Hybrid work has become a common theme. As a Moderator for GDS Group, hybrid working and how we maintain our workforce’s morale and nurture their wellbeing, gets brought up quite often on business roundtables and workshops. I can report that every business leader I have encountered has echoed the same challenges:  

• How do we authentically engage with staff when they’re not in the office full (or even part) time? 
• How do we create a sense of community when some team-members have never even met their colleagues or leaders in person? 
• What can we do to gain ‘buy-in’ amongst our staff – so they feel included and motivated by the overarching mission of the business? 

These challenges are exacerbated by increasing employee expectations. Mckinsey found that 63% of people surveyed want their organization to provide more opportunities for purpose in their day-to-day work. 

Not to mention, the urgency of this matter is peaking, with only 32% feeling “positive” about their present and future life (Asana). This is naturally – in part – because employees regularly lack clarity on how their roles feed into the overall picture of the business, as well as a missing sense of “purpose” to their individual work. 

With all that said, the beauty of these roundtables means we are able to gather some of the most thoughtful and tangible insights from industry leaders and collate them into an “engaging our staff”’ starter pack. 

Three Tools to Tackle Zoom Fatigue and Plummeting Morale  

1. Transparency

The Head of International at Asana recently shared at a GDS event the value of a “pyramid of clarity” within an organization: 

“If leaders are able to tie each individual task (no matter how low-ranking or mundane) to the overall mission of the organization, it can boost productivity and motivation exponentially.” 

He cited Zoom as a case study. They employed this method and saw increases in both productivity and talent retention. 

2. “Wellbeing” as an Integral Part of your Business’s Hybrid Working Model.

A senior executive at Airbus shared on a recent roundtable that they are focused on eliminating “wellbeing washing” from company messaging. The attitude must shift from simply insisting to employees that wellbeing is a priority, to showing them this. This should be done with communication of facilities, initiatives, training, and frankly, a clear portion of budget that has been strategically and thoughtfully designated solely to enhance the workforces’ welfare and self-actualization.  

3. Harness the Power of Digital Events

To address these common challenges around creating buy-in to your company mission and creating a sense of community – while tackling the physical distance that hybrid and home-working creates, we at GDS have undergone a complete overhaul – from dinners and in-person networking, to producing immersive, inclusive, and innovative, award-winning digital events.  

And we’ve learned that keeping attendee-engagement at the absolute forefront, is the key driver to a successful digital event: 

• Interactive Polls & Surveys –> Show your attendees that thoughts and opinions matter, and instantly gauge their responses to the event content in real time. 
• Create Breakout Rooms -> Curate more intimate environments for your delegates to connect 
• Fireside Chats, Panels & Live Q&A -> Bring your attendees up on stage to interact with thought leaders, challenge them, and gain personal access. Engage with them without death-by-PowerPoint. 
• Bring the Energy -> Energetic hosts who create a live event “feel” while masterfully coordinating a studio environment (If we do say so ourselves) 
• Immersive Experiences -> State-of-the art graphics and industry-leading immersive event producers combine forces create a truly unmatched experience. 

To learn more about how Jugo’s virtual event offering can help you to address the shifting virtual world, check out some more of our insights below.  

Back to Resources