Maintaining employee engagement is critical to running a successful business. However, it seems that the current efforts to do so aren’t enough. Recent research suggests that happiness levels have never been lower and that fewer than a quarter of employees consider themselves to be highly engaged.
For hospitality companies that are expanding internationally, having to manage employees who are based overseas is even more challenging. On top of navigating the processes of hiring remotely and creating subsidiaries in foreign countries, these companies must also retain talented employees abroad. Here are four areas to consider when it comes to engaging overseas workers.
Collaboration
Collaboration is all about encouraging teams that work apart to come together, and there are many ways in which this can be done. For a business that has multiple offices, rotating staff across locations for small periods of time can create a feeling of shared effort and allows teams to work together where they wouldn’t have otherwise. Companies can also bring employees together for annual or seasonal events. Knowing that each other exists can create a new-found respect and appreciation for one another within a team.
To employees based abroad, occasional visits from a company’s leadership to overseas offices can sometimes feel like inspections and can be somewhat intimidating. Instead, use these visits as a chance to get to know employees, boost morale, and give staff the sense belonging.
Coordination
Technology plays a huge role in connecting overseas employees. Having a central project management software in place allows employees to work from anywhere and communicate more easily about work-related tasks. With everyone working from the same platform, it will make them feel like much more of a team.
Another way to keep employees engaged and interacting is via video conferencing. When communicating with one another, it is important for people to be able to put names to faces and actually have human interaction as opposed to blindly emailing each other.
Culture
Giving employees the independence they need to accomplish their tasks without micromanagement from abroad will create a much more positive working environment. Instead of making them wait around for “head office” approval, allow them to come to their own conclusions and make these decisions on their own. This will increase the respect they have for their management and boost their engagement.
Communication
Staff need to remain on the same page in order to avoid misunderstandings, conflict, and resentment. Any information that can be shared with the wider team should be shared. A simple email thread that keeps everyone in the loop will ensure that everyone is considered equal and important.
About the Author
Chloe Marchbank is a writer on behalf of Foothold America and a graduate of Nottingham Trent University.
