Improving Company Culture with a Remote Team

Managing a remote team comes with unique challenges. When your employees aren’t working out of the same office, it’s easy to feel a bit disconnected. If not properly managed, that sense of distance can harm your company’s culture, hindering the formation of beneficial bonds that can help your team thrive.

Thankfully, by taking the right actions, you can actually boost your company culture even if everyone is working remotely. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are some tips that can help.

Have a Well-Defined, Highly-Connected Company Mission and Values

Most professionals want to find meaning in their work beyond their immediate sphere. By having a well-defined mission and values, you create a guiding principle that you can use to align your team’s efforts and imbue them with energy when motivation dwindles.

In order to make that happen, you also need to establish the connection between your team’s day-to-day tasks and the grander mission. This makes even the most seemingly inconsequential activities feel more meaningful, creating a culture-booster that bolsters morale and spurs greater productivity.

Encourage Open and Frequent Communication on All Fronts

Your team can’t bond if they aren’t communicating regularly. Ideally, you need to have a robust communication platform that supports multiple mechanisms for discussions as a starting point. If your communication platform can centralize activities while also supporting text- and video-based conversations, you’re simplifying communication and keeping it highly accessible.

Additionally, it’s wise to actively encourage open and frequent communication. Precisely how you go about this may depend on the nature of your team. For example, if you have introverted team members, reach out and request their input specifically.

It’s also wise to acknowledge and welcome all idea-sharing. Show your appreciation for everything your team contributes. If you don’t intend to pursue an option, explain your reasoning, ensuring your employees don’t feel ignored or undervalued.

Finally, set clear communication expectations. Let your team know how certain conversations should take place. Additionally, formally schedule check-ins, ensuring everyone knows what they need to share and when outside of more organic discussions.

Support Socializing and Casual Conversation

When a team works in an office, there are natural opportunities for light socializing. While the water cooler is a classic example, it’s certainly not the only time when employees may pause for a moment to chat about non-work-related topics.

Remote teams don’t have all of these opportunities naturally. As a result, you need to create chances for socialization. This could include dedicated channels in your collaboration software, welcoming casual conversation at the beginning of a video meeting, or similar avenues.

Not only will this allow everyone to get to know one another, it can also introduce a degree of levity. Together, the socializing can lead to stronger bonds, causing your team to be happier and more effective when they are working with each other.

Ultimately, all of the tips above can make a difference. By using them, you can increase the sense of connection, improving your company’s culture along the way.

Are You Looking to Expand Your Team?

Having a highly capable team can also have a positive impact on your company’s culture. If you need to secure top talent for your open positions, Selectek can help. Contact us today.