Work-from-home setups have shifted from being an option to a choice by many companies. Considering all the expenses of both employees and employers when running a physical office, the usual 9-5 working hours have been replaced with the flexibility of working anytime and anywhere.
But, the one caveat of working remotely is the little to no face-to-face interaction and communication with employees. It hinders people in the company from getting to know each other better. In return, this can affect work performance and output. However, proper management is the key to address this concern. Employees can still establish good working and social relationships with each other even when interactions are mostly done virtually. We encourage you to take time to read and apply these tips. This way, you can start building and maintaining more meaningful social relationships in a remote team.
Importance of Building Social Relationships
“You work to make money, not friends” is an old saying that most employees use whenever asked if they have built connections or relationships at work. For some workers, this saying holds true. Still, establishing relationships does not entirely mean making “best friends” at work and enjoying each others’ company on weekends. Although overtime, a strong and good relationship can turn into a friendship.
The essence of building good relationships with employees is to create a solid ground of connection and understanding with each other. Without knowing the people around you, it is impossible to work together and get the job done. Each worker have their respective roles. However, a company cannot run and produce output if employees are working individually and separately.
Increased Productivity
In addition, the lack of relationships inside a company can cause sadness for some which can lead to their resignation. According to the 2018 State of Remote Work survey, 21% of remote workers pointed out loneliness as their biggest downside that led them to quit. Furthermore, a Global study involving 2,000 managers and employees in 10 different countries have reported that 60% of the respondents are likely to stay in a company if they have friends at work.
It has also been shown that employees increase their productivity and the feeling of being safe when they have strong relationships inside the company. Another study by psychologist Susan Pinker revealed that employees who chat and socialize with their co-employees for 15 minutes have increased their performance by 20%.
Having said this, relationship building is really a vital part of any company out there. Employees can easily do this when they meet and greet each other every day. From the “good morning”, “let’s eat lunch, together”, or when making coffee at the pantry, conversations can happen any moment in an office setup. But how about for remote teams? Can employees also establish meaningful relationships and friendships? The answer is yes. Here are some strategies you can incorporate for your employees to stay connected.
Encourage Small Talk
Do you still remember when you would usually come in a little early at the office? Or when you would have some coffee together with your co-workers? How about when someone will approach you and start talking how they spent their weekend swimming with the dolphins? If there is something that employees miss and want to have even when working remotely, is to make conversations. The conversations do not necessarily have to be work related. Tasks and deadlines are daunting on its own. But it helps a little if you can spend a minute or two clearing your mind and enjoying a fun chit chat with your workmates. Talks during meal times are quite impossible for a virtual setup. However, there are some ways to still do small talk.
During Meetings
Meetings usually start with the “how’s your day?” and “where did you go this weekend?” questions. Why not talk about something that will get you a longer and cheeky answer rather than the “I’m fine” response. Encourage conversations that are not boring and repetitive. You can ask about the current songs on their playlist. Or talk about recipes they want to try out, etc.
This type of conversation will create a better flow of exchanging thoughts. Also, your employees will somehow feel that you are talking with them with purpose. This means you are not just clearing out the air so the relationship won’t be awkward.
Group Chats
The common misunderstanding when employees are included in a group chat is that it is a platform where they can talk behind their boss’ back or how the HR won’t grant them their leave. The thing is, group chats are where people at work can talk casually with each other about random things.
Since face-to-face interactions are very limited for remote workers, having a group chat can be everyone’s source of break. This can be done through sharing of funny contents (memes and jokes), articles to read, posts on social media, and anything that can spark talks or debates. Group chats can also be the employees’ comfortable place to share their problems whenever the going gets tough. In addition, they can also share their happy moments such as birthday celebrations, engagement, and pregnancy journey.
Be Active
Relationships are not only built by sharing good conversations. It is also when you make your co-employees feel that you can be trusted and relied on especially during work hours. Because of the flexibility that remote work have, some employees tend to go about their way without considering the work they may have left.
So, during working hours, try to be active and accessible all the time. This means opening your emails and responding to them, doing your tasks and delivering good results, and being available in case urgent matters arise. Remember, no matter how good of a talker you are, the people you work with can truly build their relationship around you if you can be a reliable co-worker and not just someone who can make them laugh.
Build a Buddy System
Work relationships are established starting from the person you sit beside with or a few of your co-employees that you work directly with. Having said this, one way to start interacting socially and getting to know the people in your company is by doing a buddy system. A buddy system is usually applied to new employees wherein the new face will be partnered with a senior worker (mentor). Although this is done mostly during an onboarding process, it can still be offered even to regular employees.
Creation of Small Teams
This strategy can be utilized by assigning two to three workers to group together and work on a particular project for a week or two then re-arranging them in other groups. Another way is to have each small team tasked for the weekly game night wherein they have to organize and lead the event. Doing this will not only open windows of conversation but will also allow every member of the group to bring out a creative side of them that is non-work related. Exposing employees to this form of relationship building can bring out common interests that they did not know they share with.
Furthermore, a buddy system between a mentor and mentee can be beneficial to both parties. It can strengthen leadership skills for the former and fasten the adjustment period for the latter. A 2013 study from the Journal of Vocational Behavior found out that employees who were able to act as mentors are likely to experience greater job satisfaction and higher commitment to their employer. Also, building social relationships that are specific and designated can reflect a company. It can show that the business is actually willing to build a program for remote workers. This program is meant for building social relationships rather than just letting their employees get to know each other on their own.
Understand Work Culture
Working with employees that have different time zones and culture than yours can be challenging when building trust and relationship. Since workers can come from different countries, their work ethic and personality may not match your expectations. When cases like these happen, instead of building a connection, employees tend to get on each others’ sleeves.
Having said this, everyone in the company should understand that the way they think, write, and act can vary from the people they are working with. Although this is inevitable, companies can lessen issues like these by making them understand each others’ differences. Consider the different time zones, local language, and holidays of the people you work with.
Meet Up In Person
Meeting up in person cannot be doable for some companies especially those who have remote workers residing in different countries. However, if your employees live in the same city or can travel for a few hours and meet with each other, it is better that way. Seeing the people you work with up and close can create opportunities of bonding together and having richer discussions. Furthermore, if the company wants to formulate strategies and shift in the workplace, it is better if thoughts can be shared personally.
There are various ways to meet up in person. Companies can hold a gathering during holidays or retreat wherein everyone is required to attend without spending a single penny. If this does not work with the company, employees themselves can still find a way to see each other. They can organize a catch up session by going on a planned vacation or simply enjoying a cup of coffee or a new released movie.
Change of Perception
Another advantage of meeting in person is clearing out negative impressions between workers. Some employees tend to be perceived as rude because of the way they compose messages. While there are those who are known to be silent and does not like to socialize.
“Meeting up in person can have a huge effect on how you subsequently relate to someone online. There are often broad language and cultural differences between people working at the same company. A sense of humour, irony, or sarcasm may not come through in text; the person might just seem blunt or rude” (McKeown, 2018).
Building and maintaining social relationships in a remote work setup can be challenging. The reason behind this is because of various barriers that hinder proper communication and understanding between employees. However, adjustments should be made since this is the path that most companies have decided to go with. Make sure to keep your employees in check and create a program to have them socially interact with each other. With this, your workers will be building social relationships sooner or later.