Creating a compelling company culture is a must for any startup, especially if employees aren’t sharing the same office space but instead work remotely.
There are a few ways to build and nurture culture in a remote working context, so here are some strategies, concepts, and tools that will definitely make a difference.
Use Software To Your Advantage
Team members need to be able to communicate with one another consistently and collaborate efficiently, which is where modern software solutions come into play.
Everyone needs to be on the same page and using the same, unified platforms for this to work well, since any fragmentation can lead to rifts in working practices, and even result in employees feeling sidelined or alienated.
It helps to select solutions that are industry-specific; for example, Archdesk construction management software does a great job of facilitating building projects of all sizes.
Set Your Cultural Aims Down In Writing
In an office environment, there are all sorts of subtle, passive things you can do to instill company culture. When working remotely, this isn’t possible, so you need to be more proactive in how you develop and disseminate this.
Hammering out your desired company culture and setting this down in writing is a solid start. Also, make sure that you speak with everyone in the organization to get their input and feedback as part of this process.
Maintain Existing Traditions
In the case that you’ve moved to work remotely from previously having an office-based company experience, or you’re adding remote team members to an in-house batch of employees, having traditions that extend beyond the bounds of physical space is impactful.
For example, remote workers should be included in virtual activities as varied as departmental meetings and catch-up sessions, lunch break get-togethers, and Friday afternoon chill-out chats.
Whatever traditions you’ve built up on-site, find ways to bridge the gap and bring them to the remote world as well.
Formalize Standards And Set Goals
Employees need to be up to speed with what working standards are expected of them, and what targets they should aim to hit both individually and as part of a team.
Plenty of people forget that company culture is defined as much by performance as anything else, and there’s more motivation and momentum in organizations that have a handle on this.
Be Responsive
It’s great to get specific about company culture and let employees know how they fit into this overarching ethos of the business. However, you also need to be a good communicator, since those in leadership roles need to reinforce the practices they preach if they want them to stick.
So when someone gets in touch to ask a question or raise a concern, you can’t afford to ignore this correspondence; treat it like an in-person interaction and field queries ASAP.
Remote working also throws up challenges that managers need to understand. From home office hardware hang-ups to the distractions and disruptions that come from working in a shared living space, company culture has to adapt to be more flexible and caring.
Strike A Balance
The ultimate flexibility which is afforded by remote working is of course allowing team members to pick their own office hours. This empowers them to keep up with personal responsibilities rather than having their professional obligations upset the apple cart.
Respecting out-of-office hours is also crucial because the lines between work and personal time can blur. Thus flexibility is one of many appealing benefits businesses can offer.
Final Thoughts
Together, you and your remote workforce can feel connected and share in the same company culture. And if something isn’t sitting right, rethinking things is better than being stubborn.
