Flexible employers face the ongoing challenge of how to keep their team cultures healthy whether fully remote, some sort of hybrid, or offering multiple types of flexibility.
Consider the following steps and actions that companies can take to support a healthy and vibrant team culture in a remote, hybrid, or flexible work environment.
Perks Work—Even Virtually
Just because the team you’re managing works virtually or in a hybrid environment doesn’t mean you need to give up on the general idea of office perks. Allocate the same budget you previously used to create similar bonding experiences or team treats, albeit virtually.
For example, if you always planned a monthly team lunch for your office-based team, let your remote or hybrid team expense an afternoon meal once a month too, with the option to eat together online and catch up. Prepaid gift cards or home deliveries of groceries or coffee can also help keep team culture healthy.
Create a Team Feedback Loop
Discover a better way to recruit remote talent
Founded in 2007, FlexJobs is the most experienced remote & hybrid hiring platform.
- Unlimited job posts
- Low, flat membership fee
- Access top-level remote advice
- Unlimited resume searches
- Reach the right candidates
- And so much more!
A distributed work environment opens the possibility for employees to weigh in more on what they want their hybrid culture to look like. Don’t try to impose your team’s remote culture in a vacuum. Instead, solicit each team member’s ideas and feedback on processes and priorities.
When people feel like there’s a forum for their thoughts and contributions, they will feel more invested in developing and maintaining a healthy team culture. Use systems such as team polling or regular one-on-one meetings to encourage individual and team feedback, then address the concerns in a timely manner so your staff can see their opinions are being taken seriously.
Let People Opt In or Opt Out of Team-Building Events
There’s more than one way to create a healthy team culture, and giving people a choice about which team-building events they participate in adds an element of respect to the equation. Forced team-building will backfire. Appreciate that different workers have different preferred styles of working and collaborating.
For example, introverted team members may prefer to have fewer connection points with colleagues during their workday, while the team extroverts may relish the idea of multiple opportunities to participate in virtual collaboration with their coworkers. Honor these preferences by providing various types of optional team-building events for opportunities to socialize, and keep required meetings to a minimum.
Expand the Definition of Flexibility
Remote or hybrid teams are already flexible by design but don’t limit team flexibility to simply being able to work from home. Work with individual team members on what type of flexibility is most meaningful to them, whether it’s a commitment to more flexible hours on the clock, switching up remote weekday work with a weekend, or even considering a month of remote work rather than alternating days of the week in and out of the office.
Customization is the key that allows each employee to get their needs met while contributing to the health of the overall workplace culture. When managers truly collaborate with their teams and listen to what matters most to each person in the group, a collective spirit can emerge that transcends both boundaries and home bases.
Keep Team Culture Healthy
Healthy team culture is an important aspect of creating and maintaining a healthy work environment. With these tips, you can start to keep your team culture healthy, thriving, and growing.
Get in Touch With a Remote Work Expert >>>
Don't forget to share this article with colleagues!
