BUILDING A STRONG CULTURE WITH A REMOTE TEAM: REMOTE WORK
In today's digital age, company culture is more significant than ever, with over 60% of workers believing that a positive workplace culture is more important than pay.
Every organization is defined by its corporate culture. It combines the company's mission, goals, and core values. Furthermore, culture is not something that develops quickly. It requires constant work from the management team, the HR division, and the employees themselves.
Nevertheless, it might be difficult to build a business culture that successfully spans all the many industries and regions when people work remotely and don't have enough face-to-face interactions.
Companies that are adopting the trend of remote work must foster a culture of remote work that may foster openness and productivity while offering employees a sense of community even when they are dispersed around the globe and rarely interact with their co-workers.
What is the culture of remote work?
The social structure of an organization is referred to as its "culture." It moulds the company's culture, personnel, and behavior. What is accepted, rejected, supported, and discouraged inside an organization is determined by its cultural norms. Culture may support the accomplishment of common organizational goals when it is properly matched with individual needs and beliefs.
The term "remote work culture" refers to the digital workplace culture that allows employees to keep in touch through common interests, experiences, and priorities. When there is a strong remote work culture, employees feel a sense of belonging that transcends geographical barriers.
Even businesses without a definite or established culture have one. Every employee, after all, intuitively understands what behaviors are rewarded, what is required of them, where they can operate independently and where they require authorization from superiors.
It is becoming increasingly crucial for businesses to think about establishing a remote work culture and introducing the proper procedures and processes to do so in light of the expanding remote workforce.
The following are the primary aspects of remote work culture that businesses need to take into account:
Technology:
Technology has a big role in the culture of remote work since it keeps remote workers linked. When contemplating a new employment, more than 86 percent of respondents say that workplace technology is a decision factor. Additionally, millennials are more inclined to leave a job if they think the technology being used in the office is subpar.
Flexibility:
Employees that work remotely anticipate having the independence, space, and flexibility to handle their workload. While it's crucial that workers don't feel excluded or alienated, they also shouldn't experience constant micromanagement.
Growth thinking:
The corporate culture should be inviting and consistent for all of the employees, wherever they may be. Additionally, it must give staff members the proper chance to develop, pick up new abilities, and go beyond what they are capable of.
Why is a culture of remote work important?
1. The culture of remote work reduces isolation:
The second major problem for workers who work remotely is loneliness. Employees can come together and feel like they have a common goal thanks to a strong and consistent remote work culture. Additionally, it fosters a sense of community and directly influences acts like casual check-ins and less formal talks that help prevent remote isolation.
2. A culture of remote work positions in the company for success in the future:
Remote work is gradually replacing in-office work as the new standard. According to a survey, more than 76% of chief financial officers (CFOs) want to keep at least a portion of their personnel in remote locations even after the epidemic is over and the rules about physical distance are lifted.
The growing pains of switching to a completely new work model can be overcome by organizations with cultures that can endure it, and they will be able to maintain constant efficiency and production.
3. A remote work environment fosters long-lasting partnerships:
Even if we finally urge staff to return to the office and fully embrace onsite work, having the correct remote work culture will benefit the business. After all, a strong culture of remote work is just a strong culture.
Building stronger team ties among remote workers leads directly to better rapport, increased trust, and improved communication. It facilitates communication and connections between remote workers and their coworkers in the office and eases the transition from remote to office employment.
Top tips for creating a strong culture of remote work:
a. Establish a climate of trust:
It's crucial to share all high-level choices with the team in order to foster a culture where employees feel entirely trusted to handle their work, even when they are working remotely, and to foster a business culture that supports remote work. Trust is a two-way street, after all.
Additionally, rather than concentrating on how much time each person spends online, we should pay more attention to their productivity. Avoid constantly checking in and micromanaging the staff. Give them room to work alone, and only check in rarely. Focus on performance and results.
b. Describe the mission and aims of the business:
When everyone in the organization is aware of the vision and goals the organization is aiming to accomplish, it's easy to create an ideal and high-performing culture for remote teamwork. We must come up with a succinct and understandable approach to sum up the company's mission and its overarching objectives (both short-term and long-term).
It might serve as a regular reminder for workers to be aware of the goals of their collaborative efforts.
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c. Using the proper tools:
Using the appropriate tools to organize team work and assignments will determine how successful remote work will be in the long run. A platform that allows teams to interact, communicate, and complete tasks in a single virtual space is the ideal software for remote work.
Most remote civilizations are adaptable. The utilization of a centralized platform, such as a digital workplace, can also aid in fostering a healthy work environment and culture among remote employees.
4. Establish a policy for remote work:
Working remotely or in a flexible environment might mean many different things to different people. Because of this, we must be as clear and plain as possible about the company's policy regarding remote work so that the employees always understand what to expect.
Does the staff have to spend a particular amount of time online each day?
Does it matter where the personnel are located as long as they are available during a specific time zone?
Do workers have the option to choose their own hours for remote work?
Do they occasionally need to travel to the main office?
Do they receive money to set up home offices?
Better business culture and easier remote work cannot come from a lack of clarity.
5. Prioritize in-person meetings:
Week after week of working alone in front of a laptop can become lonely for remote workers and drive them away from their co-workers. While there is no substitute for actually meeting the team members, frequent video chats can significantly reduce the communication gap. Team leaders should meet one-on-one with each employee on a regular basis to strengthen relationships, create a sense of trust, and recognize their unique successes.
To reinforce values through direct face-to-face communication and help the team members get to know one another better, we should also encourage them to turn on their cameras during team meetings.
6. Regularly gather input and make changes as necessary:
We probably won't get everything perfect the first time if we are new to managing a remote team and creating a remote work culture.
Asking remote workers for their feedback on a regular basis can allow us to learn what is and isn't working for them. Additionally, it will assist us in continually enhancing the hiring procedure for new employees.
A remote work culture is still being developed:
It takes a lot of time and effort to create a solid remote work culture where the employees feel trusted and empowered to give their best work. We need to be prepared with all the best practices and resources to make the transfer to remote work for the employees as seamless as possible, whether we are expanding our existing remote team or converting our entire organization to remote work.
~ Making the most of our culture and encouraging transparency are keys to building a trustworthy atmosphere that will allow our company to advance steadily.
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About Ravi Sharma:
I help businesses to build happy clients and happy resources by:
✔ Their better connectivity with their existing customers & resources
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The author is an expert in #remotehiring for #remotejobs and providing #remoteworkingsolution #remotecollaboration #remoteoperations #remoteteammanagement #remotesupport #recruiting #remoteteams #remoteemployees #remoteworkers #crossfunctionalteamleadership #crossculturalcommunicationskills #remoteopportunity #acrosscontinents and #acrossdifferenttimezones.
Junior Marketing Specialist w Futurum Technology Ltd.
1yGreat article! If you want to know how we see this topic in Futurum Technology, please check our article: https://www.futurum.tech/blog/index.php/2023/03/23/remote_team/