Workplace camaraderie is a vital part of any business. It builds higher employee engagement, fosters loyalty, boosts employee retention rate, and builds a more open company culture. But how can employers who work with remote staff from the Philippines ensure that they build a strong camaraderie with their employees?
Building camaraderie with a remote staff might come with some challenges, but it is not impossible. Camaraderie is not just about building friendships and having fun. It’s also about creating a common sense of purpose and having a shared commitment to work well.
Below are some tips to help you create a successful virtual camaraderie culture in your company.
1. Keep communication lines open.
Effective communication is essential in any business, especially with companies that communicate virtually. There is no such thing as overcommunication in the context of remote work as more things are likely to be overlooked due to the lack of physical presence. Encouraging open and honest communication can help address communication gaps with your virtual staff. The first step is to choose the right communication tools. Then, you can create a daily teleconferencing schedule for you and your remote staff. It is also important to keep your chat lines open during work hours. Through proper communication, you can make your remote staff feel that they can build camaraderie with you despite the geographical distance.
2. Create a strong collaborative environment.
What truly makes a “team” in a virtual landscape? It’s all about collaboration and working together to reach the same goal. A study by the Harvard Business Review found that collaborative activity is the “secret sauce” that inspires creativity. A win of one staff extends internally and is a win for everyone. It’s a win for the client and a win for the company. Working closely with your virtual team on projects will not only strengthen camaraderie; it will also encourage them to bring their best ideas to the fold, bringing good outcomes to your business because they know that you are there to provide them with the guidance they need.
3. Be a leader and not just a boss.
The old school, command-and-control style of leadership does not work for virtual companies and remote employees. Virtual work relationships are built on trust and commitment. Have an open door for your staff’s thoughts, feedback, and suggestions. Make yourself approachable. Being more than just a boss that manages employees and acting like a leader that inspires them to be greater will truly help a company’s bottom line.
4. Participate in both company and non-work-related events.
Employers and managers are encouraged to participate in both company events and events outside of work (if a staff invites them) at least once a month. Host a year-end party or a virtual happy hour. Wear that company t-shirt to your company’s charity event. Got invited to your remote staff’s virtual band debut? Show up even if you can only stay for their band’s performance. Showing up on occasions like these lets your remote staff know that you are interested in getting to know them and that you actually care about what goes on in their lives.
5. Encourage video meetings.
Despite the benefits of working remotely, there comes a time when you feel like leaving your house to work someplace else. You feel the urge of talking to anyone in your team face-to-face, and surely, your remote staff feels the same way. Working remotely exacerbates feelings of isolation and loneliness, and more often than not, simply seeing someone’s face is enough to alleviate them. Make sure to turn on your webcam during meetings and encourage your remote team to do the same. Doing so makes your remote team feel more connected with you and the rest of the team. You can also use this opportunity to observe how your remote team is really doing. After all, saying that they are doing just fine even when they are not is easier than trying to look fine. Their face will show how stressed out they are no matter how much they try to hide it.
6. Continue to recognise and reward employees.
Providing employee rewards and recognition is a key factor in building and maintaining a healthy relationship with your remote staff. It fosters gratitude and appreciation among your team, which then contributes to a positive company culture. Giving rewards can be challenging for remote companies, but it is certainly doable. An announcement via email or your company’s digital newsletter can surely make your remote staff feel valued. You can also send them a small token of appreciation if you have the budget for it. For your long-time remote employees, it might be about time for that employee performance review for possible promotion or salary increase.
7. Monitor employee productivity with a results-oriented approach.
If you are having a tough time deciding whether to use a monitoring tool for your remote staff or not, think of it this way: It’s not an issue of whether to use or not to use a monitoring tool. It is really about your approach in monitoring. Let’s face it. As business owners who invest in people, you want to get your money’s worth. You want to know if your staff is really working during their shift and whether they are able to accomplish tasks on time. Therefore, you do monitor them in a certain way, perhaps by asking them to provide a daily report or to give you their output for the day. What’s important is to ask yourself whether you are crossing the line or invading their privacy. Did you secretly install a monitoring app on your staff’s computers and go through their files without their knowledge? Do you ask them what they did every hour of their shift for the day including what they did during their breaks? If not, then you are still on the right track and on your way to earning their trust and building a strong relationship with them.
8. Continue to promote strong work/life balance and boundaries.
Your remote staff are pressured to stay in work mode long after their shift ended. Sending them emails or calling them after work hours, during weekends, and on holidays does not help with this problem. Aside from being off-putting, these practices burn out your remote staff even more. It would be better to try reaching out to them during their work hours to promote better work-life balance in your company. Your remote staff will thank you for it, and you will benefit from more motivated and happier remote staff.
Building camaraderie is not impossible when outsourcing jobs to the Philippines. Developing meaningful connections and creating lasting professional relationships with your remote staff can be as simple as having an open work environment. When there is camaraderie, trust, and connection, your employees can feel more at ease and engaged, regardless of their geographical location.
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