How to build a strong remote team culture 

A positive company culture creates an enjoyable and comfortable place to work – but that’s not the only benefit. Creating a workspace where employees feel heard and respected can increase employee morale and engagement, reduce absenteeism, and improve productivity – and your business’s bottom line.  

Remote and hybrid teams have fast settled into becoming the ‘new normal’ for companies worldwide. It’s vital that HR and leadership teams step up and create a culture to be proud of, so their company stays ahead of the competition.  

It’s easy to be intimidated by creating a remote work culture from scratch. But there’s no reason to avoid it – with today’s technology, distance is no longer a barrier to fast and easy communication and collaboration. 

Here are five ways to begin moulding a remote work culture to be proud of.

Don’t underestimate the power of a good first impression, especially when it comes to new remote employees. Building a positive remote culture begins before they even log in, and your company can start off strong with a robust virtual onboarding schedule. 

This should include a foolproof IT set up; quick completion of any HR documentation online; any training materials; an overview of what is expected in the first two weeks; and perhaps most importantly, introducing your new employee to their new team. Make sure that new employees feel as welcome and comfortable as possible on their first day, and they know who to contact with any queries. 

The whole premise behind remote work is allowing employees to work from wherever suits them best. When working from home, employees have the freedom to run errands between meetings or log on early or late to suit their schedule. This flexibility is an asset for teams moving forward and should be embraced wherever possible. 

Many companies that employ remote employees still insist on a rigid 9-5 schedule – but ask yourself if that is truly realistic and necessary for your business. While you may be nervous that more flexibility might lead to less productivity or control over your staff, the opposite has proven to be true. A study by the American Sociological Association found that employees with flexible work schedules enjoy higher job satisfaction, feel more supported by their leaders, and experience less burnout. Give your employees general working-from-home guidelines that establish base rules, but also give them the freedom to work independently, and watch their engagement levels flourish.

While remote working comes with a lot of benefits, a lack of socialisation between employees, and deepening of relationships can often be a challenge. Remote employees can run the risk of feeling isolated and disconnected from their peers. That’s why it’s up to managers and HR teams to keep social lines open between remote teams and encourage interaction.

There are lots of options to build relationships between remote employees. You can outsource the meeting to a virtual team building event vendor, or simply look up some ice-breaker games to play in your next meeting. You can also encourage socialising with virtual coffee breaks or chat threads or groups for different interests. Make sure that your employees are aware of the opportunities to build relationships and that there’s something to suit each personality type, from introverts to extroverts.

With so much technology now dedicated to keeping collaboration going between remote teams, there are countless ways to make sure your team is connected. Encourage collaboration as much as possible in your remote teams, with regular check-ins, brainstorming sessions for larger projects, and establishing a shared repository for work and documentation. When employees feel connected to their colleagues, they tend to have more of an incentive to prioritise teamwork – often giving better results in the process.