“People just collaborate better in person.”
That was the sentiment in a conversation recently with someone who worked over 30 years in a corporate setting. In his estimation, only in-office employees could collaborate spontaneously over coffee.
And yet so many companies are not only operating on a fully remote work model but excelling at it. According to the 2023 Buffer State of Remote Work survey, 68 percent of workers say they have had a very positive experience with remote work[1]. When asked about difficulties in collaborating and communicating with coworkers, just 8 percent cited it as their top challenge. That number is down markedly from 2020, when 20 percent of workers said collaboration/communication challenges were their top issue[2].
Currently, the corporate world wrestles with whether to allow remote work or to call everyone back to the office. Meanwhile, job seekers are still looking for a work arrangement that affords them a better work-life balance. It benefits your organization to find a way to offer more flexibility in where your employees work, and to retool your managerial approach to help employees excel no matter where they work.
We at WAHVE have operated remotely since our inception, and we recommend the following:
Adopt proactive communication. The more channels you provide for your employees to reach out to you – and the better you train your managers in proactively communicating with employees – the more connected everyone feels to the projects and organization. Video conferencing, instant messaging, email, WhatsApp, Facetime are just a few tools you can employ to bolster your one-on-one communications as well as team collaborations.
Make good use of collaboration tools. There are a multitude of online tools available to help your team collaborate easier. Microsoft Teams, Google Docs, Slack, Evernote make it simple for your teams to work on projects simultaneously and communicate in real time.
Build the team’s morale. We are huge proponents of celebrating the people who work for us and with us. Take every opportunity to hold virtual events – birthdays, happy hours, game nights, baby showers. All are reasons to celebrate the milestones in your people’s lives. Don’t forget to celebrate retirements, career milestones, and project successes.
Offer support. And mean it. It’s one thing to say that management is behind its employees. It’s another thing to actually demonstrate that. It means learning a new way to engage your workers. Check in regularly on projects. Set benchmarks. Assign responsibility for projects or unresolved issue. Give workers a chance to help contribute to the success of the company and be there to provide the resources and additional support they may need.
Reward team efforts. When your employees feel appreciated, they stick around. That’s the results of a Glassdoor study, which shows 80 percent of employees also work harder when they feel their efforts are appreciated[3]. Gifts, monetary rewards, and always public acknowledgement of hard work are some ways to make your team feel valued.
Your remote workers are a key part of your organization’s success. They will work hard for you if you give them the time, tools, and trust they need. Creating strong collaborative relationships starts with a more communicative management style, more trust and responsibility, and more recognition for the efforts your team deliver every day.
[1] Buffer | State Of Remote Work 2023
[2] Buffer | State Of Remote Work 2020
[3] 27 Essential Employee Recognition Statistics [2023]: Need To Know Facts For Managers And HR – Zippia