How To Build A Strong Culture In A Remote Team

A strong team culture can lead to a more efficient, confident and happier team, and an overall more pleasant and comfortable workplace. As a result, you’ll have a slower employee turnover - meaning you keep your skilful workers for much longer - and you’ll be better at reaching personal and business goals. 

However, the traditional office landscape has changed, in particular over the last year where those of us who work from home has doubled.

Much of what we once understood as effective to build a workplace culture - like regular in-person meetings, workshops and celebrations - is unable to happen like it once would.

So how can you foster a strong culture when your team is remote? Well, you can:

1. Cultivate an environment of safety and trust.
2. Hold regular meetings.
3. Make the most of online tools and events.
4. Keep collaboration alive.
5. Offer your employees a coworking membership.
6. Rent a flexible office.

1. Cultivate an Environment of Safety & Trust

To build a strong culture, you should endeavour to cultivate what Dr. Amy Emondson terms an “environment of safety” - a climate in which people are comfortable being (and expressing) themselves. An internal study conducted by Google found that teams with high rates of psychological safety were better than other teams at implementing diverse ideas and driving high performance. Perhaps the most important benefit for remote workers is that a culture of safety enables employees to remain engaged - something that businesses were worried would be lost with less face-to-face interaction.

"They can take risks and experiment. They can express themselves without the fear of failure or retribution. Juxtapose this type of culture with one where employees feel too intimidated to speak up or share a new idea. It's hard to imagine these employees can mentally allow themselves to be engaged at work." Dr. Amy Edmondson, Professor at Harvard Business School.

As long as your business nurtures this environment then, your employees will remain engaged and motivated. Remember that trust is a two-way street though: if your employees are on board with your mission and values, you shouldn't need to be worried about them completing tasks to a high standard - it will just happen.

2. Hold Regular Meetings

Regular communication is crucial for all workplaces to function well - in particular if the workforce are full or part remote.

Virtual meetings on a regular basis are a great chance to do this as you can touch base and deliver important updates, as well as give your team the chance to ask questions and make suggestions. You can really drive home that you're there to support them too.

Remember that people need to feel heard, so make sure that all of your team feel involved - this will benefit your employees and the wider business in the long-term.

3. Utilise Online Tools

Whether it’s Teams, Slack, Zoom, Trello, WhatsApp, World Time Buddy or one of the other hundreds of platforms remote teams can use, make the most of your online tools! As long as you choose tools that match the culture and communication you’re after, you’re good to go.

Don't forget online events either! Although in-person events have been on hold, there are loads of online workshops and talks you can attend.

These help build culture, but are also a great chance for your employees to learn new skills and meet new people.

3. Keep Collaboration Alive

Off the back of that, there's no reasons your team can't work together while remote. Encourage 1-1 chats or small group calls between team members to work on a project or for training purposes.

This builds a sense of shared leadership - there's a real "we're all in it together" feeling if your remote team are able to work together despite being miles apart.

4. Offer Your Employees a Coworking Membership

Coworking - otherwise known as "hot desking" - is when desks in a space are used by different teams at different times, on a non-committal basis.

In a coworking space you'll be surrounded by hard-working and like-minded individuals which creates a strong sense of community and allows you to connect with others on both a personal and professional level. Where the alternative might be working from home, this can reduce loneliness and have an overall greater impact on your mental health. Not to mention there are loads of fantastic opportunities for you and your team to network and grow your business.

At Tramshed Tech, we offer everything from day to full-time passes so you can make the most of our space whenever works best for you.

‍At Tramshed, we offer our members a desk space, ultrafast WiFi, free tea and coffee, events, bookable spaces, mail management, printing facilities and much more.

5. Rent a Flexible or On-Demand Office

If you have a large team or need an office to accommodate for your needs, consider renting a flexible or on-demand office. This creates a space where your remote employees can come in and work when they'd like. They'll feel all the benefits of in-person work, without the commitment of being in all the time.

At Tramshed Tech, we're opening the door to on-demand offices across our existing and future locations. Giving you and your team the space you need, when and where you need it.

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At Tramshed Tech, we believe in creating spaces where people can be the best version of themselves. A safe space where anyone can come to work, collaborate with others and build businesses with big impact. Whether you're a remote worker, solo business owner or run a small team, you ca make the most of our workspaces.

Just bring your laptop, get connected to our Ultrafast WiFi and grab a cup of your favourite espresso blend. You'll also get access to printing facilities, bookable meeting rooms and conference suites. And if that isn't enough, you're invited to join one of our many social get-togethers and meet-ups.

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