While most of the country is beginning to slowly reopen, many employers and employees are still choosing to work from home. This is a great idea when it comes to overall safety, as well as convenience, but many businesses are left having to figure out how to create and sustain a thriving virtual workplace for those who are working remotely.
Not only is keeping attendance and the overall workflow of the workplace important but following the guidelines for social distancing makes morale-building events like potlucks and other social gatherings tough. Sure, you can use virtual programs like Slack, or even e-mail, to form an online community and create a virtual workplace, but how do you make it sustainable for your whole company in the long run?
In addition to simple communication and video meetings via Zoom, here are some helpful tips on how to uphold the quality of those meetings and create a lasting and bountiful existence in your newfound virtual company, no matter where your employees are located.
Meaningful and Consistent Communication is Key
Believe it or not, in a remote work environment, there is a treasure trove of activities when it comes to bringing your employees closer together. You can use a variety of web tools, such as video chatting and messaging to conduct virtual check-ins with your employees and be more proactive when it comes to employee engagement.
When it comes to team building, there are also fun virtual fitness classes and online games that can include everyone in your team or company to keep up the overall morale of the virtual workplace. Additionally, something as simple as having a “show and tell time,” where employees can share their home projects or hobbies with each other can help make the workplace lively.
Keep the Focus on Employee Health and Wellness
Before the pandemic, it was easy to offer health and wellness programs to employees via gym memberships and other health organizations. However, since a lot of those amenities are no longer easily accessible, you can now incorporate virtual exercise classes, art lessons, or other mindful activities via Zoom to keep your employees heathy and well.
Promote Shared Experiences Virtually
It’s no secret that virtual happy hours have become popular in the age of the pandemic and fostering these ideas can create a wealth of shared experiences between you and your employees. One keen idea is to have a virtual wine tasting experience, in which you can hire a sommelier to lead your employees on a wine tasting tour. However, you would just need to have the set of wines shipped to everyone beforehand. It’s just an idea.
LTD Global Can Help
At LTD Global, we have been sharing the same type of obstacles and adjustments that having a virtual work environment brings over the past four months and we would be happy to assist your small business with any challenges that might occur in doing the same. To find out more, please contact info@ltdglobal.com for more details.