If you run a remote business, you might find that building a workplace community is difficult, as there is no face-to-face contact. In fact, you might even find you employ a huge number of people who do not know each other or work as well as you might have first thought. This can greatly impact the success and growth of your business if not addressed.
You might be reluctant to take action to change things, however, as you might have chosen the remote working pattern because of the low overheads, and you don’t want to go and spend a huge amount of money. However, there are some measures you can take that are likely to get you the results you need without breaking your budget.
#1 Temporary office space
If you want to remain a remote business but you also want to bring your employees together for meetings once every month, you won’t have an office. You are going to need to find a professional setting to be able to conduct certain business meetings. You might find that temporary office space, such as that provided by thebrew.co.uk, can be really important to your business and the connection your employees have with each other, and allow employees to introduce themselves in person.
#2 Communication software
Finding the best communication software can be a major step in bringing more collaboration into your business. In short, you are going to need to be able to have a team that communicates effectively to problem solve. However, on the relationship side of your business, you are going to need this communication software between employees to help form support networks and friendships that can help employee loyalty and retention numbers in your business.
#3 Employee reward systems
Employee reward systems are another way to build community. They help to encourage friendly competition and build teams who are enthusiastic about working for your business because they know that if they work hard and work well with those around them, they will be able to get more out of the job.
#4 Celebrating employee achievements
Celebrating employee achievements and events, such as wishing them a happy birthday, and celebrating the major life events that they have going on, such as weddings or the birth of a child or grandchild, can help them to feel seen, as well as give your employees something to talk about. If you say that your employees aren’t just a number to you, this is a way to prove it. Celebrating their lives outside of their jobs is a good way to build trust and help your employees retain their individuality within your company.
A few final thoughts
There are plenty of ways that your business can begin to build a better community and stronger relationships within its remote infrastructure. You will find that using employee reward systems and celebrating employee achievements, as well as providing high-quality communication software and using temporary office spaces, can all contribute towards building a healthy and supportive workplace.
James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading and knowing about the latest gadgets and tech, whilst offering views and opinions on these topics.