Company culture is very important. When you work for a company that has solid beliefs and values and treats its employees well, you’re not only more likely to stay—you’ll also be happier and more productive. During the uncertainty of the pandemic, it’s become even more crucial for companies to not just keep, but also enhance company culture while everyone is working from home.
Here are five ideas about how a company can continue to strengthen its company culture while everyone is still working remotely.
- Recognize Employees
Recognizing your employees for their successes—no matter how big or small—can go a long way in making them feel appreciated. Unfortunately, 63 percent of employees don’t feel like they get enough praise at work.
This year, companies have changed how they recognize and reward their employees due to the shift to virtual work. Many may have even focused more on this, especially since almost 40% of workers believe that employers can help them deal with the challenges of remote work by recognizing and rewarding them.
Employee Appreciation Day is coming up on Friday, March 5, 2021. It’s a great opportunity for employers to spoil their employees a bit, perhaps with a fun virtual event like a comedy show or mixology class, having care packages sent to their homes, or with a subscription to streaming services and or physical fitness and meditation apps.
- Be More Flexible
There’s no better time than right now to be a little more flexible as a manager and/or a company. As long as employees are getting their work done and meeting your expectations, give them some leeway to meet their needs—even if that’s more flexible hours. A little flexibility goes a long way when it comes to improving morale and making life less stressful.
Allowing your employees to take personal time when needed can be game-changing. When you give your team the time they need to deal with things happening in their personal life—even if that’s just needing a mental health day to clear their head—they’ll be happier, more productive, and ready to take on their work once they’ve returned.
- Develop a Team Mentality
Teamwork makes the dream work. When you make goals as a team—and work toward them together—you’ll be much more likely to succeed. Aside from strengthening the relationships of employees within your company or team, it’s also really motivating for everyone involved. And—you guessed it—plays a big part in improving your company culture.
Additionally, investing in the right technology to help remote employees communicate with ease during this time is critical. This includes everything from the video conferencing technology you use for team calls, to the employee engagement and productivity platform you select, to chat and other communications platforms.
- Encourage Conversation
There’s no catching up in the break room these days, which is a shame. Those little moments of connecting with coworkers make the workplace a better and more enjoyable place to work. It doesn’t matter if it’s a team meeting or a social, virtual event at work, make sure there’s a group chat where you can still bond and connect with coworkers from afar as these events take place.
It’s also important to make sure voices throughout the company are being heard to ensure that it’s not just the opinions of the higher-ups in the company that are being heard. Make the workplace a place where anyone’s voice can be heard, and that every opinion is appreciated. This will help establish and build company-wide respect between managers, workers, and other company leaders.
- Don’t Forget to Have Fun and Just Breathe
When your company is a fun and enjoyable place to work for, people are going to stick around. Happy Hours might be a thing of the past at the moment, but companies can bring some excitement back into the office from afar by offering virtual events on a regular basis. Trivia contests, cooking classes, and happy hours are events that can be held virtually, giving workers perks anytime, anywhere.
Additionally, showing your employees that their physical and mental health is important to you goes a long way, as Ten Spot’s recent survey reveals they are top concerns employees have for themselves during the pandemic. Adding group fitness and meditation sessions into the mix can be a great way for everyone to come together and support each other in their health goals.