Arienne Martinez, Director, Training & Development, HOMELINK since they’re not passing by your office in the morning
are falling short, disconnected from their families, their coworkers, and their second home. So, be extra empathetic; don’t just check in on their work. Ask them how they’re doing, ask how their families are doing, ask about their worries and fears, and be comforting in letting them know they are not alone. [ Remember, employees can’t see if you’re in your office or on the phone, so it is crucial to be as transparent as possible. ]
Keep the lines of communication open
Remember, employees can’t see if you’re in your office or on the phone, so it is crucial to be as transparent as possible. Share your calendar or schedule with them and be sure to have some “open” time for questions or requested support. This might mean you need to block off a few hours or so each week to be readily available for support or check-ins.
Overcommunicate. If you’re going to take a quick break, tell them. If you’re heading into a meeting, let them know. If you’re going to dive into a project and need some uninterrupted time, give them a heads up. Employees appreciate being kept in the loop and understand their boundaries and expectations better.
This may also be a good time to start or beef up your internal company newsletter. If you have one, are you sending it out quarterly, monthly? At VGM, we now have a bi-weekly newsletter that goes out to all employees. Whether this is in the form of a to stay consistent. Create a template of topics such as news, events, wellness, highlighting work perks, and recognition. You can also include an anonymous suggestion box in your newsletters—let employees know you’re open to feedback and give them an option to list their name in case they want someone to follow up with them. You can easily create surveys or questionnaires in Microsoft Forms or Google Forms.
Make time for regular check-ins/walking check-ins
Speaking of surveys, it is important to frequently gauge your staff in how they’re doing professionally and personally. Schedule regular check-ins or oneon-ones, and once scheduled, make the time—don’t cancel or postpone. During those conversations, be sure to focus—close out of all other programs to eliminate distractions. Ask employees what additional support they need right now because some employees will require a little more than others. They may even want more frequent check-ins if they were previously used to monthly touch-bases, especially blog post, email, or file attachment, it is important
to say hello.
There is a free scheduling tool out there called Calendly that allows employees (or customers) to schedule a meeting with you without playing phone tag to get each other’s availability. It can also be integrated with Zoom or GoToMeeting as well as your work calendar, so they can only schedule meetings with you during your open times!
If you want to feed two birds with one seed and promote employee wellness, take your one-on-one outside on a mobile version! Encourage employees to take a walk with their phone and headphones and have a break from their home office. [ Remind employees why they’re here; don’t shy away from your company mission and values. ]
Celebrate individual and team wins, no matter how small
Remind employees why they’re here; don’t shy away from your company mission and values. This is a great time to realign and adjust as well but ask for input. Your employees may have different challenges from you which means they probably have a different idea for a solution. Include them and reward ideas that you
By Arienne Martinez, Director, Training & Development, HOMELINK
are able to implement through e-giftcards or extra break time. If you haven’t already, make an electronic copy of your company’s recognition nomination form and encourage self-nomination. It might seem weird at first for employees to brag about themselves, but the staff needs to know that you are interested in hearing what they’re proud of. So, ask what their biggest win was last week and make that a regular celebration. Share team shoutouts with other managers and make compliments visible on a virtual bulletin board like the free version Padlet offers.
Equip your people leaders
Managers and supervisors are struggling too; we can’t forget about ourselves during all of this. Check in on them as well. I remember at the start of the pandemic, I was struggling with my own sanity, but I was expected at the same time to remain calm and confident in the company’s plan moving forward. It was tough to put on a brave face every day when deep down I was wondering, “How the heck am I going to pull it together and make remote training and meetings work?”
The best thing you can do for your people leaders is provide them with a list of tools and let them choose what works best for their employees. A few best practices we consider at VGM are creating agendas for one-on-ones to ensure even the virtual time is spent efficiently and business is still getting taken care of. Make sure leaders are aware of the fine line between checking on someone and micro-managing. You can disengage an employee very quickly by coming across as lacking trust in them and their integrity. Make sure your people leaders check in and then check out. Working from home brings on new pressures to get work finished up and exceed expectations. Because my office is in the next room, I have found that it’s harder to “log off” at the end of my shift—if I have no plans for the night, I might as well work and get some more things done. However, I learned quickly this was the wrong mindset, and I felt burnout very quickly. Your leaders need to exemplify this and ensure employees are also checking out at the end of the day.
Maintain normalcy
Deadlines still matter and business needs conducted. We may have a shift in processes as we knew them, but ultimately, we all have customers to take care of. One way VGM has kept things around here normal is by transitioning on-site events to virtual ones. Anyone that knows a VGMer knows we work hard and play harder, so having virtual scavenger hunts, online happy hours, and other social media challenges has been great at keeping everyone connected. Some difficult conversations may still need to happen, so conduct those as you would in office—but recognize the tools that are available to make that easier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arienne Martinez,
Director, Training & Development, HOMELINK
Arienne Martinez is the Director of Training and Development of HOMELINK, a national provider network that contracts with payer sources to provide ancillary services and superior customer service. At HOMELINK, Arienne directs the design, planning, and implementation of corporate training programs aligned with the objectives and strategy of the company. She also manages and develops training professionals. Prior to joining VGM, she served as a Team Lead at Target and received her bachelor’s degree in human resources management. Arienne is currently pursuing her master’s degree in organizational development at Upper Iowa University. You can connect with Arienne via email at arienne.martinez@vgm.com or follow her on LinkedIn.
