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How to keep remote employees engaged during COVID-19

Keeping your employees engaged and connected while working remotely can be tough during a pandemic, but it’s even more essential to let your employees know they’re valued and integral to the business during these tough times.

Companies are thinking outside the box when it comes to keeping their business going during this financial and health crisis. When it comes to your employees, their connectedness and well-being should get the same attention. And it goes beyond Zoom meetings, which are great, but are just a start.

Digital Air Strike’s co-founder and CEO Alexi Venneri has always made culture a priority and continues to implement new ways to reward, recognize and engage employees.

“We have an amazing culture at Digital Air Strike,” Venneri said. “We have had to adjust some ways to celebrate each other and keep spirits high, but we are pleased to say the team feels more connected than ever, even though they are all working remotely.”

Here is a list of 15 ideas Digital Air Strike is doing and other small businesses can easily do to keep their employees engaged during this COVID-19 work-from-home period.

  1. Have a private, closed Facebook group where employees read about and post news and company updates, employee anniversaries and birthdays and themed “spirit week” type contests.
  2. Reward employees for participating with recognition, company swag, bonuses and extra days off. Digital Air Strike has DAS (poker) chips that managers use to reward/thank employees for a job well done. The chips can be used to buy company swag, food from the snack bar, and entries into drawings for electronics and company-sponsored trips. The  company also awards points for participating in “spirit week” type activities that can be used for an extra vacation day.
  3. Give monthly employee-nominated WIT (Whatever It Takes) awards to team members for going above and beyond for clients, co-workers and the company.
  4. Give weekly “on the spot” awards to team members who’ve really stepped up, taken on new challenges to help their department, the company and clients.
  5. Host 30-minute, weekly company meetings to keep the entire team connected, share updates on new government and company benefits, learn about department achievements and recognize outstanding employees.
  6. Have company leaders host the meetings to give transparent updates about how the coronavirus is impacting business and the forecast for the future.
  7. Include employees on furlough (as optional to attend) in the company meetings as they are still part of your team.
  8. Ensure that each department head is meeting regularly with team members, including quick 15-minute morning meetings where each person shares what he/she is working on, successes from the day before, and any challenges they’re facing. Should be actual phone calls or ideally video to help them feel connected.
  9. In place of face-to-face communication, use a Facebook Portal or Facetime/Messenger to video chat with co-workers.
  10. Make a point of making more phone or Microsoft Team calls or Zoom meetings instead of emails and chat.
  11. Keep scheduled meetings like you did prior to the virus, but now adjust a bit. Start with asking members to share some personal experiences or some new skill they learned to make working from home easier, so it feels more personal, even though you are not physically together.
  12. Get your team to come up with ways to give back to the community, help a charity, etc., and have the company match donations.
  13. Use video not just with employees but also with clients so the employees now “see” their clients/customers and feel connected to them as well.
  14. Host more webinars for quick trainings of 30 minutes or less to teach clients and employees new skills.
  15. Share emails and posts on your Facebook group, or even quick training videos showcasing company benefits. These could be items that often employees maybe didn’t know about before but now might need or have more time to dig into, such as telemedicine options.

Digital Air Strike has launched a new commitment page to keep its clients updated and informed during the pandemic. Access safety and communication guides, social media content, videos and the latest business news updates by clicking here: https://digitalairstrike.com/commitment.

 


 

ABOUT DIGITAL AIR STRIKE
Digital Air Strike™ is the leader in consumer engagement and digital retailing helping 5,000+ businesses attract new customers, engage consumers, respond to leads, and build customer loyalty.  The award-winning solutions include A.I. powered intelligent messaging, patented lead response, innovative advertising technology, and managed service platforms to engage, improve, monitor, and manage consumer interactions for businesses in the United States, Canada, and 11 additional countries.
Visit https://digitalairstrike.com to learn more.

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