Remote work has lots of advantages. After all, you can get your job done in your pajamas if you wish and get to have a little more flexibility. The thing is, it takes a disciplined, well-organized individual to pull it off successfully. Of course, there are some things remote workers don’t have – office comradery. The remote team doesn’t really get to enjoy all those water-cooler chats and laughs with the office. The good news, especially for lonely remote workers, is that there are some ways to bond with both remote and office-bound teammates.
Bonding with your fellow workmates can boost employee satisfaction by up to 50%. In fact, when friendships solidify at the workplace, employees are seven times more likely to be more engaged at work. Of course, remote workers are a valuable part of the team. After all, studies have shown that remote workers complete more calls and can get almost an extra day of work completed. Remote workers tend to stick around longer than office-bound workers, too. Tally it all up, and the average remote worker can save the business almost $2,000. So with that said, managers should take note of ways to incorporate team building for remote workers. Happier workers are more productive and can make businesses more money.
The thing is, many remote workers feel mistreated, compared to their office-bound counterparts. They can feel left out. It makes sense to keep the remote staff happy, and team building is one of the best ways to accomplish this. Here are a few suggestions on how to do it!
Create a virtual space for remote workers to socialize. Remote workers can better communicate using a virtual space other than emails. A site like Basecamp is a fantastic way for clients, teammates, and management to get work done in one place. It’s here where remote workers can connect with others on the team. Set up an office chat room. In the office chat room, teammates can discuss other things besides work-related topics. Skype is another great communication tool for team building and communicating with your remote staff.
Schedule in-person meet-ups and ask more personal questions. Let’s face it; meeting face to face is much more personal than screen time. That said, if you communicate via screen time, be sure to ask some personal questions from time to time. Many of the remote working staff might be shy, so it pays to go first and ask how their day is going, weekend plans, etc. Checking in with remote workers can make them feel like they aren’t alone in the virtual office world. Of course, there’s no need to get too personal!
Invite remote staff to team building activities. You know what, the remote team wants to play fun team building games too. Allow the remote staff to join the office in team-building activities, so they can get to know their fellow co-workers. Besides team building activities, you can also set up adventure days, such as beach days and barbecues. When the remote workers can start to feel like they’re a part of a bigger picture, they’ll feel wanted and want to be even more productive. Plus, this gives remote workers a chance to do something worthwhile and fun with their boss. It’s important because half of the people that leave their jobs do so because of a crummy relationship with their boss!
Ready to step up your game? Both office-bound and remote staff workers will enjoy getting involved in an AdVenture Games, Inc. team building activity. Get started today!
