With the rise of remote work post Covid lockdowns, maintaining a strong corporate culture has become more challenging but no less crucial. Even when team members are dispersed, it’s essential to foster a sense of connection and shared purpose. So what strategies can you use in the workplace to keep the corporate culture alive and thriving with a remote or work-from-home (WFH) team.
- Virtual Team-Building Activities:
- Organise regular virtual team-building activities, such as online games, trivia nights, or virtual happy hours, to bring remote team members together in a relaxed and informal setting. These activities help build rapport and strengthen relationships among team members.
- Encourage Open Communication:
- Foster open and transparent communication channels within the team, utilising tools like video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management software. Encourage team members alongside work memos to share personal updates, ideas, and feedback regularly to maintain a sense of connection. Have 30 minutes a day or a week separate to a lunchbreak where your team suggests and plans things they might want to do together. Do they want to celebrate pride in the office? Have a team potluck to celebrate vast cultures? Or even each week take turns hosting a mini event that represents something about them.
- Celebrate Milestones and Achievements:
- Recognise and celebrate milestones, achievements, and birthdays within the team, even if it’s done virtually. Sending personalised messages, virtual cards, or small tokens of appreciation can make remote team members feel valued and acknowledged. Alternatively if this is the one day a week everyone’s in the office together ensure these celebrations are made fun! Really lean into them to show your team members they are valued.
While maintaining a strong corporate culture with a WFH team presents its challenges, it’s not impossible. By organising virtual team-building activities, fostering open communication, celebrating milestones, creating opportunities for more mini and large scale events you can ensure your team feels valued and the community is still fostered for the times you are all in the office together.