Ask a CSR Friend: Engaging Remote and Hybrid Employees in Meaningful Service

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Hear from our experts right here in our Ask a CSR Friend monthly column.

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know collaboration is key to creating vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

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Dear CSR Friend,

While I personally love the flexibility of my hybrid work situation and that our company continues to support remote and hybrid opportunities for our team members, I’ve seen a noticeable decrease in volunteer participation. With varying schedules across time zones and roles no longer having a central meeting place in a large, corporate office, it’s been a struggle to engage our workforce in meaningful volunteer opportunities. The Zoom fatigue is real and I’m running out of ideas that aren’t solo activities. What would you suggest to help engage a dispersed team?

Struggling in Seattle

Dear Struggling in Seattle,

At the risk of sounding cliché…the struggle is real!

For many of us the rise of remote and hybrid work models became increasingly prevalent following the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they’ve been in existence for many years prior. NASA engineer Jack Nilles known as the “father of telecommuting” first initiated this concept in the 1970s with early corporate experiments following in the 80s and 90s becoming more formalized as the internet enabled hybrid opportunities beyond just large corporations.

Today, while many large companies have enacted return-to-office mandates, U.S. work locations have 51% hybrid jobs and 28% remote and job seekers are looking for hybrid (48%) and fully remote (26%) roles.

Offering opportunities that meaningfully engage remote and hybrid employees can be challenging. However, when done effectively, these sessions can help employees feel more connected to the organization’s culture, increase team collaboration, foster working relationships, and promote cross-functional communication and collaboration.

So, where can you start?

1. Understand Operational Realities

Design volunteer initiatives that recognize the diverse schedules and responsibilities across your workforce. For teams spanning multiple time zones, consider extending volunteer opportunities over several days or even an entire week. This flexibility maximizes participation and ensures that everyone, regardless of location, can engage meaningfully.

2. Adopt Inclusive Policies

Make sure that supportive policies such as Volunteer Time Off (VTO), flex time, and company-wide service days are available to all employees, whether remote, hybrid, or on-site. By extending these benefits universally, you foster a culture of inclusion and demonstrate that every team member’s contribution is valued.

3. Empower Local Champions

Cultivate a network of volunteer ambassadors who can share information, motivate participation, and coordinate grassroots efforts tailored to their local communities. This is also a great opportunity to engage your ERGs to help reach employees across roles.

4. Offer a Variety of Options

• Diversify your volunteer opportunities to accommodate different interests and working styles:
• Virtual, skills-based volunteering such as translating materials, designing websites, or handling data entry.
• Asynchronous projects like writing letters or recording audio versions of children’s books, allowing employees to participate on their own schedule.
• Hybrid events that blend live, in-person activities with virtual components, ensuring everyone can join in regardless of location.
  • Pro tip: Hold a joint kick-off all together and then separate the virtual group into their own “breakout room.” Assign a dedicated facilitator for each “room” – virtual and in-person.
• At-home, hands-on activities that can be completed individually or with family members.
• On-site activities held during company gatherings or in-person meetings.
• When in doubt, ask your employees what activities and cause areas they might be interested in to help generate buy-in.

5. Solicit and Act on Feedback

Establish regular feedback channels that encourage employees to share their experiences, suggestions, and concerns. Use this input to continuously refine your programs, demonstrating your commitment to building trust and meeting the evolving needs of all employee groups.

Ultimately there’s no magic fix for virtual fatigue. Instead of chasing a one-size-fits-all solution, try approaching it like a good CSR strategy: from multiple angles. Tackling the problem from a few directions gives you the best shot at real participation—and a more energized, connected crew.

Until next time,
Your CSR Friend

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