The Struggle to Build a Remote Work Culture 

It’s been more than two years since COVID-19 forced a lot of people to switch to remote co-workers, and if your company is struggling to maintain its in-person culture — you should know it’s not alone. 

A recent survey of remote employees who had been office-based revealed social connection as the No.1 thing people missed most; more than having a specific workspace and the ability to meet in person. 

Regardless of the obvious need for social connectivity, most businesses haven’t determined how to achieve it in a remote workforce. Some businesses are banking on a return to office work as the solution. However, plenty of other businesses have accepted remote work as a new normal, letting some or all of their staff members remain remote until further notice. 

There are many personal benefits of remote work, and many people don’t want a return to the office. For companies, having workers who don’t feel connected to their coworkers or don’t interact outside their team could mean higher turnover. As we’ve seen, remote employees can still be highly productive, and many people are content working on their own, but when work is more transactional, it’s easy for employees to trade task list for another. 

How Can You Build a Remote Work Culture?

New Technology to Build Culture 

It looks like remote work is likely here to stay, in one form or another, and there are technology companies looking to address the challenge of maintaining social connections. 

A platform called Cleary is based on a “digital lobby” where employees can post updates, ask questions and offer congratulations to co-workers. The user experience is similar to that of Facebook, with a newsfeed that serves up personalized content. 

Another platform called Tandem encourages staff members to post updates all through the day. The idea is to let coworkers know what they’re open to having for a quick chat, or when they’re deep in Do Not Disturb mode. In a similar approach used by Slack, Tandem was designed to get people talking to one another more during the workday. But unlike Slack, it’s focused on showing true availability, not just when users are logged on. 

A platform called Donut combines with Slack to offer additional ways for remote employees to interact socially, such as offering a dedicated water-cooler channel where conversational prompts are designed to inspire casual chat. While some platforms are dedicated to building up bonds between co-workers, Donut is ideal for people who don’t really interact much during the workday. 

What Else Can You Do?

While digital icebreakers can feel a little clunky and unnatural, even light interactions can help alleviate the drudgery of a tough workday, and nudged interactions are particularly valuable for new team members. Even when “forced” conversation feels a bit lame, employees can collectively acknowledge it, which can actually help bring them together. 

Some experts are saying businesses looking to maintain social connections should acknowledge the appeal of being a remote worker, while also seeking creative approaches to making employee connections. For instance, the tech company GitLab provides a travel stipend for staff members looking to work together in the same space. 

We Can Help You Build a Vibrant Modern Workforce 

Whether your employees are fully remote, hybrid, or on-premise, SMCI can help you find the right mix of staff members. Please contact us today to find out how we can support your modern workforce.