Do you feel as though your team aren’t as connected as they could be? If so then you need to make a change right now. If you don’t then you may find that your business efficiency plummets and that you are not able to provide the service you’d like. One way for you to work around this would be for you to encourage teamwork while implementing team-building exercises to bring people together. Take a look below for some more useful tips.
Get to Know Each Other
HR leaders need to get creative so that they can maintain their team and build connections with those who are working remotely. If you have hired some new people recently then this is especially important. Create opportunities so you can allow people to step out of their daily roles, as this will give you the chance to get to know them on a personal level. By doing this, you can also stay plugged into the interests that people have, so you can provide them with a working environment that suits them. Not only will this keep your team happy, but it will also keep them productive, which can boost your bottom line more than you realize.
Gather Everybody
Create a calendar of team events so you can make sure that you are actively connecting with people. It’s important to hear from everyone here, rather than just your leaders and extroverts. It may be that you conduct meetings over Microsoft Teams or that you try to create weekly touchpoints, so you can bring people together in a way that suits them. By doing this, you can be sure to get the result you’re going for.
Celebrate Little Wins
Finding ways to recognise and then celebrate accomplishments is so important. Staff may feel disconnected when part of a larger group, but if you can recognise the efforts of individuals then this will help to stop that. A simple strategy would be for you to move your team to a virtual platform. You can give out virtual awards and you can also help your team to feel appreciated. If you have some senior leaders who work with you then you can ask them to comb through what each employee has done and then give an award accordingly.
Show you Care
From personal milestones to birthdays, you have to show your remote team that you genuinely care about them. Take the time to celebrate holidays, work anniversaries, promotions and more. If you can, you also need to demonstrate your appreciation with a meaningful gift. LinkedIn endorsements are a fantastic thing for you to be celebrating as well. Some companies have a gift-giving policy and this can also be a great way for you to embrace your team, even if they are working virtually. If you have team members who are working across the world then one thing you can do is give them a voucher for Amazon. By doing this, you can then make sure that you are always being considerate towards them.
Use Software
Another thing you can do is utilize software. When you download software, you can then track everyone’s assignments. This is a great way for you to make sure that everyone is on the same page and that people know what assignments have been done already. If your team is constantly chasing each other or if they are repeating tasks that were done days ago then this can be frustrating. It can also lead to feelings of disconnect, which is the last thing you need. If you work in the construction sector then it would be a great idea for you to invest in field service management software. Check out this BuildOps glossary if you want to make a start.
Invest in Personal Development
If you have a team who are working remotely then you may feel as though they are not being given as many opportunities when it comes to personal advancements. This is the last thing you want, so make sure that you are always promoting from within and that you are taking steps to make sure that you are putting your employee’s interests first. Have a chat with some of your team members too, so you can find out if there is anything that they would like to advance in, or if they would like to train for another position remotely. If you can do this then you will soon see that you can boost your team morale with ease.
Happy Hours
If you can, have hour-long sessions over webcam so that you can connect your team. Ask everyone to meet with a beverage and just chat. If you can do this then you can replicate the team-building aspects that accompany having a workplace party. Of course, things like this might not be for everyone, so make sure that you are being inclusive. If you know that your team has particular interests then you can book particular events that reflect this.
It may be that you have a cocktail maker come on and give your team a remote, virtual lesson for example. You can even send out kits to your team so that they can take part alongside the teacher, in a real-time setting. Things like this are great ways for you to break the ice and you would be surprised at how much it could help you to bring everyone together in a much more positive environment. Other ideas include cooking classes and crafting sessions. Remember, the more creative you can be, the better!
Of course, if you want your team to feel more connected then this is easier than ever when you know what steps you have to take. Even if you have a team working remotely, you still need to make sure that you are putting their well-being first and that you are encouraging them to be part of your working culture. If you can do this then you will see a boost to their productivity as well as assisting them with their personal development goals.
