With the COVID-19 pandemic came a sudden shift in the workplace, as an unprecedented number of workers moved from a traditional office environment to remote workspaces. Making the adjustment from the hustle and bustle of office culture, which is more social by nature, to a more disconnected at-home work environment has brought about new challenges for many. The added stress associated with the unknowns of the pandemic, as well as the balancing of familial responsibilities and juggling of schedules, also has an impact on an employee’s remote work environment. With a completely remote workforce, engaging and connecting with employees is more important now than ever.
Employee engagement goes hand in hand with company culture. The more engaged an employee is, the more likely they are to feel motivated and connected to their organization. In the book, The Truth about Employee Engagement, Patrick Lencioni discusses the reasons why people disengage and the impact of employee engagement on productivity and company turnover. He explains how feelings of anonymity, irrelevance, and immeasurability are the main elements that lead employees to feel disconnected from their organization. Recognizing these three root causes of job misery, and taking the steps to remedy them, is key to making any job more engaging. Which, in turn, increases productivity and leads to greater retention.
Understanding the importance of employee engagement and creating opportunities to connect with employees remains a priority at CorVel. Beyond weekly one-on-ones with managers and team Zoom calls, CorVel initiated new company-wide employee programs at the start of the pandemic to further build community and increase camaraderie among employees.
For CorVel, engaging employees in this new world of remoteness has included team book clubs, ongoing office contests, virtual activities, such as CorVel bingo, and our national step challenge – an annual challenge that began prior to the pandemic. As a company, we also provide employees the opportunity to initiate their own office-wide committees and programs. Two CorVel employees from our Charlotte, North Carolina office, for example, came up with the idea to create a COVID CorVel cookbook. The idea soon grew beyond the Charlotte office and spread regionally to our various offices, with employees creating their own committees to collaborate on the project.
Employee engagement has long been a focus of CorVel’s and largely impacts our company culture. From the start, a key part of our mission has been to provide an enduring culture, where we develop leaders, encourage innovation, and foster a team-based environment. Our employees are our greatest asset and we will continue to prioritize their engagement and empower employees to reach their full potential.