How to help new remote workers integrate into company's culture

Since there are lots of telecommunications tools available these days, companies are more than well equipped to have employees working remotely. This allows for many things and opens lots of possibilities. You can now have workers in the field, all across the globe. Additionally, it offers your workers the freedom to work from home. And in recent times and with the global pandemic, this seems like a very important asset to have. But the problem that occurs with this style of working is how to help new remote workers integrate into company's culture.

You don't want your new workers to be disconnected from the rest of the team. Working in close proximity to our coworkers has a stimulating effect on us. So, remote employees may miss out on that a little bit. However, there are ways to make them feel like a part of the company. Here's what you can do.

 

Make communication easy

The first thing you can do to help new remote workers integrate into company's culture, and this is practically a must, is making the communication as easy as possible. You should hold regular meetings that include the entire team. Also, be sure to encourage people to communicate among themselves at all times. 

You can achieve this by finding an ideal collaboration application that all your employees will use. It should have both individual and group call settings so everyone can be on the same page. Additionally, many casual conversations can develop from these kinds of meetings, which is a good thing for the relationships between your employees. But more on that later on.

As a manager. be sure to track the performances of your team, as well as individuals in all fields. Check out these management tips to help you deal with remote work if you want to learn more about the software you can use.

 

Maintaining a constant connection will help new remote workers integrate into company's culture.

Alt tag: Man working on a computer.

Make in-person visits a regular thing

Although tools are great for making communication simple and creating the environment in which working with remote workers feels more natural, nothing can ever beat face time. Therefore, you should schedule in-person check-ins with all of your remote team members. If the situation doesn't allow group meetings, have some one-on-one time. It's easier to form a connection with someone if you're in the same room. It really is as simple as that.

Now, if you have workers that are scattered all around the globe, meeting in person can be difficult. It's pretty much the same story if moving out of your brick and mortar office means downsizing or going completely online, both of which seem to be rising trends these days. However, there are some remote working options that you should consider:

●  Weekly 1-on-1s - Every manager should designate some time to individually meet with every employee via video call. This will help with establishing trust, building connections, and celebrating small and big accomplishments.

●  Mandatory video meetings - Hold team meetings that will have different themes every time. Deal with things like negotiation skills, presentation tactics, or even grammar. It's a kind of team building that can operate remotely.

●      Fly in remote workers - If your company can afford to do something like this, try to organize it at least once a year. It can also work vice versa, just make sure not to turn your visit to remote offices into inspections.

Show appreciation

Showing appreciation has become the norm, so it's a fairly common thing among organizations. And people who show it the most are the types of people you need in your business to flourish. However, remote workers often slip through the cracks as they aren't visually there. This is why you shouldn't forget to let them know when they do a good job. And it's as important to let others know the same.

Remember that this doesn't have to be anything special. A positive comment on something they say in a group conversation, or just a like on a post of the coworker can do wonders. They'll feel included in the team and the company's culture and their performances will rise.

Make sure that all of your remote workers know how much you appreciate their good work. Alt tag: Woman giving a thumbs up.

Build team traditions

Be sure to recognize the birthdays of team members as well as work anniversaries. We're talking about both individual and team ones. Add fun things to conversations to break the unnecessary stiffness among people. Something as minor as a funny gif can encourage the participation and bonding between employees, and can also help new remote workers integrate into company's culture.

Lead by example

No matter if you're leading just a team, or an entire organization, you should be the example for all the people that are your subordinates. Therefore, if you show appreciation and create a feeling of inclusion towards remote workers, the rest of the team will do the same. Collaborate and engage with the employees that aren't physically there and it will become a part of the culture of your company. And that's exactly what you want to achieve.

This kind of behavior will work for you in many ways. Firstly, you'll be able to reach outside a specific geographic location. That means that your pool of talent is getting bigger, so there are more good potential employees you can hire. New opportunities that could have been overlooked will be created for your company and the paths for you to grow will be open.

Your employees will follow your behavior pattern, so try to be as positive of an example as you can. Alt tag: Woman in front of her team.

 

Conclusion

As you can see, it's not too difficult to help new remote workers integrate into company's culture. However, it requires constant work and a little bit of research. On the other hand, once you get used to new ways of operating and welcoming new employees, you will see the benefits of every member being on the same page.

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