Employee Experience: 10 Remote Workforce Trends For 2021

2021 is shaping up to be a pivotal year. The changes that have taken place due to Covid-19 are here to stay. In particular, the remote workforce is going to be a crucial part of the enterprise work culture going forward and will, in part, be defined by remote workers.

With only 13% of employees stating they are fully satisfied with work, enterprise organizations need to make significant investments in their employee experience initiatives. On top of that, remote workers are looking for a greater sense of belonging and to be value within their organization.

Here are 10 trends you can adopt to create a better employee experience for your remote workforce in 2021:

Flexible working goes mainstream

The way we work has been forever changed by Covid-19. In 2021, enterprise organizations will provide much more flexible options to empower employees and help them rebalance their workload. For instance, employees might work a 4-day schedule, or work in the office 2 days and remotely 3 days.

Engage employees with your company

Employees want to belong and feel like they are contributing to their organization. They want to know their employer values them. Organizations must give employees a purpose and vision – so that employees feel truly connected, engaged, and appreciated.

Connect employees to each other

As employees continue to work remotely, it’s important that remote workers are encouraged to seek out more connections with their coworkers and to their companies. Enterprise leaders need to provide opportunities for employees to build and foster connections between each other. For instance, an enterprise mobile app can allow employees to connect and collaborate across the company.

Collaboration tools are key

One of the major challenges for enterprises in 2020 is the siloed nature of employees working from their homes. The next generation of technology, and specifically collaboration tools, will continue to grow and strengthen the remote workforce. Collaboration tools lead to employees that are 34% happier with their workplace culture.

Provide upskilling and reskilling

As the saying goes, it’s more cost-effective to keep a dedicated employee than to hire a new employee. And it costs much less to upskill or reskill an existing employee. Fostering a culture of ongoing learning and education in the workplace shows that the enterprise cares about its employees and the value they add to the organization. Employees who learn new skills feel more valued, more productive, and more engaged and loyal to the company.

Ramp up communications

Enterprise leaders need to look at how the organization as a whole can create a company-wide synergy. Teams are working closer together than ever with daily catch-ups and instant chat platforms, such as Slack and Microsoft Teams. It’s important that every employee working from home feels connected and engaged with coworkers and the company as a whole.

Focus on employee health

Well-being has become an integral part of an enterprise’s employee relationship. The scope of well-being should include physical health, mental health, social well-being, and occupational well-being. Enterprise leaders that take action and make plans for their employees’ well-being will see a strong return on their investment.

Continuing education and eLearning

It’s important that enterprise leaders take the time to train employees. Professional learning and development on the job matters, especially for remote workers. A recent LinkedIn “Workplace Learning Report” found that as many as 94% of employees said they would stay at a company longer if they invested in their learning and development. Workplace training gives employees so many important benefits, such as greater job satisfaction, higher morale, improved skills, and greater productivity and efficiency.

Create a culture of trust

Enterprise organizations had no option but to trust that their remote employees would manage to be as productive and engaged as they would be when they were in the office. Organizations are finding that remote employees are performing just as well, or in some cases even at higher levels of efficiency. When you trust your workforce, you may find they are up to the challenges that you give them.

Consider an enterprise mobile app

At CatalystXL, we want to help you quickly and easily share information and foster collaboration across your entire organization. We can deliver a no code, custom branded enterprise mobile app that unlocks answers and provides insights via our Cardware™ platform — sharing categorized content in a powerful flashcard format. Our mobile app fosters a community of collaboration, engagement, and connectedness for your employees – both in and out of the office.

Book a demo today.