Maintaining a Unified Company Culture in the Remote-Worker Era

Companies today are searching for new ways to maintain some semblance of a corporate culture when they employ many remote workers or have dispersed offices around the world.

It might seem easier to make a phone call, but face-to-face communication pays off. Ditch the phone and schedule a video conferencing call on a reliable device, such as Highfive. Make sure you can share your screen for maximum collaborative capabilities and ensure the audio quality is exceptional so remote attendees feel like they’re in the room. Maintaining visual contact is important in building trust with customers and remote teammates, and the right tools can ensure productive collaboration wherever you are.

It might seem obvious, but it’s also easy to forget that teams need to keep in touch with each other, especially when they don’t work in the same office. Make sure to emphasize a regular cadence of short check-ins so remote team members can stay accountable, on-track and productive.

Taking time to talk about more than work is crucial when developing bonds with your colleagues. Rather than jumping straight into a deck presentation or diving head-first into a business development plan, set aside five minutes at the beginning of a call or meeting to talk about something other than business. It could be a new restaurant you tried over the weekend or a sports game, for example. Taking a little time for something seemingly small can go a long way.

Mentorship programs enable remote workers to have a personal connection with another member of the company. Whether they’re the mentor or mentee, remote workers can engage in one-on-one contact that results in a healthy and helpful office culture.

Having a few days a year when the entire team can get together is crucial to forming deep, meaningful relationships at a company. Meeting up with co-workers in person for a companywide happy hour or off-site event encourages colleagues to form lasting bonds and friendships.

Acknowledge the efforts of employees to promote a companywide community of support. Whether it’s thanking someone for taking initiative on a difficult project or recognizing a colleague for learning a new skill, making time for weekly acknowledgments teaches employees to share success stories and value their co-workers.

Messaging apps are key to connecting remote workers, but what if everyone uses a different preferred chat app? Regardless of whether it be Hipchat, Google Hangouts or Zinc, services such as SameRoom can connect different messaging services through portals, so everyone is happy. When employees are connected seamlessly, important information won’t get lost and communications will be less messy.

It can be easy to go from 9 to 5 focusing on solely emails and spreadsheets, but when you’re working remotely you might crave those little distractions from your deskmate. Slack helps with that. It’s a messaging tool that helps promote company culture that is open, personable and friendly. Even a small gesture, such as adding a funny, relevant gif to a conversation, lightens the mood and showcases personality.

It’s easy to get stuck going about the same routine, using the same old tools on a daily basis. Take your teammates’ advice into consideration and don’t be afraid to try something new. New tools can improve productivity and as an added bonus, they can bring teams closer together.