Any organization faces a problem in fostering and maintaining team cohesiveness in a distant setting. Communication and bonding tend to happen naturally when you have in-person teams. These natural team-building events, such as conversing over coffee in the break room, don’t happen in a remote work environment.
Many more organizations have embraced remote working as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, and they are trying to develop team cohesiveness virtually. Read on for our top recommendations on how to establish team camaraderie in the workplace if your firm is concerned about maintaining morale in the new remote work culture.
Why is workplace Camaraderie important?
The sense of friendship and trust that can develop between people who spend a lot of time together is known as camaraderie. When there is workplace camaraderie, team members have faith in one another and enjoy working together. Collaboration, efficiency, and general productivity can all benefit from this.
According to research, persons who have good workplace connections are seven times more likely to be involved in their work and are 50% more satisfied with their jobs. People are less likely to quit when they work with their friends, thus a sense of camaraderie can help with retention.
The following are some of the other key advantages of team camaraderie:
- A sense of belonging: One of the most difficult challenges for remote workers is a sense of isolation, which can be alleviated by office camaraderie.
- Common goals: Strong connections foster a sense of “we’re all in this togetherness,” which can aid your team in achieving shared objectives.
- Less conflict: When everyone has a sense of friendliness and trust, little disagreements and conflicts are less likely to turn ugly and negative.
How to Create a Positive Remote Work Environment
Virtual team building activities are an excellent method to get to know new remote employees. However, establishing a successful remote work culture needs more than one round of activities.
Workplace camaraderie necessitates the following:
- Communication that is open
- Trust
- Appreciation
- Respect
- Transparency
- Rapport
Employees develop team camaraderie when they are able to interact openly and positively with one another and with management. People require a sense of deference and admiration. They must also trust that their teammates and managers are looking out for their best interests and are forthcoming with both positive and bad news.
Tips for fostering virtual office friendship
The ability to inculcate camaraderie and understanding what it takes to build one are two distinct things. After all, something as simple as trust is simple to comprehend yet difficult to cultivate and grow.
So, here are our top nine suggestions for fostering workplace togetherness, even if your staff is distributed:
- Make use of profile photos. Headshots in profile photos and chat icons can assist team members put a face to a name, helping them feel more connected to the individuals with whom they’re working.
- Encourage face-to-face communication. When compared to communicating with faceless voices, using video chat for meetings can help people feel more connected. Furthermore, when people’s body language is apparent, there will be more transparency and fewer misunderstandings because it helps lend context to words.
- Make a group chat room. You should build and maintain a digital channel for non-work interaction, whether it’s through Slack, your office collaboration software, or another platform. Employees form bonds and get to know one another around common interests or problems.
- Encourage small talk. It’s critical to encourage your staff to communicate with one another. Just because you create a channel for it doesn’t guarantee that others will use it. Set aside time at the conclusion of meetings or during designated “coffee breaks” to encourage open dialogue. Asking how people are doing and providing some personal information about themselves (such as your weekend plans or what you’re currently binge-watching) can also help promote communication.
- Make competitions and challenges. Regular contests can foster a sense of friendly competition while also allowing individuals to get to know one another better. To give different people with varied strengths a chance to shine, try exploring different forms of team building games for remote employees (such as photo contests, quiz contests, and so on).
- Organize social gatherings on a regular basis. Getting together and conversing about non-work issues via video conference can help establish camaraderie, whether it’s a daily 15-minute meeting to say hello or a monthly “virtual cocktails” event. Regular check-ins will also help to alleviate the feelings of isolation that some remote employees experience.
- Recognize people. Praise for people’s labor and contributions to the team will assist the team develop a sense of appreciation and respect. Celebrating team victories, no matter how minor, will help keep motivation high and ensure that everyone remains focused on a common objective.
- Set a good example. You must model the behavior you wish to see in others. Your team may not feel able to open up and bond if you don’t attend social meetings or discuss about your personal life.
- Micromanaging isn’t a good idea. Allowing your staff to exercise autonomy demonstrates that you believe in them and their ability. They’ll experience a stronger feeling of camaraderie with you and the rest of the team if you’re not continually checking in and asking them how things are doing.
Tools for fostering a remote work culture
To develop team cohesiveness in a remote job, you’ll need a few crucial tools:
- A platform for communication (i.e., Slack)
- A tool for video conferencing (i.e., Zoom)
While communication platforms like Slack and Zoom are important for remote office collaboration, they aren’t sufficient. It takes something more to retain transparency, communicate fluidly, and stay on top of things without micromanaging. No matter where your employees are physically situated, you must link your entire organization, share ideas, and perform your best work in a shared office.
