Company culture reflects the values of a company. When an employee feels that the company’s values are consistent with their own, they tend to develop better relationships with coworkers, and they tend to be more productive.
With many employees working remotely during the pandemic, it’s important to evaluate that company culture and adjust it if needed. Below are four suggestions taken from an article written by Ben Kalevitch and Jasmine Jones of United Minds (1):
- Ensure that leadership is agile, flexible, and empathetic. Consider additional training for managers on how to adjust their styles to support remote workers.
- Emphasize inclusivity. Zoom meetings bring co-workers into employees’ homes, displaying their personal lives. Invite employees to share more of their personal lives and celebrate the differences and similarities.
- Find ways to reach out to employees. Employees have lost the benefit of impromptu hallway chats that can help them get their questions answered and gain valuable input. Managers may need to add more scheduled or informal check-ins and encourage team members to reach out to one other. Highlight best practices through storytelling and recognition during zoom meetings or through electronic media. Ensure you are using the most appropriate platforms and communication methods for your workforce.
- Keep traditions alive. Team building exercises, happy hours and milestone celebrations are important to maintain and may need to be adjusted or reformatted in light of remote working. Encourage employees to come up with new programs, initiatives and activities that support the current culture and build toward the future.
See also a related article on corporate culture: https://www.auxillium.com/culture.shtml
(1) https://hrexecutive.com/4-culture-strategies-for-creating-a-successful-hybrid-workplace/