How to Help Your Remote Team Feel Connected: 7 Tactics For Managers
Even with the perks of working from home, many remote workers feel isolated and disconnected. Read on for tactics and tools to connect with your remote employees.
Nearly half of employees in the United States with an advanced degree work remotely.
We’ve all heard about the “return to office” for years now, but it's safe to say that remote work is here to stay.
At least for the time being.
Just because people are getting used to working remotely doesn’t mean remote work is without its challenges. While remote work offers more freedom and balance to employees, it can leave some feeling isolated and disconnected from their teams.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to help your remote employees feel more connected, including the best tactics and tools you can use.
Why Connection Matters for Remote Teams
It’s easy to feel like you're part of something bigger in an office setting.
Working in the office reinforces your company culture and provides regular social interaction to motivate your team. But it’s a different story for remote employees.
Working remotely has its advantages: comfort, no commute, increased productivity, and a better work-life balance, to name a few. But even the fiercest supporters of remote work admit it can lead to a lack of connection to their company and coworkers.
According to a Gallup poll, more people work remotely or in a hybrid environment than exclusively in the office; this trend began with the global pandemic in 2020 and has continued since. That same poll cites a lack of connection with the company, decreased collaboration with coworkers, and impaired working relationships among the top challenges.
You can overcome these challenges for your team, but it requires a different approach than that of your in-office employees. Read on as we break down tactics and tools you can use.
7 Ways to Help Your Remote Team Stay Connected
Remote work isn’t going away any time soon, so try out these tactics to engage your remote team members and build a stronger sense of community and connection:
- Embrace small talk: Bring back “office chit-chat” by setting aside a few minutes at the beginning of team meetings for casual conversation and check-ins. This allows you to ease into meetings and allows your team to open up and engage beyond simply focusing on work.
- Encourage coffee meetings: Schedule optional virtual coffee breaks where team members can connect. Bonus points if you run a random matching program to pair up employees who otherwise might not meet.
- Reward and recognize coworkers: Set up a system in your company to publicly acknowledge team members' accomplishments and milestones. Taking time to celebrate achievements motivates employees and provides positive reinforcement for all their hard work. It’s easy to feel like your work is siloed off from the rest of the company when you work remotely, so something as simple as a shoutout in Slack can make a big difference.
- Prioritize regular social activities: Block time on the calendar for recurring team-building events that aren't focused on work. Whether it's an informal coffee hangout, a book club, or a gaming session, these social gatherings give remote team members something to look forward to during the week.
- Mix up your social activities: Vary your virtual social events between structured activities, casual hangouts, and shared experiences like virtual cooking classes. Offering different types of activities keeps things fresh and can help your team open up and engage with others.
- Try icebreakers and games: Start meetings with quick, engaging activities or games that encourage participation and reveal personal interests. These fun, low-pressure interactions help your team open up and see different sides of each other.
- Create dedicated spaces for connection: Set up channels on Slack or Teams specifically for sharing personal updates, interests, and casual conversations. Whether it’s sharing pictures of a new puppy or a kitchen renovation, this allows your team to share about their personal lives and feel connected to others in their workspace.
These seven tactics can help you engage your remote employees and build a sense of connection for them with the rest of the company. There’s more, though! Read on for a few tools you can use to engage your team.
The Best Tools to Keep Your Remote Team Connected
Beyond the above tactics, there are a few tools at your disposal to build and maintain the connection with remote team members:
- Video conferencing software
- Online games
- Integrated tools in your company's Slack workspace
Video Conferencing Software
Whether Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet is your conferencing software of choice, these can be used for more than just standard work meetings. Try things like:
- Breakout rooms for small-group discussions
- Encourage team members to set up fun virtual backgrounds
- Block off time on Zoom for “co-working” without a set agenda
Using video conferencing for more than discussing a strict agenda can build a sense of connection for remote employees, even if they are many miles apart.
Online Games
Online games are a great way to spark conversation and have fun with your team, whether as part of a meeting or during a dedicated “after work' time.
Free/non-software games could include:
- Two truths and a lie
- Draw your mood
- An origami challenge
Or go with popular online games like:
To offer engaging activities that encourage collaboration, creative thinking, and friendly competition regardless of physical location.
Integrated Tools in Your Company’s Slack
Slack can be used for more than those “Got a minute?” chats or emoji battles.
Thanks to Slack’s extensive app ecosystem, you can add all sorts of productivity and employee engagement tools to your company Slack. From birthday reminders to polls, there are plenty of ways to create a vibrant company culture in your company's Slack.
For example, BuddiesHR offers a suite of employee engagement tools for Slack, including:
And more!
Remote and hybrid teams love using BuddiesHR to foster a stronger sense of community and collaboration, no matter where they are based.
You can sign up for free to immediately begin engaging your remote/hybrid team right in Slack.
Want to Stay Connected in Slack? Try BuddiesHR!
Remote work isn’t going anywhere – nor should it!
Remote teams can be just as productive and engaged as in-office teams, with the right tools to build a sense of community and connection. Through ice-breakers, dedicated social time, and other tactics for positive reinforcement, you can engage and motivate remote employees and build a sense of connection with your team and company.
To build a vibrant company culture in Slack, we recommend Buddies HR. Buddies HR offers a suite of tools for employee engagement, from birthday reminders to kudos, coffee chats, and more.
Click the button below to try Buddies HR for free and see the impact it can have on your company.
