Working remotely has a number of advantages for both employers and employees. Employers save money by avoiding the costs associated with a typical office, and they are able to select the best team members regardless of their location. On the other hand, remote workers have greater freedom, eliminate the daily commute, and spend more time with their families at home.
Still, there’s an issue that has plagued many remote-only businesses and that issue is reflected in work culture. When people work remotely, they can’t really feel connected to each other and to the entire team.
So, let’s see how you can solve this issue.
Send gift boxes
You are responsible for recognizing and caring for your team members as an employer. A gifting strategy for employees is an excellent means of achieving this.
Employees’ confidence increases when they are recognized for their efforts. This encourages them to work harder for the next project.
Gift-giving creates a special bond and can have a profound effect on the recipient’s attitude. When your employees are happy, they are more likely to care about the satisfaction of your consumers.
So, why not consider sending out corporate gift baskets? Make sure to go through the various corporate gift basket ideas by SnackNation to make sure that you choose the best option that suits your needs and your budget.
Use SharePoint for collaboration
Regardless of location, using SharePoint On-Premises for project management may foster a culture of collaboration among your project team. A SharePoint site provides a single point of access for project management so that team members are aware of their roles and responsibilities.
Handling your projects in a SharePoint site consolidates all project-related information on the homepage for “at-a-glance” visibility. This keeps the team and stakeholders constantly informed and involved with correct data.
It is extremely improbable that members of your project team will only be working on one project at a time. Numerous projects and their own day-to-day obligations will provide them with numerous competing tasks and deadlines. Occasionally, it can be difficult to manage all of that.
By providing “My Work” dashboards, for instance, team members may simply locate and update their work tasks in the collaborative project environment, where they are also tied to their extended teams.
SharePoint is renowned for its document management capabilities. With its configuration management, co-authoring, and check-in/check-out features, it’s remarkably simple to trace a document’s revision history.
Perhaps most importantly, the document library provides a central area for storing and housing all project-related documents.
If you want to migrate to SharePoint, you will need to talk to Microsoft SharePoint Development professionals to help you out. They will know what needs to be done to make the entire migration process go as smoothly as possible.
Always keep at least one open communication channel
Making your team feel heard is one of the most effective methods to connect with them. It is crucial for every company, but especially for businesses that have remote workforces, to have an open conversation that includes frequent contact and feedback.
Maintain regular check-in meetings to ensure that every member of the team has access to the resources and support they need to function at the best level possible. Create a culture at your organization that encourages employees to feel comfortable asking questions and voicing concerns on a regular basis without fear of repercussions.
It is much more probable that employees will feel connected to the business if they believe they can give honest feedback and feel that their opinion is being acknowledged.
Be honest with your feedback
Giving employees frequent opportunities for feedback is another strategy for boosting employee engagement and connectivity.
Not only is providing feedback to your remote workforce an excellent way to demonstrate that you value their contributions and are paying attention to them, but it can also assist you in locating and improving any parts of the business that may be failing.
The feedback you provide needs to be honest and constructive.
The members of a remote team are more likely to have the same understanding of what is expected of them in terms of performance. Also, employees are less likely to be taken aback by any critical comments made if the culture of the workplace supports frequent feedback.
Be okay with informal meetings
Even if they drive to work alone, in-office teams are accustomed to engaging in casual conversations throughout their travels with their favorite employees, and they can always rely on random watercooler chatter.
With remote teams, these moments of spontaneity need planning and effort. As a result, you should motivate your team to schedule informal virtual meetings to maintain communication and connection despite physical distance.
You can encourage team members to organize casual one-on-one virtual meetings when getting ready for work or during coffee breaks. Alternatively, you can create team meetings without an agenda to encourage casual conversations.
These casual talks are extremely effective because they don’t consume additional time and can be incorporated into typical morning routines while yielding significant benefits.
Final words
We’ve learned over the previous two years that you don’t need to sit next to your teammates to feel connected. With a few creative modifications, a proactive mindset, and the best tools, you can create a remote community that crosses demographic, administrative, and physical boundaries.