How to sustain our company cultures whilst we all work remotely in a crisis
In the past few weeks we’ve seen a huge mobilisation of remote working. For many of us it’s been a big change to our working style. Leaders need to consider not only how they keep the business running, but also how they maintain a sense of unity and company culture while working apart.
As some leaders start to prepare for studios and offices to open again in the not too distant future, there will be others who will still be focused on keeping their cultures alive remotely. In this interim period here are some key factors we all need to keep top of mind.
It starts with a sense of purpose
It’s important to remember why we are doing what we are doing. What is our overall purpose, and is it meaningful? Are we feeling it?
Everyone needs to understand what the company’s priorities are and should have a clear sense of purpose. Start by looking at your company objectives and the results you want to achieve, and then prioritise accordingly. You’ll need to repeat this process as circumstances change, and you continue to adapt.
Don’t just keep your purpose and company objectives to board meeting discussions either. It is important to communicate new business priorities openly. Honesty fosters a culture of transparency and trust, and will encourage everyone to get on the same virtual bus and move in the right direction.
Based on the situation we are all in, many of us have had to diversify our offering, restructure our teams and in some instances, wear hats that we haven’t worn before. Having a strong leadership team that communicates with everyone transparently and consistently will increase your team’s engagement as we all work towards a common goal collaboratively.
Recognition & appreciation
Recognition should be at the top of any employer brand agenda. However, it’s often overlooked and it’s easy to prioritise other areas, especially in the current climate. Where previously this might have happened organically during a meeting or at the desks in front of colleagues, now that we’re all working remotely, this will need to be more thought through.
It’s widely acknowledged that recognising and giving appreciation to an employee is very motivating, as it provides a sense of accomplishment and makes individuals feel valued for their work. A simple ‘well done to...’ or ‘this person has gone above and beyond today...’ can make a real difference, especially when you consider that quite a lot of people are working in isolation right now.
For companies who have values that live and breathe through their people practices, we would recommend using these values to reward and recognize the actions of their employees. Recognising good work and behaviours in company meetings or team catch ups will make a difference. It’s always nice when the recognition comes from the founder or CEO. Find the right way to shout about the greatness in your organisation; this kind of recognition shows that you appreciate your people and their efforts.
Learning and development
I used to do a lot of my reading and learning on my morning and evening commutes. Now that we are all working from home, we need to find new ways to keep learning. Coming up with strategies to stimulate our brains should be a high priority of any Covid-19 comms strategies. Here are a few to consider:
1. Apprenticeships
You can still start apprenticeships for employees who haven’t been furloughed and most providers are delivering their programmes virtually. The reality for most of us having more headspace whilst working from home makes it a great time to start an apprenticeship. These are also very low cost, especially for small businesses.
2. Reskilling
A lot of training providers (apprenticeship and otherwise) are providing significantly reduced cost or free courses, which anyone can access. Encourage your people to share their ‘secret’ skills with the team if they’re up for teaching others and motivate everyone to achieve their personal goals independently. Reskilling might be relevant for people who have been furloughed so that they can come back to the business with new talents to offer. It’s important that we all stay mentally active for our own wellbeing.
Learning and Support around Mental Wellbeing
Working remotely, for the majority of us, has been something we have had to get used to pretty quickly. Sharing resources with your team members to help them keep mentally well has never been so important, especially as some of us are living on our own, with our families or caring for people who are unwell.
At JourneyHR we work with a CBT therapist who provides a monthly 1:1 session for any team member who wants some help. The feedback we have had has been extremely positive.
Mixing up the way we communicate
Covid-19 communications plans need to be varied and engaging for both active and furloughed employees. Company-wide Monday morning virtual check-ins where business decisions are shared transparently give everyone the opportunity to ask questions, feel valued and included.
Encouraging everyone to share photos, videos and work achievements can also connect a team and fuel social media content in a genuine, emotive way.
Engaging a remote workforce is not totally unchartered territory for most modern businesses, but Covid-19 has meant that we all need to roll out virtual communications 100% of the time. It’s hard to know where to start or what to do sometimes. We will all have good days and bad days but communicating often, getting the support when we need it and supporting others when they need it is how we will all get through this together.
“What is our overall purpose, and is it meaningful? Are we feeling it?”