Struggling To Stay Connected With Your Remote Team?
Nowadays, the remote workplace has become much more of a norm. Many businesses have switched to a completely remote work environment since 2020. Because of the large switch, some companies may have a hard time staying close to their team in a remote setting. Here at Click Control Marketing, we are a mostly remote team. We have put together some of our favorite ways to stay close to a team in a virtual space. Follow along and consider implementing some of these tips in your own business!
Keep Your Status Updated
Something that many remote teams let fall by the wayside is remembering to keep their online status updated. This is a very important first step in keeping close with your team in a virtual environment. Letting your team know when you are online keeps everyone in the loop during the workday. A handy communication channel like Slack provides the perfect space for contact with your team. Communication can make or break a remote team, so staying on top of it is essential. There are so many different communication programs available, so if your remote team is not currently utilizing one that makes communication easy and efficient, consider putting one into action.
Celebrate Life Outside Of Work
Staying close with teammates, whether you are working from a completely remote environment or not, is not just about the work. Being close with your team also means sharing the news and events happening outside of the workplace. If your company utilizes a communication program (which we highly recommend in order to help keep your team closer) consider creating a “random” group chat. This chat channel could be dedicated to outside work conversations and water-cooler talk. Share funny videos or pictures here, discuss over-the-weekend plans, or just chat about all the random things going on outside of work.
Another tip we recommend is having a few minutes during your daily or weekly team huddles to discuss out-of-work topics. This would be the perfect time to share life news or big things going on in each other’s lives. Sharing the most significant things happening in your life with teammates will help give you a sense of closeness and communication.
Stay On Top Of Birthdays/Holidays
Just because you are not in the office every day does not mean that birthdays, holidays, and anniversaries are any less important. Keeping a calendar that contains important events like team birthdays, work anniversaries, and any holidays your company wishes to celebrate will ensure that they stay top-of-mind. When team birthdays and work anniversaries roll around, take the time to send out a card. Whether it is a virtual or a physical mailed card, the effort put into it keeps teammates feeling appreciated and connected. A good tip we suggest is having a sort of onboarding form when bringing in a new team member that gives details about their favorite birthday treats. Knowing your team’s favorites gives you another sense of connection and helps you to know your colleagues a bit better.
Don’t Forget To Have Fun & Be Creative
One of the greatest tips we can give is to remember to have fun. At the end of the day, work makes up a large portion of our lives. Not taking yourself too seriously and having a bit of fun with your teammates is a great thing. Working with a remote team leaves a lot of room to be creative and inventive with the ways you stay close. At Click Control Marketing, we love celebrating our hard work and effort outside of work. Here are a few things we did to stay connected as a team in a virtual space and still have some fun!
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Zoom Birthdays
- As mentioned above, just because you may not see your team members in person every day doesn’t mean that birthdays should not be celebrated. It is surprisingly hilarious to hear a group of your teammates sing an out-of-sync version of “Happy Birthday” over Zoom.
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Virtual Happy Hour
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- Hosting a Virtual Happy Hour is an easy way to get the whole team together, and share that out-of-office banter just like you are still in the office. Schedule a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting after the workday ends and invite all employees to bring their favorite drink and/or snack. Take some time to share things going on in all your lives, or play an easy ice-breaker game to get to know all of your teammates better.
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Holiday Fun
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- Being outside of the office should not stop you and your team from continuing the fun holiday celebrations like normal. The Click Control Marketing team likes to get creative during the holiday season. In the past, we have had a team member put together cookie decorating kits. We all got a cookie kit and scheduled a holiday Zoom call after hours so that we could decorate our cookies, have a drink, and play some games. We also recommend something similar but with gingerbread house decorations.
- Secret Santa is a great way to celebrate the holidays and get to know your teammates a bit better as well. Have everyone fill out a Secret Santa form with their favorite snacks, drinks, hobbies, scents, and movies/tv shows. Schedule your holiday Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting and have everyone open their gifts on the call. Make a fun little game out of it by having the gift receiver guess who bought them the gift!
Staying Close To Your Remote Team Makes Business Better!
Being a remote team can come with its challenges, but it doesn’t mean that your business or team has to suffer for it. Staying close as a team, even in a virtual environment, makes a business better. If you feel your remote team is lacking in that in-the-office comradery, work on some of these tips and tricks! If you are interested in starting a marketing journey for your business, look no further than Click Control Marketing. We have a tight-knit team of PPC and social media experts that are here to help you reach your marketing goals. Contact us today for more information on getting started!
