How can you build a strong community among remote workers?

Communication: Clear channels and guidelines. Regular virtual meetings. Connection: Virtual watercooler moments. Collaborative tools and platforms. Recognition: Appreciation for achievements. Celebrate milestones. Team Building: Virtual team-building activities. Shared goals and objectives. Structure: Clear remote work policies. Training and development opportunities. Feedback: Regular feedback and improvement. Address concerns actively.

Building a supportive community among remote workers involves setting clear goals and implementing strategies that promote communication, collaboration, and a sense of connection. Working remotely can be isolating when you don’t define the proper communication channels to ensure transparent and effective communication among team members. Implement various communication tools such as video conferencing, messaging apps, and project management platforms.

Absolutely! Crafting a vision is the compass for your community. Define values, mission, and purpose. Understand remote workers' common interests, needs, and challenges. Outline interaction expectations. Establish clear metrics for success. With these goals in mind, you'll seamlessly choose the right tools, strategies, and content to nurture a thriving and engaged community.

Other than the advice that you’ll need over-communication, it’s important to make your expectations clear. Provide examples of the level of work you expect to be done and always provide a turnaround time for a project. The more prepared your team members are, the more likely they are to meet and exceed your expectations. If someone on your team is not meeting expectations, reach out to them privately. Provide concrete examples of what you would like to see from them. It’s possible that they are not clear on directions or have misunderstood deliverables.

When it pertains to setting community goals for remote workers it's important to make them feel heard and included in decisions and strategies. Regular meetings, working the same schedule and encouraging crosscommunication between individuals and departments builds a community presence without physically having to be able to be in the room together.

Consistent communication and team interactions. Utilize reliable communication tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom). And set guidelines for timely responses and encourage active participation. Regular team meetings and check-ins are essential to promote team commodities. Create dedicated channels or forums for sharing insights and resources. Implement knowledge-sharing sessions or webinars. Recognize and reward contributions to knowledge sharing.

Choosing the right social media platform for remote work community building is crucial. Considering factors like team size, diversity, and preferences is a smart approach. Your mention of features such as video calls, group chats, and file sharing highlights the importance of functionality.

If you choose a social media platform for your internal communications you end up at the mercy of platform algorithms and frequent changes. Invest in a communications tool instead - think Slack or Teams - that you can have full ownership over and which integrates well with your existing platforms.

Choosing the right platform is key! Consider team size, diversity, and preferences. Evaluate features like video calls, group chats, polls, and file sharing. Platforms like Zoom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams fit the bill. For social learning, knowledge sharing, and peer support, platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Quora are solid choices. Prioritize security, privacy, and the costs involved. Tailor your platform to create a space that resonates with your remote workers.

While there's a mass number of social media platforms to choose from, all of them may not be right for your audience. The most important rule of thomb for social media is go where your audience is. If your target market has a greater presence on a particular app, that is where your top priority should be. Marketing isn't one size fits all and it's far more imporant to market to your community than everyone.

Request team input and identify strengths among your team. Encourage them to share articles, topics and great tips to help build best practices library. Identify company culture and hiring goals to mirror your content and promote your qualify of work life balance via the latest tools available to your organization.

*Highlight Employee Spotlights: Showcase the stories and achievements of individual team members through features or spotlights. This adds a personal touch to your content and reinforces a sense of belonging and recognition. *Interactive Content: Foster engagement by incorporating interactive elements into your content. Polls, surveys, and quizzes can encourage participation and provide valuable insights into the preferences and opinions of your remote workforce. *Q&A Sessions and AMA (Ask Me Anything): Host live Q&A sessions or "Ask Me Anything" sessions with leaders, experts, or influential team members. This is an opportunity for open communication, transparency, and a direct connection between leadership and the remote workforce.

Engaging remote workers involves addressing their challenges and preferences. Use visually appealing content like infographics and videos, encourage participation with quizzes or polls, and highlight individuals or teams. Organize virtual events for team bonding and skill-building. Embrace flexible formats such as articles, podcasts, or videos, and leverage collaborative platforms for shared discussions. This tailored approach fosters connection and engagement within the remote workforce.

There's a reason why people say content is King - because it is! Be creative, informative and showcase the benefits of your company. Mix it up, have lots of different categories and types of content but the most important rule for content creation is people support people. Don't forget while you're selling and talking about your product/company to market the people behind the brand.

