3 Ways To Engage Remote Workers In Your Company Culture

The pandemic of 2020 swept the world fast. 

And so the remote working model has entered employers’ lives rather suddenly. And the necessity to move quickly gave staff less time to comfortably think out the fine prints. Zoom calls, virtual team building events, BPM software and other collaboration tools are just some of the efforts companies have had to embrace to make the remote workplace resemble the physical one as much as possible.

Most employees had to experience this change for the first time in 2020 and realize what it truly entailed. Before, While many businesses let staff work from home from time to time, many frowned upon it and ruled it out as unproductive.

However, now, in 2021,  remote is the new normal and it seems like we’ve all come to terms with it. Lack of engagement, burnout and poor work-life balance are some of the drawbacks that many struggle with.

In this article, we’ll look at three ways companies can engage remote workers within company culture.

Introduce Business Process Management Early On

Think ahead. Don’t let day-to-day operations drive out planning. – Donald Rumsfeld

Your team may have been used to a certain way of working in the office and completing tasks. In a virtual setting it’s important to make sure there are means available to keep the same practices going.

Ease your workers through the remote work processes and keep them engaged with the team and your company culture values. Make sure they stay connected by creating remote communication practices that resemble the chats in the office.

In order to stay inline with each project use a collaboration tool, like the small business process software. It combines all the projects your team is working on on its easy-to-navigate dashboard. Everyone can communicate with their colleagues involved in the same task and in the context of the task to maximize productivity and minimize blocks. That will help engage remote workers and keep them motivated. 

Often, BPM tools have notification systems built in. Use them so that your employees never miss a deadline and channel their efforts towards the completion of the project together. 

WeWork is a rental office space giant that has incorporated a project management software. This company uses Jira as it helps manage multiple teams, prioritise tasks and update status on each one. A job well done guarantees better company culture engagement as it takes teamwork to protect your shared values and strive for the same goals.

Redefine Your Company Culture For A Remote Setting

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. —Stephen Hawking

A company culture is an accumulation of your mission, all shared values, and emotional commitment between employees in the workplace. It directly affects every decision-making process throughout the company’s existence. A lot of job applicants get a feel for it on the company website through brand messages and mission statements. 

Google is an excellent example of easing new hires into their company culture. Even in a remote setting, the company still follows the five steps of onboarding. 

1. Have a discussion about roles and responsibilities.
2. Match the new hire with a peer buddy.
3. Help the new hire build a social network.
4. Set up employee onboarding check-ins once a month for the new hire’s first six months.
5. Encourage open dialogue.

This process set clear expectations and allows room for collaboration and accountability. It also eliminates the need for micromanaging, which is a proven way to lower one’s productivity and passion.

Establishing clear communication channels is a good way to engage remote workers in your company culture. Be certain to allow some fun in the work process as working remotely can be depressing and lonely without genuine humour. Make room for casual conversations on the formal workplace communication channels. This can include chats specifically for kudos, random things, success stories and even a pet channel. 

When it comes to onboarding new hires, incorporate company values from day one and make them feel welcomed by the rest of the team. Welcome kits such as staff handbooks and weekly catch-ups are a nice way to get this going. Additionally, incorporate interactive and challenging activities to better engage remote workers – quizzes, contests, company retreats, knowledge sharing sessions and other perks. Get creative! 

Employee Satisfaction Surveys

“Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” —Steve Jobs

It is usually a good HR practice to carry out employee satisfaction surveys on a regular basis. This way, no issues remain unresolved in one-to-ones and staff review conversations. There is always the worry and stress that employees have for owning up to seniors about a problem that has been bothering them for a while. Quite understandably, everyone fears being misunderstood or rejected.

Check out this inspiring video about the former CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz:

To engage remote workers successfully, it is crucial to let everybody speak his or her mind. An unhappy employee is more likely to bring down other colleague’s motivation. That directly corresponds to poorer performance and customer satisfaction. Be sure to catch on these signals early on and resolve them. A casual check-up can do wonders with one’s productivity and acceptance in the team.

Thus, an anonymous employee satisfaction survey may be just what you need. Ask questions about company culture, communication with colleagues and management, happiness at work and overall content in the company. This will give you a good feel for the motivation, inspiration and passion your team has in your company’s worth and values.

Engage Remote Workers in Your Company Culture to Boost Productivity

The transition to remote work has swept the business world off its feet unexpectedly. It has never been more challenging than now to engage remote workers in company culture. 

The key is to fake it till you make it – smooth the transition out, make it feel normal. Companies today should put in that extra effort to stay connected and engaged with their employees.