These days, it seems like nearly every company is introducing a remote or hybrid work model. 12.7% of full-time employees currently work from home, while 28.2% split their time between remote work and working in-office.

The rise of remote work means that organizations need innovative communication strategies to engage and connect with remote employees. A simple email is no longer enough. Instead, use creative methods for internal communication to bridge the gap and foster a sense of belonging — like interactive polls, virtual escape rooms, learning circles, and more. 

Take a look at our full list of creative ways to communicate with remote employees to keep engagement and motivation high. 

Creative ways to communicate with remote employees

Virtual coffee breaks

Organize casual virtual coffee breaks over video calls to encourage informal conversations and team bonding. These virtual meetings are a great way to help remote employees stay connected. While in-office workers might have “watercooler conversations” on a regular basis, remote workers need a different kind of communication tool. Virtual coffee breaks are a perfect solution.

How do these coffee breaks play out in real life? During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Typeform introduced a Coffee Roulette channel on its Slack, randomly pairing employees for short virtual coffee chats.

Storytelling webinars

Host webinars where employees can share personal and professional stories, fostering a deeper connection among team members. Think of these webinars as your own internal version of TED Talks. Employees can share personal anecdotes and what they’ve learned to allow others to get to know them better. Try holding monthly webinars where one employee can speak for the full webinar, or where multiple employees can share 15-minute tidbits. 

Themed Slack channels

Create Slack channels that are for fun rather than work. Dedicate certain channels to specific hobbies or interests to allow employees to connect over shared passions. For example, you might try adding channels like:

• #book-club
• #fitness-fanatics
• #foodie
• #pet-pics
• #travel-time

Then, let employees join the ones that interest them.

Interactive polls and quizzes

Use tools like Kahoot! or Poll Everywhere to engage remote employees with interactive polls, quizzes, and trivia. Gamification helps create an emotional connection among participants. It also encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

Consider conducting a weekly poll to gather your employees’ opinions on topics ranging from their preferred team-building activities to the latest popular reality TV show. Or share quizzes that can help employees learn more about their personality, their work style, and how they can best contribute to the company. 

Virtual team-building games

Virtual games, such as online scavenger hunts or virtual escape rooms, promote teamwork and camaraderie. Shared experiences like these help employees form a bond — and they also strengthen team-building skills that will carry over to the next big assignment. 

There are dozens of options online for escape rooms that can be completed from the comfort of each employee’s own home. Some are free. Others are paid. If your team is distributed between in-office and remote workers, you can even find escape rooms that are appropriate for a hybrid format.

Show and tell

Share success stories using company-wide emails or newsletters. This provides a way to spotlight employee achievements, praising different employees for a job well done. Employee recognition translates into greater employee engagement — increasing productivity and business outcomes for you.

GoLinks for quick sharing

Easily share important work information by using GoLinks to create shortened and memorable links. With GoLinks, you can take a long URL and shorten it down to what matters (like “go/contact”). Then, share these links across your remote team to promote effective communication and knowledge sharing.

Asana uses GoLinks to create short links for new hire resources, benefits, and other company information. For Asana, GoLinks is the perfect fit for every department — allowing the marketing team to use public go links in marketing materials, the IT team to streamline support ticket requests, and more. 

GoProfiles for personal connections

Communicate your appreciation for your employees using features from GoProfiles. This platform lets each employee create a personal profile where others can get to know them. GoProfiles also features other communications methods, including the ability to earn achievements or give other people kudos. 

For instance, GoProfiles employees use Bravos to celebrate individual wins and contributions. Bravos are a form of public peer recognition that show up on employee profiles. 

Video messages from leadership

Have company leaders record personalized video messages to update remote employees on organizational news and developments. When leadership makes an effort to be visible, employees feel more trust. They know who they’re following and why. 

For example, Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, regularly records video messages to connect with remote employees globally. Nadella has been creating videos for internal use since 1993! What’s more, Microsoft is highly rated as a good place to work… which is likely not a coincidence. 

Online book clubs or learning circles

Start a virtual book club where employees read a book together and discuss their insights. Nonfiction books on topics like leadership or time management might be a good fit. 

If it’s difficult to generate interest in a book club, try a learning circle instead. With this model, employees work through an online course at the same pace and talk about what they’re learning. 

For example, Google has an employee network known as “G2G” (Googler to Googler) that lets employees explore new topics collaboratively. Employees volunteer by teaching courses, offering 1:1 mentoring, or designing educational resources. This encourages Google employees to turn to their peers when they have a question. 

Make your remote employees feel like part of the team

It’s essential to maintain strong communication with remote employees. Go the extra mile to make them feel like part of the team, fostering a sense of inclusion that will boost engagement and encourage them to get better work done.

Wondering where to start? Communication tools like GoLinks and GoProfiles are the perfect way to enhance communication and bridge the gap between remote teams. With GoLinks for internal link management and GoProfiles for employee recognition, your internal communication will be transformed, making it simpler than ever to communicate well with remote employees. Learn more about how GoProfiles can work for you.