With the surge in remote work, the challenge of fostering company culture and ensuring team members are connected has led to a rise in innovative virtual team building activities. In 2023, virtual team building is not just a concept but a fundamental practice that unleashes the potential of team working online, enhancing productivity, and boosting morale. Effective collaboration is essential for creating a high-performing workplace, and eight proven strategies have been identified to enhance this in any setting within this blog. These include fostering open communication and trust, encouraging employee engagement, cultivating a collaborative company culture and practicing active listening. The fourth step to building a winning remote team culture is to promote flexibility and autonomy for your team.

With everyone taking a break, we tried to alleviate the pressure some feel to “check in.” Of course, there is still a risk of interruption (from calls and messages), so to get the cultural benefits, the company needs to also take practical steps to enable async work. For example, companies can take steps to eliminate unnecessary video calls and allow employees to mute all Slack or Teams notifications for certain periods of the day. But it’s not just employees who care about culture—employers know that the right work culture means engaged and more productive employees. According to a 2019 Gallup study, engaged teams demonstrated a 14% increase in productivity and an 81% decrease in absenteeism.

Tip #4: Consider the specific circumstances of a remote team

Designate regular “office hours,” or updating your status on platforms like Slack. Consider tag-teaming with other leaders so that there is always a manager online, and establish a chain of command so staff have a backup option if one party is unreachable. To ensure employees meet or exceed expectations, discuss the desired workload and pace, and set a timeframe for follow-up and evaluation.

Conflict doesn’t have to blow up or create ripple effects throughout your workplace. While it’s important to deepen my own relationship with my team members, I also need to facilitate relationships between the parts of my team that must work together. These moments are really when the magic happens because they’re when you discover untapped potential.

Offer performance-based praise and recognition to your remote employees.

Hidden qualities and know-how can be spotted early on so new employees can later take on tasks they enjoy and are best at. Finally, check in with them regularly and get them to how to build culture in a remote team be a core part of any team building activities and fun meetings. Engaging in a team building game is a fun way to get team members to work together and break down barriers.

• You can also invite feedback in a public setting, such as an all-hands meeting, and encourage honest feedback on the direction of the company or how work gets done.
• Awardco helps virtual teams create remote work cultures filled with the same kinds of small, yet satisfying, everyday recognitions.
• Rather than enforcing stringent rules, distribute a work from home policy that outlines guidelines.
• The friendly competition will keep your colleagues engaged and build culture and camaraderie.
• Learn how to create balanced team building experiences that will appeal to more of your team members.

Transparency at work is essential to creating a group of people who trust you and your leadership moves. Creating a robust organizational culture in a remote environment has been difficult for many teams. Many executives are still stuck in a pre-COVID line of thinking or waiting for employees to return to the office. If the variants of COVID-19 have taught us anything, we have a while to go.

They’ve been recognized as a great place to work for women and fathers as well as recognized by sites like Forbes as a great place to work. “When employees operate remotely, physical distance should not create emotional gaps between them or fear of expressing viewpoints and individual needs,” explains James Angel, co-founder of DYL. “By promoting wellness among employees through various programs, leaders may demonstrate that success and wellbeing go hand in hand.” While the benefits clearly outweigh the challenges, the challenges still exist and can create problems for your employees and company down the line.

“We all experience a range of emotions that we can’t control, from personal mishaps to business setbacks. What sets leaders apart is how they respond, not react, to these situations.” Many individuals relocated during the pandemic, seeking new living environments beyond the city due to uncertainty. Companies initially embraced remote work, allowing employees the flexibility to work from various locations. However, there is now a shift in expectations, with organizations, like Google and Microsoft, calling employees back to the office. When I first joined our company, which helps teams increase their productivity, the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic were just about to thrust much of the world into lockdown. As we transitioned to the remote-first model, the change was challenging, to say the least.

Regular contact with even just one trusted friend or mentor can do wonders for a remote employee’s sense of belonging. The event planning experts at the Go Game will set up virtual game shows, happy hours, and conferences that help your team members bond from any location. In traditional offices, there are more organic opportunities for coworkers to interact and bond.

Often, teams struggle when they don’t grasp their mission or vision, so it’s crucial to articulate and reinforce it regularly. This evolving culture still needs a leader who will continue the current trajectory, while it builds this newfound empathy for team. Granda notes the tricky balance of continuing to perform while managing this evolving culture.