The pandemic left companies around the world scrambling for a playbook on remote work. Suddenly, teams had to stare at little boxes on a screen instead of gathering around conference tables. Slack channels and email avalanches replaced water cooler gossip and onsite meetings. We learned more than we ever needed to know about our coworkers’ sourdough starters.
So how do you work together as a team and integrate a sense of community into this new virtual normal?
There’s more to building a remote team than just coordinating Zoom backgrounds. Having surveyed, interviewed, and worked with more than a thousand remote teams over the last five years, we’ve learned a thing or two about best practices for remote teams:
Don’t just default to business as usual.
Many in-office strategies are bound to fall flat when attempting them with a remote team. Casual Friday doesn’t really apply if you’ve been wearing pajama pants all week anyway, right?
And let’s be real: a virtual “happy hour” and an actual happy hour feel about as similar as a virtual hug and a real hug.
Remote teams have different needs and priorities.
Trying to impose the same workflows on a dispersed team is a no-go. Instead, try strategies that are specifically geared towards remote teams and virtual environments.
Establish communication norms for digital channels like Slack and email, and have clear expectations for response times. Make space for employees to socialize, but do so in ways that are more conducive to a remote setting, like playing a virtual board game together or making a collaborative comic on a digital whiteboard.
Check-in often.
When you don’t see your team at the office every day, it’s all too easy to fall into the habit of communicating with coworkers only when there’s a deadline or a fire to put out.
But if employees feel isolated, it leads to job dissatisfaction, worse performance, and more turnover. The data is clear: prioritizing employee well-being is good for business.
So how do you do that when your team is virtual? Without the daily casual interactions that happen organically in the office, be proactive about frequent 1:1 check-ins. That might be different depending on the employee. For some, a quick daily video chat will be easiest, while for others, regular email updates feel more comfortable.
Remote work makes it easier for individuals to set up their own ideal communication patterns. Just make sure your team knows your (virtual) door is open whenever and however they need support.
Maybe responding to superfluous reply-alls with memes isn’t actually as helpful as you think it is.
Ask for suggestions.
Along the same vein, be intentional about soliciting feedback from your team.
It’s impossible to anticipate every need that might arise.
A chronic frustration for one team member might be a quick fix for you, but you need to actually be aware of it first. And that’s inherently more difficult with virtual work. Who knows, buying a good set of headphones for Gerald (AKA Sir Echos-A-Lot) could immediately boost everyone’s job satisfaction by 10%. But you won’t know unless you ask.
Giving people the agency to engineer their own solutions to problems goes a long way too. Employees will be more invested in outcomes if they came up with the ideas themselves.
Make time for collaboration and socializing.
Virtual face time is still face time, and our brains respond to it very similarly. Even if you’re not in the same room together, you can still integrate brainstorming sessions and spontaneous communication into your team’s workflow.
Tools like Donut or Sococo can help facilitate this by making space for serendipitous conversations and simulating the office environment virtually.
Spending time with colleagues outside of work mode can also help TEAMS significantly.
Fun virtual team events get creative juices flowing and increase employee motivation. And time and time again, employee engagement is one of the best predictors for company profits. That’s where virtual team-building activities come in.
Prioritize company culture.
Arguably the most important way for a remote team to stay connected is to foster a strong company culture. Employees that connect with the mission of their company and feel like they belong will stick around for the long haul. And hiring new employees is expensive and labor-intensive, so investing in a solid company culture is both a kind and pragmatic way to engage your team.
It takes more intention and awareness to shape the values of a company remotely, but you’ll be glad you took the time.
Check out #3 on this list for more tips to build a strong virtual work culture.
Let’s be honest; we can all probably relate to this meme. Try a daily stretching routine with your team!
Embrace new rituals.
Without the glue of an office hub, work at a remote company is at risk of becoming transactional and impersonal. That’s why company rituals are crucial.
This can look different for different teams:
Break up long meetings with icebreaker questions
Do micro-workouts together in the afternoons to boost your energy.
Unwind together at the end of every workweek with some games.
What matters is creating routines that are enjoyable, personalized for the individuals on the team, and sustainable over the long haul.
Let go of the strict 9-5 schedule.
One of the best things about remote work is the versatility. (Plus, no more long hours commuting next to somebody on the train eating a tuna sandwich!) Instead of a rigid, one-size-fits-all schedule for the whole team, take advantage of that versatility.
It’s obviously still helpful to have some overlapping hours with your team so they can collaborate (see above), but work together to figure out a healthy mix of coordinated hours and flexibility. Maybe some night owls find their best creative flows at 2am, while others have a burst of energy after the morning meeting.
The science is clear about this: putting nose to the grindstone for 40+ hours every week isn’t healthy, nor does it lead to higher work output.
It’s much better to adapt to the natural rhythms of our bodies and our brains.
Figure out a way to have a good balance between flexibility and enough overlap so that you can still work together in real time when you need to.
Don’t micromanage.
Some of you may be stuck on that last point, worrying that employees will slack off if they’re given such a long leash. That’s where a solid company culture and trust come in.
If you can’t trust A team member to stay on task while remote, being in the office probably wouldn’t change that.
With an established baseline of trust, you can give your team the space to figure out for themselves how and when they do their best work. And it’s a win-win: trusted employees are more engaged, more productive, and more likely to stay with a company long-term.
Organize company retreats.
If employees feel safe doing so, planning annual or quarterly retreats together is a great way to rejuvenate your virtual team.
As flexible and versatile as remote work is, there are some things that just don’t translate. And while it’s possible to build connections virtually, the concentrated team bonding that comes from a corporate retreat or a company offsite is hard to beat.
The connections built there will have a lasting impact on a team, continuing long after they return to a remote workflow.
Even if some folks aren’t able to join in-person, there are team-building options that are specifically designed for hybrid teams. These events allow remote employees to play an integral role in the game flow and stay connected to the rest of their team. Games like this are inclusive of those who need to stay remote due to logistical challenges, personal preference, or health concerns.
Experiment. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
Many teams have been remote for over two years now (and some for much longer), but there’s still plenty to learn. The virtual charades tournament that’s a hit with the sales team might be a flop with the accounting department.
Explore different strategies and play around with the ones that show promise. Or just throw spaghetti on the wall, and see what sticks! (Maybe not literally.) You may be surprised at the things that end up having the biggest impact on your team.
Want some help with your remote team engagement?
We've worked with over 850 teams in the past two years, hosting games like Escape the Zoom, Cocktail Party Murder Mystery, and Great Zoom Challenge Game. Our games are hosted by professional actors and are customizable, fun and engaging!