Don’t let Telecommuting wreck your Team
The choices and perks that come with remote working make it a highly coveted opportunity and almost impossible to resist. Imagine working from the place of your choice, avoiding the horrors of rush hour and more time to invest in your well being. But what most of us miss out on is that you are all on your own. No one to leave a cookie on your desk when you are having a bad day at work. No one next to you to engage in sports-talk, season spoilers or with amazing recommendations. Yahoo!’s memo summed up everything that the naysayers feel about Telecommuting.
“To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices. Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.”
But let’s face it, the future of working is remote and trust becomes the currency that drives this model. Employers are constantly on the verge of trying to make telecommuting a culture that thrives rather than taking a toll on the employees. We decipher this for you so that you can leverage the benefits of telecommuting and build the team that drives your business to new heights.
Debunking “Out of sight, out of Mind”
It’s easier to read the emotions of a colleague who sits right across to your desk, through coffee breaks or the little chats. Telecommuters are often left out during official celebrations and team outings only because they are not physically present at the office where their “team” is. When you miss out on the little things that matter, telecommuters begin to go off the radar. Remote rotting occurs when your employees are isolated and ignored. They simply stop connecting with your vision and lose their purpose in working for you.
Bringing emotions to the workplace makes employees unique and give them an opportunity to bond. While physical office workers can seek comfort from their friends over a cup of coffee, the remote workers simply don’t have the chance. Bottled up emotions and the pressure to perform and outperform leads to employee burnout. Bringing your people together and ensuring that they have access to colleagues is the first step in building an inclusive and healthy work culture.
Let humanity trump the distance
A strong culture is one that scripts a journey for the employee from the hiring, to onboarding, and nurture their growth throughout. Employers are required to come up with creative and impactful ideas to keep the connection as human as possible to build a strong remote team. Let’s take a look at them.
Learning Check-ins
Create a ritual unique to your company/team. Weekly learning meetings encourage team members to meet and discuss what they have learned the past week. Use free resources to automatically generate groups so that you increase the number of colleagues your remote employee will meet. Online video meetings help your team interact, collaborate and share ideas to build a culture driven by learning.
Over a Cup of Coffee
If you are a remote worker in a semi-remote team or a fully remote team, you can indulge in co-ordinated breaks with your colleagues. You can have coffee while on a video call with ample time for casual chats. This improves bonding and lets you get to know the person more than their Instagram posts.
Team Outings
Telecommuting exposes you to a global talent pool and paves way for a diverse culture. If you have remote employees working closer, coordinate a way to bring them together for a cooperate activity, a conference or simply a casual dinner.
A remote Team Meet-up at Portland, US
If you are out to make a difference, bring your employees closer for activities that impact lives. Let them volunteer at a food bank, participate in an environmental clean drive or assist people at a shelter. Ensure you give your employees ways to interact, innovate and connect to solve a problem with amazing ideas.
Let Emotions come alive
Handling a remote team may be tricky but with the right person to oversee the wellness and happiness, you can create a stronger community. When your remote team member calls in sick for a longer period, wellness kits could be a thoughtful act that reinforces the idea that “You Do Care”.
Sending gifts to your remote workers will showcase the company’s commitment to their well-being
Some teams would go beyond their ways by sending gifts during birthdays, congratulatory notes on personal achievements. It’s not just the highs, employees are vulnerable to depression during the low and rough times too. As a team, your priority should ensure that employees have a shoulder to lean on. Provide access to a highly trained counselor who is closer to where they work or one who they can connect virtually.
With the help of technology, it is possible to create an inclusive workspace with people from any part of the globe sans barriers. Talented individuals can hop onboard as Work Anywhere is the motto. Physical barriers and distance will no longer prevent you from accessing resources from a global talent pool. Companies need to explore the options and experiment heavily on the Work Anywhere concept to find out people who fit their culture rather than accepting the nearest fit. Working from Anywhere empowers an organization to invest in its people, create a culture that can bring about a change just from Anywhere.
We’re continually creating resources that remote teams can benefit from. Is there something that you have tried? Share your experience by leaving a comment.