Negosentro.com | How to Maintain Company Culture in a Newly Remote Workforce | Remote work isn’t exactly a new concept; however, many companies across the nation are now dealing with the realities of the entire workforce to remote work and are struggling to maintain their company culture. Companies tend to pride themselves on the culture that they put forward in the office for good reason as it can be a deciding factor among potential job candidates as to whether or not they want to proceed with the company. So then, how can a business maintain its company culture when there is no physical office for workers to go to?

Why Company Culture Is Still Important For Remote Workers

Just because the bulk of a company’s workers are remote doesn’t mean that company culture goes to the wayside. Remote workers still need to feel as though their concerns are heard and addressed by their workplace and should feel comfortable communicating with all of their fellow employees and higher-ups, even if it is only through video calls and e-mails. It can be hard for remote workers to feel like they know that they are on the same page as everyone else within the company, so clear and transparent communication is even more important in this new remote world.

Employees still need to make a connection with their coworkers throughout the day and fortunately, there is a whole array of tools available that can help a team connect with one another and build that core of company culture. Slack, Zoom, and Hangouts are all great ways to keep the spirit of watercooler talk alive and well, even when working from home, as they function not only as great tools to conduct business but also to socialize through messaging in real-time.

It is incredibly important for a business to build its company culture as it helps a business to succeed in a variety of ways. While under normal circumstances, company culture can help a business and their prospective clients understand each other’s motivations better should they come and visit the office for any reason. Arguably more important, especially in the situation that has unfolded over the past few weeks, is the ability for company culture to help a business understand and connect with its employees better, which increases overall morale and retention of great talent.

Communication Is Still Paramount

There are many different forms of communication vital to business success such as verbal, written, visual, and non-verbal communication. With so many workers across the country moving to remote work suddenly and without preparation, communication is more important than ever. While the method in which a company’s employees communicate with each other has drastically changed, the core forms of communication are still being used and in many cases become even more important than they would be in a face to face situation.

For instance, moving nearly an entire workforce to remote work will undoubtedly increase the amount of written communication that occurs. Employees can no longer pop over to a coworker’s desk to ask a quick question and instead are likely to send an e-mail or text. Due to this, it is important that employees at every level of the company follow appropriate messaging etiquette because even though this style of communication can feel informal it is the new standard and should be treated as such.

Effective communication is essential as it helps employees to build trust with one another, leading to a united workforce. Additionally, a company culture that prioritizes great communication can result in better problem solving from teams as well as increased overall increased efficiency at every level of business. 

Helping Workers Adjust As Much As Possible

Companies that want to thrive during this crisis should do all that they can to make their employee’s transition to remote work as painless and frictionless as possible. Doing so could mean helping workers find the best internet available in the area if they should need to upgrade or even allowing for more time off so that they can better maintain their work-life balance. If it is within a company’s culture to care about helping their employees succeed, these should be easy steps to take.

Burnout is a serious concern for new remote workers, especially since it can be particularly hard to separate their home and work lives as they now occur in the same space. One way to help employees is to continue workplace traditions, even if they have to happen in new and inventive ways. If a company holds regular meetings to celebrate employee accomplishments both in and outside of work, continuing to do so through video conferences will help maintain a degree of normalcy. If employees regularly meet up after work for happy hour, encouraging them to set up a group video chat can show them that their company is still concerned with their wellbeing.

Remote work has become the new norm and there is no telling how long it will continue in this manner. Because of this, it is important that companies adapt to the current situation and find ways to continually improve and build upon their company culture. After all, just because no one is in the office doesn’t mean that all of those important relationships have evaporated, and it is vital that businesses let their employees know that they have their best interests at heart in this trying time.