How to Build a Thriving Atmosphere with Remote Employees

Managing a workforce can be a challenge, even when you have opportunities to interact in person. Maintaining a supportive and collaborative atmosphere becomes even tougher when employees work remotely or adhere to a hybrid schedule with less in-person interaction. But you don’t have to sacrifice the atmosphere you want simply by allowing employees to work from home. Explore our guide to building a thriving work atmosphere with a remote team.

The Challenges of Remote Work

One of the key challenges associated with a remote workforce is the lack of in-person interaction, which can aid in building relationships and ensuring collaboration. Managers who don’t necessarily trust their employees to complete their tasks without supervision may also question whether the work is getting done.

However, several decades ago, McKinsey & Company published the results of its study on high-performing cultures. Remote work was not a factor in these results but rather six key attributes that had the most significant impact on the atmosphere in the workplace. These attributes included:

• Strong leadership with leaders who have knowledge of the ins and outs of the organization and a view of the future
• Rewarding places to work, not for “perks” or “benefits” necessarily, but for being part of a winning organization
• Pursuit of effective strategies that focus on improving the customer experience
• Simple organizational structures that are scalable and don’t experience fundamental change in response to business growth
• Star employees receive recognition and rewards from their own managers, as well as those two to three levels upward
• Talented teams with world-class skills that fit into the required skillset (based on industry and strategy)

5 Steps to Building a Thriving Workplace Atmosphere

Follow these steps to ensure a thriving atmosphere with your remote employees.

Step 1: Build trust

Without trust, your company simply can’t succeed. If supervisors don’t trust their employees, steps need to be taken to establish and rebuild confidence in their ability to get work done, even without constant, direct supervision.

Consider ways to track metrics and performance that can be done remotely. For example, you could use project management software to ensure that all tasks are completed on time. As managers see that their team members are actually working and managing their tasks, they can feel less concerned about performance. Regular communication can also support efforts to strengthen trust.

Step 2: Identify the goals of the organization

Without clear aims in place, a company tends to struggle to grow and succeed. The data outlined above emphasizes the importance of focusing on the overall strategy, and that effort begins with clear goals.

Step 3: Implement mentorship programs

Think about how team members can support and educate one another in unique ways and invest in mentorship opportunities that support the needs of your workforce. You could shake things up by assigning junior-level team members to share their insights with individuals who have been in the workforce for decades. Such a program might offer a fresh lens to look at strategy and business efforts.

Step 4: Invest in employee growth and development

Your team is much more likely to succeed if they feel supported in their efforts, both individual and collaborative in nature. Consider whether the company can provide funds for ongoing growth and development, such as taking virtual workshops or attending conferences. With many of these events occurring online, the cost may be minimal to the employer yet deliver impressive dividends in terms of employee loyalty and skill-building.

Step 5: Ensure consistency and fairness

Consistency is critical in every workplace, but it’s especially vital among remote workers. Create clear expectations around attendance and availability, and ensure your employees are adhering to it with a timekeeping system that’s easy to use from anywhere. Incorporating a web time clock or a mobile clock allows each team member to clock in and out from their home office.

By taking these steps to promote a positive and supportive atmosphere in the workplace, your remote team members can continue to thrive. Implementing a solution that manages individual employees is also a must, and WorkforceHub is ideal for small businesses.

It’s built for companies in this sector, boasting time, scheduling, and hiring tools that are competitively priced and easy to use. Take it for a test drive today!