Employers have hit a wall with remote communication and engagement

Burnout, disengagement and mental health challenges are leading many employers to rethink how they operate and communicate with employees, in an effort to prevent costly fallout.

Ninety-five percent of employers say they plan to make changes to their company culture and procedures in 2021, according to a survey by insurance company Gallagher. Forty percent plan to implement new ways of working and 37% will use new technology and collaboration tools to meet their goals.

“However you may feel about it, remote work is here to stay,” says Ben Reynolds, global managing director of employee communications at Gallagher. “Employers can do a better job assessing and adjusting their employee experience strategies, which can reduce operating expenses and improve their employees' well-being.”

Read more: New benefits and incentives keeping employees happy and engaged

While employers have relied more heavily on technology to reach employees, not every method supports collaboration and helps workers feel connected and engaged. The Gallagher survey found that employees felt overwhelmed by the amount of virtual communication from their employers in 2020.

Organizations took a hard look at what worked and what didn’t last year and have entered 2021 planning to implement new strategies. Seventy-four percent of employers plan to use surveys to gauge employee interest in benefits and programs, up from 64% in 2020, Gallagher found. Employers are backing away from using social media to connect with employees, with 41% planning to use this method, down from 47% in 2020.

“Organizations have shown incredible agility and they’ve done a phenomenal job of being responsive to their employees,” says Anne Fulton, CEO of Fuel50, an employee engagement platform. “They’ve had to make sure that they’re communicating with their team and adjust their cadence for remote work. There’s been some real innovation in the way the organizations are responding to their people.”

Read more: Employers are focusing on engagement strategies as COVID continues

Employers should be utilizing technology in a way that will personalize the employee experience, Reynolds says. Establishing a clear content strategy will help simplify the amount of information being shared with employees.

“Quality over quantity is definitely the way to go here,” Reynolds says. “Now is the time for businesses to evaluate their options, take a step back and develop a clear strategy for how they engage with their people. Creating a messaging hierarchy and prioritizing content by level of reach per channel is essential.”

As employers and employees navigate the ever-changing reality of the COVID pandemic, they should embrace new opportunities to develop relationships and rely on each other to get through this challenging time, Reynolds says.

“Going forward, everything is pointing in the direction of every employee being given the opportunity to have their say and share their views,” he says. “As inward-looking themes like D&I and mental well-being gain prominence, the importance of all things digital has never been clearer when it comes to driving engagement.”