Today, it is no secret that remote work is becoming a new normal for many businesses as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced them to close their offices and reinvent team culture with videoconference conferencing software solutions and messaging apps.
But we are all humans, and we need relationships to feel connected. The real challenge is to create an environment that transcends physical boundaries so that remote employees still feel like they are a key part of a great team. To fill this gap, here are eight strategies to help you build a strong work culture in remote teams.
Get Onboarding Right
Building a strong work culture with remote workers begins before your new employee logs in. You need to have a proper plan of action to ensure they don’t run into obstacles such as having trouble logging in or facing incorrect onboarding content. Remember that the first impression is everything, and there is no second chance to make a first impression!
Aside from having all the necessary resources ready for employee onboarding, you also need to make sure that the new team member gets to know everyone else on the team on the first day of work. Try to make their new environment as welcoming as possible by initiating introductions and encouraging your employees to be welcoming.
Schedule Regular Meetings
It is always essential to maintain communication with both people sitting next to you in the office and those who are working on the other side of the world. If possible, set aside regular times each week for group discussion. In case time zones get in the way, try organising two meetings in different time zones.
Also, look for ways to hold company’s meetings using video conferencing. While regular meetings help to share news and stimulate the motivation of the entire team, face-to-face communication allows your employees to get to know each other and see reactions and facial expressions.
Offer Regular Company Updates
Just like in the workplace, you as a leader need to keep your employees informed. This means offering regular company updates regarding policies and talent changes, company successes or issues that the organisation is currently facing.
As most companies are working through a difficult situation these days, your team wants to be up-to-date on what is going on to contain any confusion, uncertainty or anxiety they may have. As you honestly explain to your employees where the organisation is and how they need to adapt their work behaviour, it can help them avoid speculation about what is happening and concentrate on what they can control to strengthen your efforts and make the necessary improvements.
Encourage Openness & Honesty
Transparency and ongoing communication go a long way in building trust between remote team members. Sharing news, special announcements, and decisions can help reinforce a sense of belonging. A good company culture cares about the opinion of all employees, including those who work remotely. So, it is crucial to encourage an environment of openness, listen carefully to your workers and take action as needed.
Show Your Appreciation & Recognition
Since remote employees are not present in the office, they will not hear that someone did a great job. As such, it is crucial to show your appreciation for what they may have done or give them recognition to ensure their hard work doesn’t go unnoticed.
This can be done discreetly during one-on-one sessions or discussed during your weekly meetings and highlighted to all members of your team.
Organise Virtual Hangouts
At the office, the monotonous routine of work is usually disrupted by a light conversation with a colleague or a coffee/tea break. But even if your team is working remotely, that doesn’t mean you can not have fun in between tasks.
Google Meet and Zoom are excellent for calling your remote team members and having a virtual hang out. You can host special events like polls, happy hours or parties to promote fun, personal interactions and foster a sense of shared culture. Such activity is a perfect opportunity for everyone to have a catch-up, get to know their colleagues better and maybe even show off their artistic sides.
Always Prioritise Health As Part Of Your Culture
Since remote team don’t work with their colleagues in the office, working alone can be stressful. The feeling that you are working on your own and unable to ask someone for help can take its toll on anyone. While maintaining a well-balanced diet, regular physical activity, practising relaxation techniques and taking natural supplements like CBD oil is crucial to keep your stress at bay, one-on-one meetings or even quick check-ins once a week can provide your remote team with that much-needed support to help them achieve their work goals. Consider discussing not only their work or other work-related issues but also how your employees are feeling.
Also, reminding your employees to sustain a healthy work-life balance and work in ways that are kind both to their body and mind can also help prevent burnout, especially during this time of uncertainty caused by the novel virus. In addition, with the help of various video conferencing platforms, you can even organise a group yoga session or a series of mindfulness sessions to promote mental peace. Plus, you can create virtual challenges for your team like sit-ups, push-ups and planks to keep your company thriving with a healthy workforce.
Help Your Employees Establish Development Plans & Remote Growth
Whether your company had a work-from-home policy before the COVID-19 pandemic or incorporated remote working in the days of physical distancing, many of your employees can still anticipate their career growth in traditional office terms.
Therefore, you need to help your employees or ask supervisors to chart the desired career trajectory in a remote work environment. What skills should they work on, and what steps do they need to take to advance?
To get true satisfaction, employees need to be able to have a clear understanding of where they are going.
