As we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic has not only changed the way we live our daily lives, but also the way we work. While 2021 statistics show that 16% of companies in the world are 100% remote, recent surveys depict that people are increasingly gravitating towards the work from home paradigm because it’s easier, more flexible, and offers a better work-life balance.
However, remote work may be challenging when it comes to building teamwork and strengthening team relationships. A lack of physical human interaction may make it easier for employees to lose sight of company goals and objectives, which may reduce their productivity.
This is why it is critical to keep your remote employees engaged, motivated, and encouraged no matter where they are in the world. This article takes a look at some of the best ways to help establish excellent relationships with a remote team so that you can collaborate and work towards success.
Host Regular Virtual Events
While it may not be possible to have in-person events, that doesn’t mean you have to discard the idea of company or business events altogether. From a fun virtual party to a virtual retreat, you can tailor virtual events to your employees’ likings and preferences.
If you are not sure how to do it, the Hoppier team offers some great tips on how to organize a fun virtual party. You can, for example, gift your employee’s virtual credit cards so they can buy food and drinks. You can also consider setting up fun activities like a watch-along movie party, trivia games, or a virtual escape room to motivate online team-building activities.
The entire point of virtual events is constant engagement in a way that doesn’t feel obligatory. Make sure you host them regularly so that your team can blow off some steam and stay connected.
Build Strong and Clear Communication Channels
Working virtually means that you need to build strong internal communication channels for your teams. This is important for clear and consistent communication so that your employees don’t feel disassociated regardless of where they live.
Additionally, since remote working means that employees will be utilizing written channels more than other formats, it is important to leverage the best technologies, such as Slack or any other corporate messenger, for instant communication, rather than relying on emails only. Instant messaging tools will save you time and are super useful as they have loads of features such as file attachment and document sharing that may come in handy.
Moreover, it may be worthwhile to train your remote employees during the onboarding phase on how to write well, use emojis as cues, and communicate with intention so that they don’t come off as curt or rude.
Have Regular Check-In and Informal Online Meetings
In order to make up for the water cooler chats at the physical workplace, you can encourage and set up regular check-in meetings with your employees to ensure that everything is going smoothly at their end. This is a great way to gauge their level of motivation and their overall involvement and satisfaction with the work.
You can also set aside a few minutes at the end of each day for informal online meetings to chat about how every member is doing, how their day went, what their plans are, or generally about what is happening in their life. Even a minimal level of involvement with your remote team is a great way to connect and for them to feel part of something more than just a paying job.
Be Open to New Ideas and Be Empathetic
In a world that is constantly changing, you may have employees that are adjusting to remote working. In this scenario, it is best to be understanding, compassionate, and empathetic of their circumstances, and allow them the space to grow and adapt to the situation.
Furthermore, it is highly recommended to have brainstorming sessions with your remote team to stimulate new and fresh ideas about your business, work modalities, or even strategies, so that they feel empowered and involved.
All this will help to develop a good working relationship both within and between your remote teams.
Last Thoughts
Work from home is starting to become the new normal as many businesses and companies may have to adapt to this transition. In order to ensure that employee motivation doesn’t suffer from working remotely, it is best to cultivate an environment that allows them to develop meaningful relationships rather than feeling isolated.
So keep your remote teams’ morale high and efficiency even higher by following these tips to help establish good relationships both within and between your various teams.
