Bad workplace culture comes at a high cost. According to SHRM, the turnover costs due to workplace culture has exceeded $223 million in the past 5 years. With numbers that high, maintaining a positive work environment is of utmost importance.
With the current switch to working from home, many companies have found it challenging to uphold their company’s culture. Being away from other coworkers can erode the fun and connective office experiences for their employees. This also challenges HR teams to find solutions for our new reality.
So how can your organization foster a positive work culture remotely? Below are some helpful tips for you to consider:
Nurture The Benefits of Working Remotely
While working from home has presented many challenges, it is also a new arena with many benefits. For one, employees enjoy cutting back on their commute and having more free time in the morning. Working from home also creates greater work-from-home flexibility where employees can tend to their home and personal needs more easily.
A study from the Harvard Business Review found that employees who were given the option to work from home were more satisfied with their job and less likely to quit than their coworkers who weren’t given the option.
One way to nurture these remote work benefits is by integrating them into your company culture. Allowing for greater flexibility with your employees’ time and work schedule can help improve their productivity and overall job satisfaction.
Create Virtual Alternatives
From team meetings to collaborative workspaces, many companies have built their culture around being in-person. So what do you do when your team is entirely remote? You find virtual alternatives.
One strategy is to transition as many of these experiences online. From virtual team meetings to Zoom brainstorming sessions, there are many solutions out there that can help you keep your team integrated.
Get Creative and Fill in Any Gaps
While there are many virtual fixes to building an at-home work culture, nothing can quite replace the in-person experience. Remote work decreases direct employee communication and can lower job satisfaction if an employee lacks a supportive workspace.
Luckily, you and your team can find creative ways to address these issues. Scheduling regular one-on-one meetings between your employees and a manager can help bridge communication gaps and provide a space to share concerns. Organizing fun virtual activities for reducing stress such as company game night can help boost morale and ease some of the anxiety of our current times. Finally, soliciting employee feedback is always a great way to pinpoint any areas for improvement and support.
Show Employee Appreciation During These Difficult Times
Working during a global health crisis is a daunting and challenging task for many employees. Working from home can very quickly become a demoralizing situation as employees labor away with a greater degree of separation from the rest of their colleagues.
Now more than ever, it’s important to show your employees that they are valued. Communicating your gratitude for your employees’ hard work and perseverance can go a long way. Being flexible with everyone’s unique work-from-home circumstances can also show employees that their specific conditions are being attended to.
