Engagement among hybrid and remote employees is measured across five dimensions: belonging, access to information, visibility and fairness, the relationship with their manager, and work-life boundaries. Rather than running a separate survey, the best approach is to give all employees the same engagement survey, add these dimensions as a module and compare the results by work model (office, hybrid, remote).
- Engagement among hybrid and remote employees should be measured across belonging, access to information, visibility, the relationship with their manager and work-life boundaries.
- The best approach is to run the same survey for all employees and compare the results by work model (office, hybrid, remote).
- A clear gap in visibility and access to information may signal that an unintended "office privilege" has taken hold in the organization.
What makes hybrid engagement different?
Remote and hybrid work changed many of the things that sustain engagement. Hallway conversations, instant feedback and the informal moments that build team spirit became rarer. At the same time, new drivers of engagement appeared, such as flexibility and time saved on commuting.
As a result, the engagement of hybrid employees rarely moves in one direction: they score higher than office employees on some dimensions and lower on others. The purpose of the survey is to make this divergence visible. We cover the indicators you can use to measure engagement in general in our article on how to measure employee engagement.
5 dimensions to measure
- Belonging and connection: Do employees feel part of their team and the organization?
- Access to information: Do they hear about decisions and developments at the same time as people in the office?
- Visibility and fairness: Are their effort and performance recognized as much as those of office staff?
- Relationship with their manager: Do they get regular feedback and support from their manager?
- Work-life boundaries: While benefiting from flexibility, are their working hours stretching out of control?
15 questions to ask
The following statements can be asked on a 5-point Likert scale (Strongly disagree – Strongly agree).
Belonging and connection
- I feel part of my team even on the days I work remotely.
- I can also talk with my teammates about things other than work.
- I feel that I contribute to the organization's goals.
Access to information
- I hear about important developments related to my work in good time.
- I can easily access the information and resources I need when working remotely.
- The communication tools we use help me work efficiently.
Visibility and fairness
- My performance is evaluated regardless of how much time I spend in the office.
- I have the same access to development and promotion opportunities as people in the office.
- In meetings, the ideas of remote participants are given equal consideration.
Relationship with my manager
- I have regular one-on-one meetings with my manager.
- My manager gives me enough feedback on my work.
- My manager trusts me when I work remotely.
Work-life boundaries
- I am not expected to work outside working hours.
- My work arrangement helps me balance my work and personal life.
- I am satisfied with my current work model (office, hybrid or remote).
You can add these questions as a module alongside the core engagement questions you use across the organization. That way, one survey measures both overall engagement and the experience specific to each work model. For the core engagement questions, see our article on employee engagement survey questions.
How to interpret the results
- Break down results by work model. Add a demographic question such as "How many days a week do you work from the office?" We explain how to set up breakdowns in our article on segmentation in employee surveys.
- Focus on the gap between office and remote employees. A clear gap in visibility and access to information may mean an unintended "office privilege" has taken hold.
- Look at results by manager. Within the same organization, some managers lead remote teams very well while others struggle; the difference often comes down to the manager.
- Protect anonymity in breakdowns. Reporting results for teams with only a few remote employees can make individuals identifiable. Do not report groups of fewer than 10 people, or merge them into a larger group.
To design the full survey, you can download our free Employee Engagement Survey Guide and Sample Questions, which brings together the dimensions, sample questions and implementation steps alongside these 15 questions.
Frequently asked questions
Should we run a separate survey for hybrid employees?
No. Running the same survey for everyone and showing the hybrid and remote module only to the relevant employees makes comparison possible.
Are remote employees less engaged than office employees?
There is no general rule. Flexibility can raise engagement while belonging and visibility decline, so you need to look dimension by dimension.
What is the most common problem in hybrid work?
Remote employees falling behind on information flow and growth opportunities is among the most common problems.
How often should this survey be run?
A comprehensive engagement survey can be run once a year; short pulse surveys are useful for tracking periods when the work model changes.
