Communicating, connecting, and engaging employees inside and outside your walls.
In 2020, the way we work changed forever. The COVID-19 pandemic forced employers to pivot their operations and shift communications online. Before the pandemic, only 15% of US employees were working from home. During the first week of April 2020, half of US employees were completing all of their work remotely. This rapid shift to a virtual workforce highlighted the challenges of remote work, the most prominent of which being maintaining a connection to company culture.
Because remote workers often feel disconnected from the broader organization, regular communication is key. HR leaders found that communication with remote workers is most effective when it is:
- Frequent: To increase the frequency of communications, many organizations instituted weekly updates from the CEO and made them more accessible to all employees in real-time.
- Transparent: Employees appreciate and respect leaders who explain their decisions and clarify the rationale behind their choices.
- Part of a two-way dialogue: Tools such as weekly surveys, fireside chats, and other settings that allow for workers to express concerns and ask questions can be employed to include employees in decision making.
- Easy to navigate: Centralized information hubs with assets like FAQs, virtual training, video messages from leaders, and remote-work resources can be leveraged to optimize corporate communication.
- Consistent: Various branches of an organization should work together and remain in sync to ensure unified messages are sent to all stakeholders.
These basic principles apply to all communications but are critical when addressing a distributed workforce. As 2020 saw an increase in remote work, it's become apparent that 2021 will trend towards a hybrid solution. Half of remote employees want to continue working from home after the pandemic subsides, and employers are prepared to grant those wishes. Nearly two-thirds of employers are planning to offer a hybrid approach where individuals can work remotely, expecting employees to spend just half the workweek on-site. Therefore, it’s crucial to apply these communications principles to onsite workers so everyone can receive the same communication. This ensures all employees feel like they’re part of the same united effort, regardless of location.
Best practices for communicating with remote givers and doers: 
- Work with marketing and internal communications teams to amplify the message.
- Leverage internal meetings such as trainings and all-hands meetings to bring visibility to your programs with a captive audience.
- Survey your employees to find out how things are going and what they care about.
- Leverage leadership to show that your company is aligned with social impact initiatives on every level.
- Create a kit for sharing initiatives across social platforms and provide it to your marketing team and employees to share on their channels.
While the past year brought a plethora of challenges for employers and employees alike, it also revealed unseen barriers within organizations—particularly in regard to communication. In taking the time to pivot their operations to accommodate for the shift to remote work, employers were able to examine their communication practices and uncover their shortcomings. Organizations had the unique opportunity to scale their communication channels and better incorporate employees into decision-making processes. As a result, all-hands meetings, fireside chats, anonymous surveys (and more!) were employed to connect workers and improve communication. However, with workers heading back into the office and employers navigating a hybrid model of work, organizations should be equipped to adjust their communication tactics accordingly.
The CyberGrants Ebook, Keeping Remote Workers Emotionally Invested: How to Improve Employee Engagement With Your Giving Programs, was designed to help your organization connect employees—wherever they are! To learn more about how the right giving platform can bring all your workers together, from wherever they are, for more engagement, more connection, and more impact, contact us today.
