Remote working is more popular than ever before, with companies around the world embracing it in both the short and long-term. The technological advances and solutions available today have made sure that most business operations can continue to function even when employees are physically distant. Remote working isn't without some challenges, though. Some aspects of the workplace can be especially challenging to adapt.
Maintaining a strong company culture is often key to a business's success, unifying staff and better enabling people to work together. A lot of company culture is developed and reinforced by the interactions that occur in a physical workplace that are simply missing when working remotely. Developing and instilling the same culture is still, though, it just requires some extra thought and work.
The Value in Remote Working
Remote working can be a powerful tool for a company to utilise for the benefit of both the business and employees. The main benefit of remote working, either fully or partially, is the ability for employees to work from anywhere. This allows both the employees to benefit from lower costs of living by no longer being tied to a particular location, and it benefits the business by widening the recruitment pool outside of their geographical location. Remote working is also a great way to add flexibility to local workers, enabling them to work from home a few days a week if they require.
Of course, remote working isn't ideal for all working environments, and while it does have many advantages for both employees and employers, it's not without its challenges. Communication is particularly challenging when working remotely as communication methods like video conferences or emails take time to set-up or respond to, causing delays and reducing the fluidity a local working environment enjoys.
Company Culture and Values
Before you can begin to instil a strong culture in a remote working environment, you have to have a well-defined culture and set of values. All companies have a culture, but many haven't taken the time to think about it enough to clearly define what it is. This also gives you a chance to refine the culture and values, shaping them in a direction best suited to the company. Remember, though, that company culture isn't just the property of the company. The employees equally create and contribute to the culture each in their own way. If there is a disparity between the companies envisioned culture and that of the employees, it may be time to redefine the culture.
Once you have a clearly defined idea of what the company's culture and values are, the next step is to communicate that concept. A strong culture cannot develop, especially when working remotely, if it only exists in the minds of senior management. Spend time communicating your culture both internally and externally, shaping your company's image to both staff and the public as a reflection of your culture and values. Pay particular attention to communicating the culture and values to new employees. Entering a new job remotely can easily amplify the problems of integration. Introduce the new hire to everybody, and take extra steps to immerse them in the company's culture.
Communication is Key
Identifying and informing people of the company culture is only a small part of the battle. The bigger hurdle is maintaining the company culture and fostering its growth over time. This is where good communication is critically important. Without strong communication philosophies in place as part of your company culture, any work you do to instil a culture will be wasted.
Start by encouraging an environment of open communication and feedback. Whatever the culture of your company, it will benefit from staff being able to openly communicate and provide feedback on any element of the culture and working environment they like and dislike. Treat communication and feedback with respect and encourage everybody to participate. Be mindful of employees' individuality, though. Not everybody sees things in the same way or communications the same. Taking the time to learn about each employee will better enable you to receive and address feedback. Also, be mindful of the way communicating remotely can change things. People often communicate differently in a video conference, phone call, or email than they would face-to-face. Set your expectations accordingly.
Finally, keep in mind that employees' feedback and communication may be hindered due to missing the "water cooler" effect. This is where employees have a chance of small talk around the, sometimes metaphorical, water cooler. This small talk allows ideas and feedback to be discussed and processed in a casual setting before being presented formally. Do whatever you can to still allow employees the opportunity for private, idle small-talk, e.g. a dedicated instant message channel for chat not related directly to work.
Employee Engagement
Employee engagement is critical to the success of attempts to instil a strong company culture, whether working remotely or not. If employees aren't engaged in the workplace, then they will likely be oblivious to any company culture factors, regardless of what other work you put in. Keeping an eye on employee engagement should be a key part of your strategy for both instilling a strong culture and overall business success.
There are many ways to increase employee engagement when its focus appears to have wandered. Some methods, such as changing work assignments, will require time to implement, while others can be used to engage employees more quickly. The easiest method of increasing engagement is to check-in with employees informally regularly. Requests for formal work updates can lead to additional stress and reduced engagement, but quick informal check-ins can be a great way to keep employees feeling engaged and allows you to be up-to-date on any issues that can be resolved to further increase engagement.
Even once the ongoing global pandemic is over, remote working is likely to continue in various forms long into the future. And no matter how long people have been working remotely, the challenges don't get any easier. Employees and employers are going to have to make a conscious effort to sustain remote working in the long-term. The tips and tricks in this guide may not be a one-stop solution to all remote working challenges, but incorporating them into your business workflow will help to reinforce and develop your company's culture, a vital component in maintaining successful remote working conditions.
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