How To Nurture Company Culture in the Era of Remote Work
Companies with strong cultures rank higher across the board in the minds of employees.1 Yet offices are nothing like they used to be. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more office spaces have become entirely virtual.
Companies can no longer do many of the activities they did when employees came into the office: casual Fridays, free lunches, trivia nights and holiday parties aren’t possible. How can you instill a sense of company culture when all (or most) of your employees are working from home? We've rounded up a few ideas below.
Host Virtual Events
Due to coronavirus-induced isolation, loneliness has increased between 20 and 30 percent.2 Even if it’s not the same as being in person, your employees will appreciate any fun (virtual) social activities you plan. These are some entirely virtual activities you can experiment with to get your company having fun together again.
Game Nights
A huge increase in demand for online-friendly social activities has brought about a ton of virtual group games. Try organizing a monthly game night with your team; there’s no shortage of options.
Movie Nights
These are easy to organize and always enjoyable. Ask for movie suggestions, take a vote and have a watch party with your company.
Happy Hours
It’s a great practice to plan a regular company-wide happy hour. There’s a lot of flexibility with what you can do, so plan something unique for your employees and set aside an hour or two where you can all come together virtually, joke around and partake in fun team activities.
Check-In Regularly
You’re no longer working in the same physical space as your team. This is why it’s so important to put together virtual team meetings. These can take place however often you see fit, but weekly may be a good place to start. This gives you an opportunity to check in with everyone and discuss work-related issues, but it’s also a time just to see your coworkers’ faces and talk about everyday life.
If you’re not using a messaging platform, such as Slack, for your company’s communication, it’s a great tool to leverage. It makes a remote workspace less elusive and more tangible, allowing you to solidify your company culture in a new way. That being said, be sure to provide company updates often and keep a constant stream of communication going.
Organize New Clubs or Groups
Remote work schedules have many people left with an abundance of free time, and plenty use this to get recreational with their interests. Encourage employees to start groups based on common interests so they can share them with others.
This could come in the form of a book club or workout group. Regardless of what it is, groups like this are guaranteed to bring employees closer together and offer them a fun outlet.
These are strange times, and companies are missing business as usual. Nonetheless, try to see the silver lining and find ways to grow your company closer. People need a sense of togetherness now more than ever.
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