Best Practices to Help Develop a Strong Remote Work Culture
Companies spend a lot of time and energy to create, build and encourage employees to embody workplace culture. The culture should reflect the goals, vision, and values of the company. Leadership and senior management must endeavour to reflect the culture in themselves and ensure the same for their employees. It evolves and grows naturally as the company grows through team activities or other shared experiences. A good work culture can determine how successful a business can be. However, what does workplace culture look like when working remotely? Here are some of the best practices to help develop strong remote work culture.
Create a Strong Foundation
It is crucial for companies to lay a strong foundation of values over which the organisational tree can grow. Trust, integrity and respect are some of the key elements when establishing the foundation. These elements are important especially for companies that adopt a remote working format. Employees respond positively to companies that embody these elements. It is also important to foster an environment of safety where employees are empowered to thrive without fear of making mistakes. It all starts from the top. Leaders need to set expectations founded on these values and be confident that employees will reciprocate accordingly.
Set Up for Success from the Beginning
When businesses start the hiring process, some important attributes they seek in candidates are self-motivated, adaptable, reliable and dependable to name a few. However, there are few things that businesses can do to create an environment for them to succeed. Make the right resources available needed to flourish in their role. A well-laid-out plan can reduce any stress or anxiety for new employees. Organise a safe and welcoming event for introductions and building a sense of community despite the remote working situation. Communicate effectively the mission, goals and values that engender the workplace culture. Be explicit about the remote work policy to avoid any confusion about expectations.
Create a Space for Team Building and Ideating
When working at an office, often relationship-building or ideating happen over lunch, coffee or even at the water cooler. How do companies create this space in a remote working setup? It is an important factor in team building. Set up recurring team meetings so that all the employees working remotely are on the same page. Apart from work-related team meetings, organise light-hearted virtual social meetups intermittently. Establish an environment that encourages employees to socialise outside of working hours as well.
Read this blog to learn more about Smart Offices – Workspaces of the Future.
Define Working Together Remotely
It is essential to create a structure for teams to be able to work remotely effectively. Clearly define the company’s expectations of remote working to avoid any confusion. Prioritise open and transparent communication. A team that trusts and respects each other are more likely to work better together. Some companies rent coworking spaces to host team meetings intermittently. Engage with the teams to understand needs and be open to adjustments to enable the forward evolution of a growing team. Ensure frequent face time through one-to-one meetings to assess progress and provide feedback. This will make remote working employees feel appreciated and valued.
Be Open to Innovation and Technology
Companies that offer remote working opportunities must find creative ways to keep people engaged. They must be open to innovation and technology to increase engagement. This is an important factor in creating a good work culture. It is imperative for companies to have a growth mindset. People want to learn, grow and feel accomplished. Hence, companies must move with times to foster such. growth.
Looking for a space to host meetings? Head on over to Two Trees to book a tour. We are among Chennai’s top coworking spaces!
