Communication as a predictor of engagement and value in digital work environments

Working remotely allows flexibility for individuals to integrate their personal and professional goals. However, it also comes with challenges. Remote workers, in particular, struggle with workplace engagement. This project used design thinking, a survey, interviews, and a design thinking session to investigate how remote employees communicate with others in their organizations, as well as how modes of communication contribute to remote employees’ sense of engagement and value. Participants often addressed elements of their remote work that contributes to or detracts from their feelings of engagement and value to the company. They frequently commented on how technology affects their work. Most respondents also focused on the role of communication with peers and supervisors in their daily work. This research fills the gap in determining the employee preferences for communication channels, provides suggestions for organizations to maintain successful communication with remote workers, and emphasize the importance of transparent peer-to-peer and supervisor communication with remote employees.