Employers and employees are feeling more disconnected than ever a year since transitioning to remote work.
Disengagement can put employees at risk for more serious issues like low productivity and burnout. Over 40% of employees said that feeling disconnected was the biggest risk to feeling burned out at work, according to a survey by Glint, an employee engagement platform.
LinkedIn is tackling the challenges of the virtual workplace with new features that will help businesses and employees connect in more meaningful ways.
The platform updated the “My Company” tab to help employers curate the employee engagement experience with their page. Employees can recommend and share content from their company and other coworkers and can recommend trending articles. Content reach and impact is easily measured with LinkedIn analytics.
Read more: 4 strategies to get your employees engaged through new benefits during the COVID-19 crisis
Additionally, the platform is expanding their LinkedIn Stories feature, which lets members share professional moments with their community. The new updates will allow organizations to use storytelling to share an inside look into their workplace and connect with their audience.
Employers are turning toward new engagement strategies during the pandemic to enforce a positive workplace culture and connect with their workforce. While the majority of employees have embraced remote work, just 15% feel engaged, according to Gallup.
“The pandemic has lasted longer than anyone anticipated, so HR has a lot to consider when it comes to supporting employees,” says Anne Fulton, CEO of Fuel50, an employee engagement platform. “Organizations and HR have to look at new practices that are going to support their people through emotional burnout and other personal challenges.”
LinkedIn has consistently offered new tools and features to help users maximize their remote work experience during the pandemic. The platform launched free courses to help employees upskill with technology and professional development. LinkedIn also tackled the increase in mental health strain with new course offerings on meditation, enhancing resilience and dealing with grief and loss.
Read more: Free LinkedIn classes help employees upskill
Giving employees the opportunity to connect with colleagues and their organizations while working remotely will build a stronger culture even after the pandemic, Fulton says.
“Employers need to keep up that energy and focus, because this new reality is going to be with us for longer than anyone anticipated,” she says. “There’s been some real innovation in the way the organizations are responding to their people.”
