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Working from home has become the norm for many businesses with nearly 70% of full-time U.S. employees working remotely in 2021 and many still doing so. [1]
Even as restrictions start to lift and cases of COVID-19 trend downwards, remote work is here to stay, requiring companies to adjust policies and expectations like remote work culture to fit employees’ home situations.
Working from home means your employees have lost their routine coffee runs with coworkers or the camaraderie that comes with a team lunch outing. However remote work culture doesn’t have to lose these types of rituals. Follow the tips below to make the experience positive to everyone:
With remote work, the commute to the office has been eliminated, waking up hours before being at work is unnecessary, and dressing in full business casual is likely no longer the uniform. Therefore, the question becomes: What stays the same and what changes?
Be sure to establish expectations for employees working from home, so that they can adjust their routines accordingly. Just like training a new team member during their first week on the job, give guidelines to employees that are working from home so that they can be well adjusted, too.
A quick question in the office can be answered by walking up to the person you need to speak to, but when remote work comes into play, that’s no longer an option. It’s important to identify what communication efforts are available to all of your employees and invest in new systems where necessary.
There is communication software and meeting tools that can be accessed through any mobile device or desktop that all employees can have in order to better communicate with one another remotely. You can also consider updating your phone system to VoIP (Voice over IP) for an excellent way to bring business calls to home offices.
Checking in with employees who are working fully remote can positively impact workplace culture by providing a sense of belonging. It can also give you an idea of how the work-life balance is generally affecting your employees.
Working from home can feel very isolating, possibly resulting in negative impacts for both your employee and company. Frequent check-ins with your team can lift spirits from being away from other team members and give a reminder that working from home doesn’t have to be lonesome.
In-person communication can be vital to promoting a positive remote work culture and instant messaging may just not cut it.
Schedule weekly video chat sessions with individual employees or teams to catch up about work or personal lives. For example, many businesses adopted virtual happy hours to encourage togetherness while being apart. Coffee or snack breaks can be organized to promote this time to connect as well.
Get creative in finding ways to make everyone on your team feel included without the need to be in-person.
A positive remote work culture is easy to implement and can greatly impact everyone on the payroll. By providing these opportunities to connect and setting expectations, employees working remotely can feel comfortable with their workspace wherever they may be.
NeverBlue IT offers incredible IT services that can ease the transition from in-person to remote work. From managed IT services to upgrading your business phone system, we have the tools you need to promote a better work from home culture for your business.
Source:
1: Owl Labs | State of Remote Work 2021
