Some businesses can give employees the option to choose whether they want to work at home or in the office. But this is where business leaders can start to see problems, with bubbles developing across teams, creating a somewhat disjointed culture of those working in normality within the office and those still in limbo working from home.
Wherever your team is working from, they need to feel involved and included in what’s happening and team leaders need to ensure they avoid ostracizing home workers wherever possible. So what can you do?
1. Technology can be used to open new lines of communication
When part of the team has returned to the office, it can be easy to forget to include remote working employees in particular conversations which may happen in passing or casually during the day. For those not in the office, this can be a significant contributor to them feeling isolated as they aren’t aware of certain conversations and insights.
To combat this, business leaders should ensure their teams continue to use technology to their advantage, maintaining communication which can be all too easily lost when teams work remotely. One simple idea is to encourage daily ‘huddles’ where the team meets for 15 minutes per day to discuss what they’re working on or any issues they might be having. It’s an opportunity to chat, troubleshoot and celebrate successes. The huddles don’t always need to be serious; once a week the ring-fenced time can be used to play games or quick quizzes as a break from the norm.
2. Continue to encourage collaboration wherever possible
Members of the team that are working remotely and not in the office alongside others can fall victim to an insular way of working, sitting on any issues they might have and detaching from the team collaboration. To prevent this, team leaders and managers should be encouraging collaboration wherever possible.
Since the team can’t turn to a colleague as quickly to ask for advice, they may feel scheduling a call to chat makes it seem like more of an ‘issue’ than it is. But by encouraging team members to work together, this issue can be combated as employees build a natural relationship over time where they feel more comfortable reaching out to their peers, while the added benefit of being virtual ‘opens the door’ to new lines of communication between colleagues that may not have ordinarily communicated face-to-face.
3. Create purpose and reinforce the culture and goals of the team
Being in an office together as a team is where culture begins and where it grows and develops, and many teams will have a great working culture that’s healthy and supportive. But, in a new way of working where the majority of a team are in their own homes and others are together in an office, businesses risk culture slipping and adapting in different ways - not necessarily for the better.
Team leaders must ensure they’re proactive in nurturing and reinforcing the company culture since healthy cultures have a direct impact on the performance of teams. Taking the time to reinforce the vision and values of the company or the immediate team is essential. Even reiterating shorter term goals provides a purpose and drive within the team and coupling this with the open communication of any news or updates relating to the company or team will allow for transparency, an important trait which ensures employees remain loyal to the company. Uncertainty is detrimental to the morale of a team, so any communication should be as clear and certain as possible.
4. Entire company lunch and learn talks
A great way to take a break from work and really showcase the variety, diversity and knowledge of your team is to host monthly lunch and learn talks. They’re a great way to ensure businesses stimulate employees, give them the freedom to talk around a topic they’re passionate about and allow the whole team to engage in something away from their day-to-day activities that‘s positive.
The sessions also offer an opportunity for updates from different teams and allows every member of the business to have an insight into other teams and what they’re working on. For employees working remotely, this is a perfect way to ensure they’re still able to engage in training with the whole company.
5. Socializing is important even if it isn’t physically
Virtual social events should not be dismissed by businesses just yet, despite how laborious Zoom quizzes can be. For employees still working remotely, these social events are a direct replacement for the usual events and informal drinks after work which they would have otherwise attended and for new starters these are key in settling them into the business. Since employees who have returned to the office may be engaging in more social events in person (where possible), it’s imperative for businesses to facilitate a space for remote working employees to socialize as well.
Social events are an easy way to create natural conversation opportunities and bring employees together on a far more personal level. Equally these events don’t have to be company-wide. If you manage multiple teams on a project, facilitating a virtual event or space where the teams can all communicate and relax could really aid in developing the success and productivity of the project and team.
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