As more and more people continue to work remotely, either from home, coffee shops, or communal workplaces, workplace culture (and etiquette) is beginning to see changes as well. According to a survey published by Gallup, the past five years have seen an unprecedented increase in the amount of people who work remotely. In fact, data from the survey shows that nearly 43 percent of employees work remotely. As people spend more time working from home and less time physically interacting with their coworkers, the question remains: How can we build strong and trustworthy relationships with our coworkers without actually working in the same space? The answer—it’s possible, but it takes work. Here’s everything you need to know about building remote work relationships:
Find resources that work for you and your team:
Since remote workplaces are becoming more popular, there have been a plethora of tools designed to ease some of the challenges that come with it. When it comes to building a strong team, it’s important to decide which tools you will use, as well as when and how you will use them. Here are a few to consider:
Virtual Meetings- If you are working on a project with other team members, or are holding a team meeting to catch up, you might consider using a virtual meeting tool like Skype or Google Hangouts. This allows you to video chat with others on the conference call, making the meeting a little more personal.
Use a central hub- Whether you are sharing important documents with your coworkers or just need a communication platform, other than email, organizational sites like Slack or Asana are worth considering. These sites allow you to chat, share documents, and assign tasks to others in your group.
Build personal connections:
It seems obvious, but don’t forget the small talk. It might seem trivial, but asking friendly questions like, How was your weekend? Or How are things going for you this week? can remind your coworkers that despite your distance, you still support them. Working remotely can be lonely for some people, so don’t hesitate getting together in person for lunch meetings or after work happy hours.
Communicate Effectively
Communication can be difficult in any workplace, but especially when working remotely. It’s extremely important to communicate effectively and timely when dealing with remote coworkers. Working remotely means we rely on phone calls, emails, and chats, even more than we would if we were to share an office with coworkers. Try responding to your coworkers in a timely manner, or make sure to communicate when you will respond if you are unable to do so right away.
Working remotely has a lot of benefits, but if you need guidance when it comes to navigating the nuances of building remote work relationships, don’t wait too long to contact us at Quadrivium Advisors!