Although many workplaces are now a hybrid work environment, some companies also offer the option of fully remote work. Statistics Canada state that “90% of all new teleworkers, reported being at least as productive i.e. accomplishing at least as much work per hour at home as they did previously in their usual place of work”. This is worthwhile to know, as having employees feel productive contributes immensely to the output achieved. However, with a frequently changing flow of who is in and out of the office, a new set of problems can emerge.
According to Buffer’s State of Remote Work Report 2022, 20% of workers cite collaboration and communication as their biggest struggles with working remotely or away from their co-workers. This ongoing challenge calls for a new range of behaviors and skills from leaders. For those employees who reported doing less work per hour, about one in five (22%) reported a lack of interaction with co-workers as the main reason why they accomplish less work per hour.
When employees are working in different locations, it is critical they keep connected and interact regularly with their peers. As in any type of relationship, the less we communicate with each other, the more challenges we will face. In order to get (and keep) your team running like a well-oiled machine, we have outlined some of the best practices and techniques for hybrid collaboration.
Here are 4 tips to help you improve remote collaboration:
- Manager Communication
A critical success component of remote work is communication from the managers. Studies have shown that most employees would like more communication with their direct manager – these can be brief opportunities to touch base, review goals, timelines and expectations. Without regular communication, employees will fill the gaps with their own guess of what is expected, and this can lead to disappointment and misunderstandings.
- Collaborative Tasks
Create opportunities for peers to collaborate – sharing ideas, cooperating as a team, and developing ideas together. This action will keep employees connected in meaningful discussions, avoid isolation, and ensure a team effort. This will ensure employee productivity will be a focus and fewer errors, or omissions, are likely to slide by the team.
- Stay Social If Your Team Is Remote
Working in a mixed hybrid environment can bring feelings of disconnection and isolation to the forefront. The same people will not likely be in the office at the same time. To offset these feelings that can ruin collaboration, and create communication barriers, have team members identify the actions each will take to keep their peers informed – what systems and procedures will keep the team aligned so that work can continue to progress.
- Virtual Team Building Activities
Working from home and being away from the typical office setup for an intermittent period of time, will affect your employees one way or another. This is where leaders and managers need to step in and take appropriate measures to keep up the team spirit and connection. To ensure this, virtual team-building activities with meaning, can add personal elements back into the work team and create collaborative learning. Providing time for such things as organized fun, opportunities to share ideas and learn new methods or skills, will foster remote team collaboration, and boost employee engagement. Check out our VirtualGlass™ learning platform where you will find interactive activities for learning and engagement.
Following these 4 tips will help your team create a culture of support, rather than creating distance between those who are virtual and those who are in person. Such actions generally demonstrate a company’s core values and remind employees what the organization represents.