Building a robust community is a collective masterpiece, not a solo act. It's not just about broadcasting; it's about co-creating. Ask questions that ignite discussions, seek opinions that spark insights, and invite suggestions that shape the community's future. Surveys and contests aren't just tools; they are bridges connecting you with the heartbeat of your remote workforce.

Delegate, and identify key members from your team who can support and be active leaders and contributors. Promote personal development and access to online learning resources and training programs. Set goals for professional development. Establish mentorship or buddy programs for skill-sharing. Encourage taking time off and respecting colleagues' downtime. Provide resources on stress management and well-being.

Encourage questions — lots of them! Asking questions plays an important role in any job, but when working with a remote group, the importance of asking for clarification reaches a whole new level. Stress the importance of reaching out to others with questions. I’d much rather be fielding “silly” questions than dealing with blow-back because of a misunderstanding. The more questions they ask, the more confident they will be in their actions moving forward. Keep in mind that not everyone feels comfortable asking questions on phone calls or in group chats. Communicate that you are always available for questions, whether in a private message, phone call or video chat. Let your community choose their channel of choice.

Remote work can be isolating , that's why it is even more important to make colleagues feel they are a part of something and foster a human connection. Monday morning huddles, 1:1 calls, and monthly team meetings encourage remote workers to showcase their work and receive/give feedback. Make it a point to reserve a slot on the agenda in team meetings for the remote workers to present. I would also recommend to make them part of or leads of task forces. This way, they will not only have a human touchpoint, but also feel connected to other teammates and the work itself and feel that their contributions matter

Encourage participation by using polls, surveys, and quizzes for active involvement. Foster open discussions on collaborative platforms and recognize valuable contributions. Organize virtual events like team challenges to provide opportunities for active engagement. Cultivate a culture that values and rewards participation to build a more engaged remote work environment.

Build community by Implementing a system for recognizing outstanding contributions. Share achievements in team meetings or through a dedicated channel. Personalize appreciation notes for milestones. An inclusive community where all team members feel valued is key. Foster a culture of diversity and inclusion through policies and initiatives by implementing sensitivity training and awareness programs. Actively seek and incorporate feedback to improve inclusivity.

During COVID, I was part of the Internship committee and we carried out a whole 6-week virtual internship program.. As a treat, every Friday we would have a fun hour. We played virtual bingo, taboo, find the item - it was a great way for them to feel connected to each other and a some of them made friends amongst themselves. Virtual birthday celebrations, virtual treasure hunt, online game hour, karaoke are all easy to organize activities and are a lot of fun ! Such initiatives will go a long way in making remote workers feel included.

Strengthen connections among remote workers with regular virtual meetings, team-building activities, and informal channels for non-work-related conversations. Celebrate achievements to foster a shared sense of success. These strategies cultivate a more connected and collaborative remote work environment.

Something as simple as an end of day meeting for a half hour to connect about your day and talk about projects you're proud of can help foster connectons and help people feel appreciated. While the company may consider a massive project more important, hearing and celebrating what your team enjoys doing and find more rewardable is important.

A strong community culture fosters a sense of belonging and unity among members, promoting collaboration and a shared commitment to common goals. It's important to create the same type of essence that is felt from your organization whether it is in-person or remotely. Recognition and appreciation are often overlooked positive reinforcement mechanisms that can go a long way. People want to know that their contributions are making an impact towards the larger business goal and/or culture.

When you don’t have the option to walk over to someone’s desk to chat it can be difficult to create bonds with your team. That’s why we love an area dedicated our team chat (ex: a campfire in Basecamp, a Slack channel, Google Chat … whatever tool works for you and your team). Here, we share GIFs, memes, personal news and more with each other. We also brainstorm and troubleshoot together. We also start the beginning of any team meetings with ‘KUDOS.’ Which is exactly what it sounds like. We give out thank you energy, thumbs up, high fives, or share any collaboration we’ve had with someone else on the team. Starting with the positive and team wins sets the tone for a productive meeting.

Understand that every aspect of people’s lives seep into their work life as a manager know what’s happening and what you can help with

As a business-owner that has a zero-employee policy and many of my team work in other parts of the world, building a strong community among them involves fostering communication, connection, and a sense of belonging. How? + Utilizing virtual collaboration tools for regular face-to-face or video meetings. + Establishing clear communication and encourage open dialogue to address concerns and share successes. + Create virtual watercooler spaces for casual conversations (could be WhatsApp). + Maybe team-building activities, such as games or challenges, to strengthen relationships. + Recognize and celebrate achievements. + Support and provide opportunities for development and skill-sharing. + Prioritize mental AND physical health initiatives.