Keeping Connected - How to Create a Strong Remote Work Culture

How do you build a strong remote work culture?

Sam Farhall - Head of Digital Operations at Pets at Home

There's not a "one size fits all" approach, and to attract and retain the best talent, companies should give colleagues the option to work wherever suits their personal situation. For all of the benefits that remote working brings in regard to work/life balance and equalling up parental duties; it really is important not to lose the personal aspect of working relationships.

Regular Meet-Ups

Meeting in person - even every couple of weeks - is SO important to building and retaining strong teams and there is no substitute for building relationships and integrating team members than in person. As ways of working have changed over the last couple of years, the role of a Leader has to change with it. It's super important to proactively check on your teams wellbeing; and to make sure 1-1's are happening regularly and aren't purely focused on task.

Focus on Output

Modern ways of working mean that the focus is very much on output, rather than presenteeism. Giving people the flexibility to get work done around their own personal lives, whilst maintaining consistency and balance is absolutely key for getting it right. The whole concept of "9-5" is rooted back to the Industrial Revolution and remote / flexible working means rather than "work" and "home" stop being two separate things and taking a holistic view of home & work life is vital to make this work. This means that it's not right for some people - going back to personal differences; the office should be there for those that need that kind of structure but the flexibility afforded to those that don't - as long as the output is maintained. It also means trusting from the top down - and I know some managers find this difficult!

Communication

Overall, communication is key to make it work. For a leader, this is regular (ideally weekly) check-ins with all reports where home and work are given equal airtime. Communication around output and expectancies is vital; as well as bridging the cross functional silos that inevitably can appear during remote working. Camera's on for all remote calls is absolutely vital and something I insist on.  For a colleague, communicating movements, schedule and availability is key - it's hard work getting the balance right and making it work for everyone but when you do it can be really effective.

Victoria Swalwell–Tolley - Senior Account Manager at tmwi

Maintain the fun!

Maintaining culture is harder, but not impossible. It’s about being connected regularly (weekly video statuses – with videos on!), 121 with team members and Friday fun. It’s a need to ensure that teams feel that they can still be a fun team even when not together. These have to be kept up with though, cancelling them regularly can make it seem that the company doesn’t care too much to make the time so even having 10 minutes altogether on a Monday can ensure the culture remains and that teams feel like they are still considered important. Hybrid working does make this easier. Whether it’s one day in or two, I think having a specific team day is important and can keep morale going. It also gives everyone a chance to have that fun side of work – going for drinks, or food or having socials on those evenings, it all plays a part in keeping teams happy. 

Ensure there is plenty of support

Looking at all this from a parenting point of view, it becomes even more important for working mothers to feel that they are still part of the team and can have that aspect of social interaction, whether be in person or remotely. As we know, priorities change when you have children but the work doesn’t so we adapt. However, companies are still not adapting in the right way (they have come a long way but still plenty to go) and talking about working mothers struggles is key.

When I first came back to work I felt like I had forgotten everything and I was rubbish at my job. Being remote didn’t help this at all, but I think even if I had been in the office I would have felt slightly alien to everything going on. I found it hard to take all the information in, work the day and then go back to being ‘mommy’ downstairs. Then there was the ‘Mom-Guilt’…and there were days when I questioned why I decided to go back to work, and was I being selfish. All thoughts I still get every now and again which I am sure every working mom does. It felt at times that I was making life harder for everyone by wanting to better myself and get a part of me back.

Luckily, I was supported by managers and SLT who had children and were part time themselves so I could cry and tell them I was feeling useless without feeling judged, but I always think about how it would have been if I didn’t have that and how so many women don’t! I definitely feel that my year out halted my progression, and I felt guilty for a long time about that which didn’t help me get back into the swing of things at all. Companies need to ensure that women on maternity or coming back don’t feel that they are stopping their career to have children.