Working remotely is great for a lot of reasons. It allows your employees to have more flexibility during the workday so they can achieve work-life balance, it cuts down on the expenses of renting, furnishing and maintaining office space and allows for you to attract and retain the best employees no matter where they live. However, there are some downsides to remote work as it can make it difficult for coworkers to bond and form relationships.
Stay Active
An excellent way to promote teamwork is to create opportunities for coworkers to get to know one another and have fun. Plan activities that will appeal to all types of people, whether they’re introverts who prefer communicating by email or extroverts who love to play games while on a video call. Try sending out trivia quizzes, creating a book club, having a meal delivered to your employees eating lunch virtually together or play icebreaker video games.
In the Know
Take the time to get to know your remote employees so you can celebrate their milestones at work and at home. Make it a point to check in regularly so you can congratulate them on events like having a baby, getting married or buying their first house. If an employee is ok with it, host a virtual baby or wedding shower or have everyone pitch in on a housewarming gift. Similarly, if there is a sudden death or tragedy affecting an employee, showing them you care and will support them in a difficult time will make a huge difference. Little gestures like this will make employees feel like their part of the whole, rather than a distant voice that no one has ever met.
By deliberately engaging with your employees and spending time to get to know them as a person rather than an employee, you will create a culture of collaboration that will make your business and its employees thrive, even if they’re spread far apart.
