By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator

In the past, fun perks like happy hours and food trucks were the basis of attracting and retaining talent. But now with 17.9% of employees working remotely, those office perks aren’t much help for recruiters. Candidates aren’t going to choose your company for your nap pods — they care about your culture and how they will fit in whether they are in office or remote. Right now, many companies are having a difficult time attracting and retaining talent. They are currently understaffed, overburdened, and burned out – leading to tremendous amounts of turnover.  

However, there are some companies out there that aren’t having any trouble filling open positions, because they’ve cracked the code on employee engagement. Employee engagement is defined as the level to which employees are motivated by, passionate about and invested in their work. Engagement also indicates the individual’s commitment to the company and their emotional connection to their coworkers. Highly engaged employees are almost 90% less likely to leave their companies than their disengaged counterparts.   

In 2023 and beyond, businesses aren’t just changing how and where employees work—they’re finally realizing that employee engagement plays an increasingly important role in the success of the business and digital transformation overall. When it comes down to it, engagement is all about employee empowerment—helping employees not just be satisfied in their work but feeling like a valued member of the team. Below are a few best practices for engaging your employees- regardless of location.  

• Recognize Employees and Share their Successes 

• By recognizing employees and sharing their successes, you can create engagement and comradery among your team.  Recognize personal and professional growth like long-tenure, promotions, engagements, or marriages. Consider creating a process for employees to recognize their peers for accomplishments both large and small in a public format.  

• Foster Collaboration 

• Whether you are managing a virtual, in-person, or hybrid team, fostering collaboration between your team is important in keeping them engaged. In addition, creating opportunities to receive input from employees on potential workplace changes empowers them to have a voice in shaping their environment—whether virtual or in-person. 

• Keep Communication Open 

• The more means for interaction your company offers (both formal and informal), the better off you will be. Utilize internal newsletters, discussion boards, regular virtual team meetings, or town hall webinars. Frequent team and one-on-one meetings provide employees with opportunities to engage in conversations that fix issues in real time to ensure future success.