Remote work has many benefits, but it also poses some challenges for team connection. How can you foster a sense of belonging, collaboration, and trust among your remote employees? Here are some tips to help you build remote team connection and engagement.
Communication is key for any team, but especially for remote ones. You need to communicate frequently and clearly with your remote employees, using different channels and formats. For example, you can use video calls for regular check-ins, instant messaging for quick updates, and email for formal announcements. You can also use project management tools to track progress and share feedback. Make sure you communicate your expectations, goals, and deadlines clearly, and encourage your remote employees to ask questions and share their opinions.
In my experience, it's important to consolidate channels. An essential part of effective management is to maintain effective communication and transparency amongst your team, so a big part of remote work is ensuring that nothing gets lost or missed by anybody. Pick something and stick to it.
Building connesection and enagement is so important for remote workers. 3 of my past companies in the past 25 years employed remote workers (even before remote workers was even a team). Effectively, precisely, and frequently makes your staff feel more inclusive. Especially when they are working in different time zones. You don't want them to feel isolated - so keeping them engaged is the key
A virtual team culture is the set of values, norms, and behaviors that define your remote team. You can create a virtual team culture by establishing some ground rules, such as when and how to communicate, how to handle conflicts, and how to celebrate successes. You can also create a virtual team culture by sharing your vision, mission, and values, and by aligning your remote employees with your organizational culture. You can use online platforms to share your team's stories, achievements, and feedback, and to recognize your remote employees' contributions.
The biggest fear that come in the way of flexible work environment is how to develop a great company culture. It require intentional focus and efforts in creating seamless communication, team work in building trust. Start by setting clear expectations, ways of working, preference of channels of communication, and establishing team norms. Set clear goals, encourage collaborative working, recognize diverse ideas and backgrounds, appreciate their contributions, provide actionable and positive feedback and celebrate achievements. Solicit feedback, regularly review team dynamics and make improvements as needed. Creating productive and engaging workforce takes time and is an ongoing process.
Social interaction is essential for building remote team connection and engagement. You can encourage social interaction by creating opportunities for your remote employees to get to know each other beyond work. For example, you can host virtual coffee breaks, happy hours, or games, where your remote employees can chat, have fun, and bond. You can also create interest groups, where your remote employees can share their hobbies, passions, and experiences. You can also encourage your remote employees to share their personal and professional goals, challenges, and successes, and to support each other.
When I had remote teams, we had monthly game times where we would all participate in some kind of online challenge. One team member "owned" the experience each month, and it led to a lot of laughing and bonding. Having team "inside jokes" based on these experiences was fun and brought us together a little bit more. Make sure it's done when most/all can make it though, as you don't want others to feel left out when referencing the fun you had!
We have a weekly virtual coffee break. There's no agenda, no scheduled speakers, just an hour a week where you can count on a member of my team to be "hanging out" creating conversation with whoever stops by (virtually). Sometimes it's just one person, sometimes it's a dozen, but the key is to ALWAYS have it happening at the same time and via the same link. We get everybody from new hires to the C-Suite popping in to say hi and chat about whatever the conversation happens to be heading.
I think the trick here is social interaction that gives insight to one’s personality. I’m not a bring your true self to work type because I’m way more fun outside of work, but I found team building exercises like share your favorite movie or the movie that almost made you cry movie with a short explanation in a group email. Another good one is share your favorite picture and why in an email. Do the email then follow up with questions when the team gets together. Also cameras on except in extreme circumstances. It takes a minute to make this a norm, but it builds a team.
Learning and development opportunities are important for building remote team connection and engagement. You can provide learning and development opportunities by offering online courses, webinars, podcasts, or books, that can help your remote employees improve their skills, knowledge, and performance. You can also create mentoring or coaching programs, where your remote employees can learn from each other, or from external experts. You can also encourage your remote employees to take on new projects, roles, or responsibilities, that can challenge them and help them grow.
We have evolved the vast majority of our L&D programs to be delivered remotely; this captures both our hybrid and remote-only staff members. Most of our programs are now deployed 100% online so everybody gets the same level of experience and interaction. We've recently successfully graduated our first post-COVID crisis Leadership Academy cohort, which was delivered 100% online/in-person.
Learning can be made an intrinsic part of the culture by making knowledge sharing a habit. An example I wish to quote is At HumanAlpha we promote research mindset and innovation with weekly fun based knowledge sharing bytes which makes people to come forward to share, have fun together and Innovate new ways of working, ideas and new solutions. Thank you Mahesh Sheshadri Co-Founder, human-alpha.com
Feedback is vital for building remote team connection and engagement. You need to solicit and act on feedback from your remote employees, as well as give them feedback on their work. You can solicit feedback from your remote employees by using online surveys, polls, or forums, where they can share their opinions, suggestions, and concerns. You can also conduct regular performance reviews, where you can discuss your remote employees' strengths, areas of improvement, and goals. You need to act on the feedback you receive, by implementing changes, addressing issues, or rewarding achievements. You also need to give feedback to your remote employees, by acknowledging their efforts, recognizing their results, and providing constructive guidance.
One aspect that is often overlooked when building remote team connection is the importance of recognising and celebrating individual achievements. As a team leader, taking the time to publicly recognise the specific contributions and successes of remote team members through email announcements, virtual applause during team meetings, or dedicated shout-outs on team communication platforms can go a long way in fostering a positive and connected remote work environment. By shining a spotlight on individual achievements, you not only boost morale but also inspire others to strive for excellence and create a culture of support and recognition within the team.
In order to run a successful remote work environment, make flexibility a priority. You cannot control everything, nor should you.