How to build a culture with remote teams

A solid company’s culture is not just about after-work drinks and office snacks. Culture is the key essence that drives the company’s success. Covid-19 has shifted the way many companies are running, including an increasing trend of remote working. Building and maintaining a strong positive culture with your remote team is as important as your local team. Here are a few tips:

1. Hire the right people

Every employee you hire will have an impact on your company culture. Therefore, it’s vital to have a comprehensive recruiting approach; as well as onboard processes to ensure everyone understands the company value. 

2. Communicate the culture

Communication is important to any teams, especially for remote teams, it becomes essential. In order to build a strong company culture, everyone needs to understand the cultural core. Therefore, settle on a clear effective way of clarifying that culture then explain it to your team. Continue to remind your team how important it is to foster the culture together. Here are a few things you can do:

• Choose the right communication tools for your team (Check out our blog post for different examples)
• Set casual virtual meetings to allow everyone interacts with each other
• Organise fun virtual games after work (Buzzfeed quiz or Ice breaker games)
• Create a chat room where everyone can talk about anything

3. Take time to understand each team member

Each member of your team is a unique individual; therefore, take some time to learn about them. A genuine understanding of each team member will allow remote working more productive and enjoyment. Embrace everyone’s differences and put them in a position where their talents can shine. Incorporating one-on-one face time is a great way to understand each other; you should discuss not only work topics but also casual ones as well, in order to get to know your team members on a person level as well as professional.

4. Two-way feedback

Giving honest feedback can be challenging, however, it is the key to maintain a thriving company culture. When everyone is open to receive and provide feedback, there will be higher productivity, lower employees turnover rates and a trustworthy workplace. A few activities to foster feedbacks are:

• Weekly one on one virtual meetings
• One on one mentoring
• Feedback sheets
• Group feedback sessions