Creating a Vibrant Remote Work Culture

The year 2020 taught many of us that working from home is an option for businesses. Yet, one thing that will take some time to learn is developing a work culture that fits your company while everyone is at home. 

The virtual work setting has many benefits for employees, and there are plenty of ways you and your team can develop a strong and consistent culture, even from home. Finding the best ways to improve your company culture can help everyone feel happy and secure in their positions. 

Efficient Communication Software Is Essential

Something you will notice about WFH work culture is that you rely on different methods of communication throughout your workday. That means having the proper software and tools to communicate with each other is essential for work culture. 

Emailing has always been a tried and true way to get in touch with someone in the business world. Yet, when you're communicating with a person on your team and need an answer right away, it isn't always the best method. 

You could also try calling another team member on the phone to get in touch with them. Yet, what about employees in different time zones, such as on the other side of the globe? They might work at opposite times as when you do. 

Some of the old methods of communication that we tend to rely on aren't as efficient in the virtual office. 

Instead, expanding to platforms like Slack for instant messaging can help get our message to another employee right away. You can use video conferencing software like Zoom to talk with another team member face to face, even if they are across the pond. 

Being a leader during something as difficult as a pandemic means that you're always going to have vital information for your team. Having the right tools to get your message across is crucial. 

Focus on Productivity Rather Than Working Hours

If you're wondering how to create a vibrant work culture, one thing you need to focus on is the productivity of your team. Many businesses are stuck on the model of a 9-5 workday, yet for some people, it simply will not work. 

In fact, 76% of employees say that they would be more willing to stay with their current employer if they could work flexible hours. 

That means some people are more productive when they wake up, take a shower, enjoy their breakfast, and then hop on their computers for work. The model of the 9-5 workday might not be the only thing that we need to rely on to get work done. 

Luckily, working from home gives employees the ability to have a flexible schedule and get work done on their own time. You could find that your employees do better work when you introduce a flexible schedule.

You might be thinking there are quite a few businesses or positions that require employees to be available during business hours. Whether it is to answer phones or respond to emails, and this is true for many businesses. 

Yet, granting your team a bit of flexibility in their workday can help improve employee morale and boost your remote work culture. 

Trust Your Team

One thing that some leaders tend to struggle with when employees are remote is that they're not there to monitor and watch the team. Yet, this can also be a good thing for many leaders. 

Trusting your team to do the job you hired them for is essential when learning how to improve work culture while working remotely. 

It can be easier to show you trust your team when they work from home because you won't be there to micromanage or monitor their every move. Instead, you need to trust them and trust the process. 

You'll find watching your team too closely can make them fail, as they will feel you don't trust them. That is already setting up a poor WFH work culture. 

Instead, assign your team their tasks and let them complete them by the deadline. You may be surprised by how many team members go the extra mile to get things done because you're showing them complete trust. 

As a leader, when you show your team members that you trust them, you'll find that it helps the entire company. They will feel more confident in their position, and it will shine through in their work. 

Provide Regular Feedback

Working from home grants employees a lot of freedom, especially when they have a trusting boss. For some people, this can be a good thing, yet others will require a bit of guidance. 

A great way to meet in the middle for both sides is by providing regular feedback to your employees about their performance, communication, engagement, customer service, or anything else. Feedback should typically be done in the form of a one-on-one meeting. 

That way, during the meeting, you can discuss the pros and cons of the work they're doing from home. They can also come to you with any issues they might be having with working from home or work in general. 

Only 18% of employees say that they feel engaged while at their jobs. That could be because they don't have a manager who is there to push them to do better. 

A meeting to give feedback to employees is very beneficial for both parties. It is a way to celebrate employees for the things that they excel at during work. You'll find that many people tend to push themselves harder if they're appreciated at work for doing things well. 

You'll also find that giving feedback on things that need to be improved can help employees to push themselves because they know what they need to work on to do better. Employees that want to be successful will take a meeting where they're given feedback and apply it to their work routines.  

Get to Know Your Team 

You may think that because you're working from home, you don't need to spend time getting to know one another. Yet, remote work gives you the best opportunity to get to know your team on a more personal level. 

You'll find that you have more opportunities to see your team members from a different light than you would when you work in the office. You can see their children, spouses, pets, and even the inside of their homes. That means you're already seeing them on a personal level. 

As a leader, it should be your responsibility to care for each member of your team. Take time out of your day to ask how they're doing and get to know them. For some people, working from home can be draining and lonely, yet having someone ask questions about them aside from work can make their day a little better. 

When most people think about working from home, they think about sitting on their couch in pajamas and drinking coffee whenever they want. No one mentions how lonely it can be.

Taking the time out of your day to get to know your team will help with the remote work culture and make each person feel welcome. 

Don't Forget to Have Fun

Work culture during COVID-19 looks different for everyone. Lockdown caused many people to work from home and then remain home, which makes it even more difficult to separate work life from home life. 

Studies show that 22% of employees find it difficult to unplug after a long day of working from home.

One way to help your employees is by making time for fun, even during working hours. Remember to take time to celebrate the victories that your team has, whether they're big or small. 

Many times, businesses will get into a groove with work from home team members where everything is strictly business. You show up to meetings and get work done when you need to so you can clock out at the end of the day. The same routine can hurt your remote work culture greatly and is one of the many reasons why people tend to quit jobs. 

You can't force people to have fun with you, especially in a remote setting. Yet, as management, you can let them know that it is okay for them to let loose and have fun. 

Creating a Vibrant Remote Work Culture

As you can see, a vibrant remote work culture starts at the top. When managers provide high morale, employees follow suit. 

When you get down to it, it comes from each person's values and how they approach each day. Yet, without a strong foundation set by managers and higher-ups, you'll find that the remote work culture can crumble. 

Clara Conti is a former chief executive officer, corporate restructuring guru and founder of multiple business startups. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter.