In the past year, many businesses have become work-from-home experts. The shift to remote work was sudden, but many companies are now capable of offering more remote positions than ever before. In fact, many businesses have started to adopt full-time work-from-home policies for specific roles. That said, remote work still presents many challenges for employees and employers alike. One such struggle is communication. Though technology allows teams to stay connected wherever they go, employers and managers should still strive to encourage and implement consistent, collaborative, and effective communication. Maintain an open and enjoyable office environment with this guide on how to improve communication for remote teams.
Maintain the Fun Conversations
When switching to virtual communications, offices prioritize the productive conversations: regular check-ins, department-wide video meetings, conference calls, and more. While these meetings are essential, you also need to remember the little in-person conversations that your team is now missing. How do you replace water cooler chats or spur-of-the-moment cubicle conversations? These casual moments between team members are a crucial part of the workday. They help your workers relieve stress and get to know each other a little better, which, in turn, creates a happier and more collaborative work environment. Make time and space for these moments. Create group chats for sharing fun things like pet photos or tasty recipes. Team building activities—even simple ones like trivia or questions of the day—can also help build a bright and friendly atmosphere, no matter how far apart everyone is.
Provide the Necessary Resources
Even if you have a great team, they can’t communicate without the right tools. One of the best ways to improve communication for remote teams is to establish multiple options, such as email, audio or video calls, and instant messengers. Not everyone has the time for multiple video calls a day. On the other hand, not everyone checks their instant messages every hour. Providing various ways to communicate allows team members to connect in whatever way works best for them. Additionally, your employees must have easy access to the software and resources they need to communicate. Forcing workers to download and install multiple tools on their personal devices can get confusing and frustrating. Implementing a virtual desktop can support your remote team and provide all the resources they need in one accessible location.
