How To Build Company Culture for Remote Employees

Did you know that 31% of US companies hire only remote workers?

While there are many benefits to onboarding an international team, it remains a challenge to build company culture. When managing a remote team, creating a company culture that engages and motivates them is essential. However, it can be tricky since your team is dispersed all over the globe.

With proper planning and execution, you can build a strong company culture that will keep your remote employees happy and productive.

In this article, we’ll outline the steps you need to take to create a thriving company culture for your remote team.

The Importance of Company Culture

Company culture is one of the most critical factors that drive success and performance in organisations today. It determines how employees:

• Think
• Behave
• View

It affects everything from:

• Job satisfaction
• Employee loyalty
• Communication

An effective company culture incorporates a set of:

• Shared values
• Vision
• Mission statements

These will all contribute to the advanced functioning of an organisation. Moreover, establishing a strong sense of unity among team members:

• Provides employees with a sense of purpose
• Instils a commitment to shared objectives
• Encourages collaboration across departments

With these items in mind, companies create an environment that welcomes change and innovation while fostering collaboration and creativity within their teams.

What Goes Into a Good Company Culture?

Good company culture is comprised of many elements. Chief among them are:

• Strong values
• Open and honest communication
• Respect
• Collaboration
• Connection

Companies that do well in this space create an environment and a set of standards that employees can use to assess the behaviour and decisions of their peers. Leaders set the tone for the organisation and help define the behaviours that make up its culture.

In addition, companies must also support their employees by providing training to ensure they can focus on developing competencies. Additionally, they will encourage risk-taking to innovate and adapt.

Ultimately, these conditions can lead to a more successful business with an engaged workforce who feels motivated and valued, further driving employee satisfaction.

How to Create a Company Culture for Remote Employees

An effective company culture among remote employees can be challenging to create. However, focusing on the right areas can help ease this challenge.

Open communication is key to building trust between each team member. Create channels of communication, so everyone is consistently informed. Structure these check-ins and conversations in such a way that encourages:

• Participation
• Communication
• Innovation

Additionally, embracing technology and virtual tools can help manage projects and enable a more collaborative experience. This will help create an atmosphere where remote employees feel included in the team and connected to the company’s mission.

By providing the right environment from the start, companies can ensure that their remote staff are inspired, equipped, and motivated to succeed.

Strong Values

Company culture can play an integral role in the success and sustainability of a remote team. Having intentional, shared values allows all employees to understand what is expected. It will also give them a foundation for interacting with other members inside and outside the company.

Companies must create strong, unified values that are based on their:

• Vision
• Mission
• Goals

Developing clear values upheld by positive workplace behaviours and communication techniques builds trust within the remote team.

Ideally, creating a supportive environment for each individual and encouraging collective synergy amongst workers will foster teamwork without compromising respect or tradition established in the company culture.

Open and Honest Communication

Creating a company culture for remote workers that encourages open and honest communication begins with a commitment from the top. Leadership must:

• Lead by example
• Set the stage for clear expectations and collaboration between management
• Support staff and employees

Moreover, internal systems should be put in place, such as:

• Online forums
• Surveys 
• Questionnaires

With this approach in mind, companies can foster open dialogue among their employees. This will help create an atmosphere of trust. It will also strengthen relationships among teammates across different geographic locations.

Respect

Creating a company culture for remote employees starts with establishing respect. Remote employees need to sense that they are just as valued as on-site workers to engage with the organisation truly. It can be done through the following:

• Regular communication
• Feedback on tasks completed
• Offering flexibility in their work hours
• Providing them with the same access to employee benefits

Collaboration

Leaders should first use technology to promote communication between their team members, regardless of where they are located in the world, by:

• Establishing clear communication guidelines
• Encouragement for proactive collaboration
• Setting up regular feedback sessions online
• Allow for open dialogue with teammates

These items help make sure that every employee knows their contributions are valuable.

Connection

Finally, a company should foster meaningful connections between individuals. It can be challenging, especially when team members are located in different parts of the world.

To ensure everyone feels connected and engaged, it is essential to create and provide opportunities for the following:

• Networking
• Collaboration
• Idea exchanges
• Regular social calls

Additionally, another helpful strategy is to connect on non-work related topics or interests as well. An employer can create an inclusive work environment by facilitating these connections on all levels.

Build Company Culture with Bradford Jacobs

If you’re looking to build company culture for your remote employees, Bradford Jacobs can help. With years of experience in the field, Bradford Jacobs has developed an onboarding process that will help get your remote workers up to speed and engaged with your company culture in no time.

Contact Bradford Jacobs today to learn more about our services and how we can help you create a thriving workplace culture for your remote employees.