Company culture: 3 ways to keep it together in a virtual world.
Maintaining a strong company culture has become increasingly harder with teams dispersed and working remotely.
This is particularly relevant for companies that are sourcing on-demand talent through models such as managed services.
In this blog, we explore three effective strategies for keeping your company culture thriving in a virtual world. By implementing these approaches, you can foster a sense of unity, engagement, and growth among your remote and managed services teams.
- Hosting virtual team building activities.
Team building activities play a crucial role in creating camaraderie and boosting morale within a company. In a virtual environment, it is essential to adapt these activities to fit the remote work setting. Here are some ideas:
- Virtual icebreakers.
Start meetings with short icebreaker activities to encourage team members to get to know each other on a personal level. Icebreakers could include sharing fun facts, playing online games, or virtual show-and-tell sessions.
- Online team challenges.
Organize virtual team challenges that promote collaboration and friendly competition. Try virtual escape rooms, online trivia contests, or virtual scavenger hunts.
- Virtual social events.
Arrange virtual social events outside of work hours to provide an opportunity for team members to socialize and bond. This can include virtual happy hours, online cooking classes, or virtual book clubs. Encourage participation and make these events inclusive and accessible for everyone.
2. Maintaining regular facetime/catch-ups.
Regular communication and face-to-face interactions are vital for nurturing a strong company culture, and there’s no reason to let virtual working get in the way. Here’s how you can prioritize facetime and catch-ups:
- Video conferencing.
Utilize video conferencing tools for team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and brainstorming sessions. Seeing each other’s faces and body language fosters connection and enhances communication.
- Virtual coffee breaks.
Schedule informal virtual coffee breaks where team members can chat and connect casually. It helps mimic the social interactions that typically happen in an office setting and helps foster personal relationships among team members.
- Structured check-ins.
Implement regular check-ins with each team member to discuss progress, challenges, and goals. This is an opportunity to provide feedback, offer support, and reinforce a sense of belonging.
3. Creating personal development plans.
Investing in the personal growth and development of your team members is crucial for maintaining a positive company culture. Here’s how you can create effective personal development plans in a virtual world:
- Goal-setting and alignment.
Engage in goal-setting discussions with each team member to align their personal aspirations with organizational objectives. You’ll help create a sense of purpose and ensure everyone is working towards common goals.
- Skill enhancement opportunities.
Identify areas where team members can enhance their skills and then provide resources or access to training programs. This could include virtual workshops, webinars, or online courses.
- Regular feedback and recognition.
Provide timely feedback and recognition for accomplishments, milestones, and improvements. Regularly acknowledging and appreciating the efforts of your team members boosts morale, motivation, and a sense of belonging.
Foster growth, collaboration, and unity.
By implementing virtual team-building activities, prioritizing regular face time/catch-ups, and creating personal development plans, you can foster unity, engagement, and growth among your remote and managed services teams.
Remember, company culture starts at the top, so it’s crucial for leaders and managers to set an example and actively participate in these initiatives. Additionally, encourage feedback from your team members to continuously improve and adapt your virtual strategies.
To find out how Fluid Talent can help you fill skills gaps with the best-managed services talent, or to join our team, get in touch today — we’d love to hear from you.
