5 Ways to Boost Remote Employee Engagement

Remote work has been steadily growing, with the number of people working from home increasing significantly over the past decade, according to a Global Workplace Analytics report. While working virtually has a number of benefits for employees (time and money saved on commuting, more flexibility and autonomy, improved mental health, etc.), there is concern that the lack of physical presence in a workplace could impact employee engagement. However, there are effective ways to successfully build employee engagement even while remote.

Why does employee engagement matter?

Research indicates that many employees who work remotely are happy and productive working from home, but there is a disconnect with management. Leaders fear that workers aren't as connected or engaged and would prefer an in-person return to the office. To successfully navigate these diverging views, organizations need a more holistic view of the needs of their workforce, their preferences for remote work, and the potential impacts to their employee experience, including engagement levels.

Employee engagement describes how employees feel about the organization (an emotional attachment) and what they are willing to do as a result. Engaged employees feel connected to the organization, their department, and their work. Additionally, they are positive advocates for the company and are more likely to continue their employment.

Organizations can assess employee engagement by measuring these four indicators:

It's important to understand these drivers because engagement is linked to a number of critical business outcomes, including employee turnover, financial performance, and customer retention. But how exactly is remote work affecting engagement?

How can leaders boost engagement for remote workers?

While engagement scores are not as high for remote employees when compared to hybrid employees, they are not bleak. About 2 in 5 remote employees expect to stay at their employer for at least the next 12 months, which is the same as fully in-person employees. However, for referral behavior, pride in company, and intrinsic motivation, remote employees all score significantly lower than hybrid or in-person employees.

The good news is that there is significant opportunity to engage your remote employees. Here are five ways to increase engagement in virtual workers.

1. Make sure employees feel valued

Make sure employees feel valued. Recognition is mentioned time and time again as a priority for employees. Be sure to celebrate successes and other personal milestones in private as well as more public departmental meetings or Slack channels. This is especially important for remote workers and conveys that their hard work is not going unnoticed.

2. Ensure there is equity in growth opportunities

Ensure there is equity in growth opportunities. More and more, we're seeing opportunity for growth and upward mobility as both a driver of employee engagement and a common reason for attrition. And for remote employees, who are frequent victims of officism and more likely to believe they are passed up for promotions, organizations should be transparent about their practices and eligibility for advancement opportunities. And when remote employees are promoted, make sure it's widely communicated so that their peers at-home feel hopeful about their own advancement opportunities.

3. Train managers to effectively oversee and evaluate remote employees

Train managers to effectively oversee and evaluate remote employees. Our research has found that managers are more likely to believe remote workers are not as productive as in-person workers. We've also heard that managers struggle to evaluate the performance of remote employees. However, this is really a perception and competency gap on behalf of the managers. Organizations need to train their leaders and ensure they have the skills and tools they need to effectively oversee remote team members. This will help reduce unconscious or proximity biases and create more equitable opportunities for all.

4. Prioritize open, strategic communication

Prioritize open, strategic communication. Many remote workers are suffering from Zoom fatigue. While open, transparent communication is necessary to keep remote employees in the loop, it does not have to be excessive. Ensure your leaders are communicating effectively but not overdoing it with meetings that can lead to burnout. Encourage use of communication channels like Slack or Microsoft Teams to send and receive quick messages, but be sure to set expectations for communication during and after business hours, and honor the preferences of your team members. Be open with how you like to communicate as well as how you want to be communicated with.

5. Encourage collaboration and team building

Encourage collaboration and team building. If you have team members working both in the office and remote, make sure leaders are allowing time for personal check-ins and small talk as well as group collaboration and team building. Establish set times to touch base as a team and provide everyone the opportunity to share or give their ideas and opinions. Its easy to leave a remote team member out of an impromptu in-office meeting, but over time that can be damaging to team culture and morale. By setting team meeting policies up-front, and always providing the opportunity for remote team members to participate virtually, unwanted biases and impacts can be avoided.

Frequently asked questions

How does remote work affect employee engagement?

Research shows engagement stays solid when employees have flexibility, but scores shift by work style:

• Hybrid employees lead on overall engagement. Perceptyx data ranks them highest on pride, referral intent, and intrinsic motivation.

• Fully remote employees tie on-site staff for intent to stay. About 40% in each group plan to remain with their employer for at least 12 months.

• Other studies echo strong remote engagement. Recent research found that fully remote workers show strong engagement levels, often ahead of hybrid and on-site workers.

What are the biggest challenges to engaging remote employees?

Remote workers face unique obstacles that can impact their connection to the organization. The most common challenges include proximity bias, where managers unconsciously favor in-office employees for promotions and high-visibility projects. Remote employees also report lower scores on referral behavior and pride in their company compared to hybrid workers. Additionally, "Zoom fatigue" from excessive virtual meetings can lead to burnout, while the lack of spontaneous interactions makes it harder to build relationships and feel part of the team culture.

How can managers overcome proximity bias with remote teams?

Proximity bias happens when leaders unconsciously favor employees they see in person. To combat this, organizations should train managers to recognize and address these blind spots. Implement objective performance metrics that focus on outcomes rather than visibility. Create transparent promotion criteria and communicate advancement opportunities widely. When remote employees earn promotions, announce them publicly to reinforce that location doesn't limit growth. Regular one-on-ones with remote team members and inclusive meeting practices — where virtual participants have equal voice—also help level the playing field.

What role does recognition play in remote employee engagement?

Recognition is a powerful driver of engagement for all employees, but it's especially critical for remote workers who may feel their contributions go unnoticed. Perceptyx research shows that meaningful recognition makes employees seven times more engaged. For remote teams, celebrate wins in both private messages and public channels like Slack or team meetings. Acknowledge personal milestones, project completions, and everyday efforts. This visibility helps remote employees feel valued and connected to the broader organization.

Should companies require remote employees to return to the office?

The answer depends on your workforce data, not assumptions. While some leaders worry that remote work hurts productivity and engagement, research shows fully remote employees match on-site staff on intent to stay. The key is understanding what your specific employees need. Use employee listening tools to gather feedback on work preferences, engagement drivers, and barriers to success. Many organizations find that offering hybrid flexibility—rather than mandating full-time office returns—delivers the highest engagement scores while respecting employee autonomy.

How can organizations reduce Zoom fatigue while keeping remote teams connected?

Strategic communication is the antidote to Zoom fatigue. Not every update requires a meeting. Shift routine information-sharing to asynchronous channels like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or email. Reserve video calls for collaboration, decision-making, and relationship-building. Set clear expectations about meeting frequency and after-hours communication. Encourage "camera-optional" policies for internal meetings and build in breaks between back-to-back calls. When you do meet, make it count: have a clear agenda, invite only necessary participants, and end on time.

What metrics should organizations track to measure remote employee engagement?

Focus on the four core engagement indicators: intent to stay, referral behavior, pride in organization, and intrinsic motivation. For remote workers specifically, also monitor perceptions of career advancement equity, manager effectiveness, and inclusion in team activities. Track participation rates in virtual events and recognition programs. Use pulse surveys to gather real-time feedback on communication effectiveness and workload balance.

The common thread: engagement rises when leaders recognize achievements, give clear goals, and keep communication open — no matter where people work. See how Perceptyx measures these factors.