6 Must Dos to Create a Strong Remote Work Culture

By Alicia Geigel on February 28, 2023

Working remotely comes with its own set of challenges and obstacles. As an employer, it can be difficult to foster a strong culture from a distance and give your employees a sense of connection and belonging. Though nothing quite compares to being in close, physical proximity to your employees in the office, these six steps can help you get as close as you can from behind a screen.

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1. Seek Opportunities to Communicate: It goes without saying that remote work is vastly different than working in an office. One factor that is most affected by this shift is regular communication. In an office setting, there are always opportunities to bump into an employee and chat about the work of the day, current news, weather, family life, etc. In remote work, however, these chances are greatly limited, which means that workplace communication relies on you putting yourself out there. Be a strong leader and log into Zoom sessions early or stay shortly to spark natural conversation, and help your employees make friends.

2. Give Out Company Merchandise: Being out of the office and working from home can make employees feel disconnected and isolated from one another and the company they work for. Regardless of where your employees are from, any type of positive effort to make them feel a sense of togetherness will help foster a strong culture among them. Consider investing in and gifting custom merchandise that represents your company, such as t-shirts, baseball hats, socks, coffee mugs, tumblers, etc. to give your employees a sense of belonging to one another and your company.

3. Do Something Nice: Nothing makes people more willing to be engaged and motivated than when something nice is done for them. In your workplace environment, being nice doesn’t have to be complicated or a big show, instead it can be something small to show your colleagues you are thinking of them. For instance, on National Coffee Day, consider sending a star employee an e-gift card to Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Email a group of your employees a thank you note for their helpful collaboration during this work period. Art Markman of Fast Company notes, “By finding a way to bring a little sunshine to your colleagues, you’re also helping yourself to feel more connected to the people you work with. As long as social distancing continues to affect workplaces, that will be an important way for you to feel good about your job.“

4. Set Up a Virtual Lunch or Coffee Break: In a traditional work setting, there is always a lunch break of some sort, giving employees the opportunity to unwind from the earlier hours of work and grab a bite to eat. Working remotely typically doesn’t have this same opportunity, which can hinder communication and building those meaningful workplace relationships. To combat this, arrange a virtual lunch or coffee break with your employees. A blog post by Achurch Consulting suggests, “Set up a virtual coffee break, lunch break, or happy hour with them, but don’t ask for an hour, ask for 15-20 minutes maximum. They’re more likely to say “yes” to a shorter commitment.” During this break, you can talk about work, which can be an easy talking point since it is something you all share in common.

5. Do Your Part as an Employer: If you want to create a strong remote work environment, it is important to do your part as a colleague and prove your worthiness as not only an employer but also as a reliable friend. What does this look like? This can show itself in a number of different ways depending on your job and work field, but it ultimately boils down to how well you perform at work. Responding to emails in a timely manner, completing tasks on time, engaging with employees for clarification on tasks, giving maximum effort toward group projects, etc. are all ways that you show up for not only your employees but also yourself as well. When you show yourself as a reliable and dedicated boss, your employees will pick up on this and be more inclined to be friendly.

6. Be More Flexible of Employee Requests: Sometimes the solution to an employee problem is right in front of you and easy to solve. Because of this, when dealing with an employee who is concerned about their current job situation and things concerning the office, it is important as an employer to be as flexible and accommodating as possible. Maybe they are dealing with the sickness of a loved one or the stress of being away from family,  which can make work more difficult- give them the flexibility they need to help make the situation easier.

remote work, woman, home, office, laptop, desk

Image via Pexels

Remote work often makes it hard for employees to remain engaged and motivated on the job. As an employer, creating a strong work culture can be simple through these few steps.

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