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Building Culture in A Hybrid Work Environment
Over the past three years, the world has become used to the idea of hybrid working environments becoming permanent for many businesses. There are many pros to remote work life including fewer overhead costs for employers and better work-life balances for employees. As we continue to grow our companies remotely, it’s time to take a deeper look at the impact this change in environment has had on company culture.
Even in in-person environments, curating a supportive and efficient company culture can be challenging. With many of our co-workers now being spread out across the globe, managers and company heads need to work extra hard to create an effective remote company culture. So, how can we get this done? Our experts have done the research so you don’t have to. Let’s take a look at what they’ve found.
Benefits of a Positive Work Environment
When it comes to effective company culture, the benefits are endless. A critical component of company longevity and employee retention is providing a working environment, remote or not, that cultivates support, teamwork, safety, open communication, accountability, and understanding. With a company culture like this, your employees will remain happy, satisfied, and loyal.
Here is a list of the more common benefits of positive company culture:
- Improved teamwork
- Raised morale
- Increased productivity & efficiency
- Enhanced retention of the workforce
- Enhanced job satisfaction
- Better collaboration
- Enhanced work performance
- Lower employee stress-levels
- Overall improved mental and physical well-being of employees
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Reduced turnover rates
How to Keep the Team Engaged
Learning how to keep your virtual team engaged when working remotely is crucial when creating an effective company culture. For many, trial and error is going to be common when it comes to finding the best system for you and your employees. To help, our team has put together a list of remote team engagement tips you can start trying today.
1. Prioritize Communication
Working remotely can make employees feel distant and out of the loop. Setting up weekly stand-ups and 1:1’s between managers and team members can help everyone feel more involved and motivated to remain engaged. It’s important for managers and team leads to keep in mind that communication goes both ways. Encourage employees to reach out and speak up about anything going on and learn to listen more intently when engaging with coworkers.
2. Encourage Health & Wellness
The health and wellness of your employees should be a top priority. When people are feeling less than themselves and are in need of a break, they won’t be able to perform at the top of their abilities—letting employees know that their mental and physical well-being is important and that it’s okay to reach out and take breaks when necessary. At Integrant, we care a lot about our employees’ mental health and wellbeing, that’s why we have partnered with O7 Therapy, a refined, scientific, and research-based online platform, established to support our employees’ ongoing journey to mental wellness. The more free and more trusted people feel the more engaged they're going to be when they’re at their best.
3. Recognize a Job Well Done
When people’s work is recognized and appreciated, their motivation to continue working and do better heightens. Don’t forget to think of your employees as people first, the work they provide for your company is important. Don’t let them forget that.
4. Host Virtual Meetings & Casual Hangouts
One great way to get people together when working remotely is by providing virtual meet-up opportunities. Try setting up a time at least once a month when employees can take a break and come together online. One great example is by hosting a monthly virtual “happy hour” and putting a committee together to plan these happy hours and put together games, activities, and themes for each one.
5. Be Flexible & Promote Health Work/Life Balances
Again, keep in mind that your employees are people first, and workers second. Everyone needs the grace to cool down and reset. Be flexible with your employees and understand that everyone has a life outside of work. Encouraging employees to take the time they need to recharge and reconnect to their home and social lives leads to happier, well-balanced employees.
How to Keep the Team Engaged
A great way to foster an effective company culture is by creating an environment that encourages employees to constantly reinvent and further educate themselves. Routine can make people feel stuck, bored, and in a rut over time. By providing learning and development opportunities at work, employees can take control of their careers and continue expanding their knowledge of their current positions and about others.
One great learning and development opportunity companies can offer are cross-training programs. Cross-training can prove to be beneficial for both employers and employees. The more employees understand the company and the roles that come together to make it successful, the more opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth will present themselves to both employer and employee.
At Integrant, we have a learning and development program called 4Plus1. 4Plus1 offers engineers the opportunity to shadow a project from beginning to end. The benefit this provides to the client is that the team's ability to scale up or down at a moment's notice is efficient and effective. This solution helps eliminate the roadblock of having to interrupt project phases to add or remove a team player. For employees, 4Plus1 allows for the seamless integration of a new team member when an existing team member needs a vacation, is sick, or wants to take advantage of a different career growth opportunity. This program provides flexibility, promotes a work/life balance, and provides a learning and development opportunity.
Wrap Up
As the times change, so must our company policies and practices. When it comes to something as critical to success as company culture, keeping with the times is instrumental. Remote working may separate us from our coworkers physically, but with the right remote company culture, bonds can be made, and comfortability can be found. Effective company culture can bring safety, support, and open communication into the workplace. Through the techniques, practices, and opportunities introduced in this blog, remote company culture can reap the same benefits. Learn more about the importance of company culture and how we make remote working work at Integrant by checking out some of our similar blogs linked below!
