Provide an open communication channel to utilize for employee updates and feedback. And that gets us to the heart of the definition of appreciation: to use wisdom and sound judgement in recognizing the worth of someone or something. They help us send a quick ecard, give digital points, or even nominate a hero coworker for a President’s award. It doesn’t matter what outlet people prefer. 2. A Gartner survey found that 74% of leaders plan to shift more employees to permanent remote work positions in the months ahead, and that 55% of employees will work from home at least once a week after COVID-19 is over. Next think about the Action they took. Your browser is out of date and may not be able to properly display our website. Be Intentional About Communications It’s crucial … 3. Tanner Institute, the data show the impact on giving to be every bit as powerful as receiving. Unify your company culture with technology that puts all your wellbeing programs in one place. Make remote employees your advocates. Take a minute to think about members of your team who provide support, who work behind the scenes to get things done, especially those who are consistently, and thankfully, the “low drama” types. As COVID-19 continues to … Explain that employee feedback is still very critical during this time and let employees know you still value their concerns, ideas, opinions, etc. The same is true for recognition tools. Published 10 February 2020 Tags. 8 Ways to Leverage Recognition During the COVID-19 Pandemic Twitter. Bonuses, monetary awards and gifts are important, especially while many employees struggle financially due to COVID-19, but so are simple acknowledgements like e-cards, emails, calling out employees for their hard work during team meetings and simply saying thank you. Getting a little blood pumping goes a lot way in elevating your mood. A little virus-induced distance is making us all more appreciative of our teams—for their resilience and commitment to help us get through this no matter what comes our way. "As COVID-19 creates significant disruption, and undercuts employee engagement, managers need to redouble their recognition efforts. Here are three ways employers can reduce panic and keep employee morale up during the coronavirus outbreak. Conduct Regular Check-Ins. Regular check-in meetings provide an opportunity for everyone to get on the same page, brainstorm ideas, deconflict competing priorities, and establish action plans. This is especially true during the COVID-19 crisis. What, if anything, should be different about how we lead during these unprecedented times of disruption in the lives of our coworkers? Employee Engagement; Coronavirus: Covid-19; Share this. Workforce. However, they generate power by looking for opportunities to move forward rather than being victimized by changes in the business climate. … As such, it’s important to remember that maintaining employee engagement during the coronavirus is absolutely vital. Continue to invest in your leaders Many organisations have put their leadership development programs on … Remote working isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some like to cook, play instruments or dance in the living room. When your expression of appreciation is specific and personal, it will be meaningful, whether it’s delivered through email, on a phone call, via video conference, chat, or any other means in our increasingly isolated work environment. Your team members can take turns running a class, or you can collectively join an online workout class run by a professional. What do we do with our employees … Every month at FMP, we share our thoughts on the latest workplace trends and explore the effects they have on employees. During a crisis, don’t forget about your core values and your company culture. FMP Examples: In light of the current situation, our leadership team reminded employees of flexible work arrangements and leave programs available to them if they are sick, caring for sick family members, or adjusting to new child-care arrangements. The best forms of recognition are expressed from a spirit of heartfelt appreciation. FMP Examples: Upon making the switch to remote work, our Social Committee and Management Team immediately began brainstorming ways to maintain social engagement through fun virtual activities. Every company is working through its own set of challenges related to the COVID-19 crisis, exacerbated by how the virus is playing out across different geographies. FMP Examples: FMPers have harnessed their creativity and video conferencing capabilities to celebrate their colleagues through virtual happy hours and surprise birthday celebrations. In sharp economic downturns, employees need the sustenance of positive daily communications and experiences more than ever. Employee Engagement Ideas During Covid. Reports of declining revenues, lost customers, cost-cutting measures, impending layoffs, and in the current crisis, increasing death tolls, are virtually inescapable. These teammates often get overlooked because they care more about their work than their ego. – Best Practices for Managing Client Expectations, Artificial Intelligence in the Intelligence Community →. If employees don’t understand where the company is standing financially in times of COVID-19, it makes them feel insecure, unmotivated and even disengaged. How to Keep Your Employees Engaged While Working Remotely Through COVID-19. Being personal means being authentic, knowing the details, and being specific. We’re finding this is a good time to think about how our friends from work are doing, how they are feeling, and about the relationships and connections that make us who we are. Since the vast majority of our communications are discerned through non-verbal cues, people are remarkably astute at assessing whether our recognition is sincere or phony. Really appreciate. Strategies to help maintain employee engagement during COVID-19 1. Celebrating individual and team success gives proof of what’s possible, and inspiration to those looking to make a difference in challenging times. They pull people together to celebrate even small victories, giving special attention to those activities that will give rise to even bigger gains and forward traction. Establish Open Lines of Communication. Employee recognition tools for celebrating daily wins. Turn every corporate event into a chance to create something special that brings people together. Most leaders, when they think of recognition or appreciation, think it’s all about receiving. Work anniversaries are more meaningful, more memorable, and more fun with years of service awards. Create and maintain a culture that … Employee Engagement During COVID-19: Using Culture to Manage Stress, Maintain Productivity. In addition, while weekly in-person Executive Office Hours are an FMP tradition, FMPers now have the opportunity to catch up with our leadership team, share information, and ask questions via video conference during set weekly hours. The same holds true in the physical and virtual world of recognition. Let your core values serve as a guide for you. Additionally, as part of our Quaran-TEAM Fun Channel, our Wellness Committee maintains the Fitness Fun Channel to keep staff apprised of great ways to keep moving, provide a forum for sharing fitness and wellness advice, and stay motivated together. In response to the global coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many organizations have had to transition to a fully remote work environment to sustain business operations and keep their employees safe. Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service | ADA Compliance 2021 © Federal Management Partners, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Was it saving a customer relationship? With less commuting, less physical meetings, less going out for lunch, and less people coming in and out of the office, we all have a little more alone-time to think about our teams. Our personal favorites are the free virtual ZUMBA classes hosted by our Managing Partner, Sherean Miller, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. We see partners, and children, and cats and dogs, coming in and out of our meetings. For example, in honor of a colleague’s recent birthday, FMPer Kristin Price coordinated a virtual surprise party during the first 10 minutes of an internal project meeting. Here are the 5 ways. Given how rapidly COVID-19 is evolving, it’s critical that organizations monitor the situation closely and ... 2. 6 Ways to Keep Employees Engaged and Connected During COVID-19. Does it not then make sense to honor and appreciate those we work with by inviting their family members to join in on recognition experiences too? Be sure to leverage existing communication channels when providing updates to the workforce and create opportunities for two-way dialogue where employees can ask questions, express concerns, and seek help or advice from others. Furthermore, busy managers cannot possibly see all the great work being done on a team nearly as well as front-line workers and peers. We see a much richer, more multi-faceted view of our colleagues, in ways that deepen our relationships and our connections. Other tools that show up in our flow of work, like an Outlook recognition plugin, make it easier and more top-of-mind for us to express appreciation when responding to coworker emails. 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