As a company’s culture strengthens, company values and standards are reinforced, enhancing the onboarding workflow and processes. Therefore, building a strong business culture in a corporation requires preparation and subjectivity. Thankfully, there are numerous actions your firm may take to accomplish that.

The efficiency of a remote workforce was unknown to the corporate world until the pandemic struck and every employee had to work remotely. An Upwork report suggests that by 2025, up to 22% of the workforce will be working remotely. Therefore, corporate executives have understood the need to revisit the company culture because of the sudden change caused by the pandemic.

An organization’s strong work culture encourages achievement, quickness, and the retention of some of the best talents. However, not all businesses have a supportive atmosphere for their staff members and outside vendors, especially when there is no physical office setting. Thus, maintaining a positive business culture can be difficult.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the work mode, viz work in a hybrid, remote, or in-person environment, investing in a company’s culture is one of the most important factors contributing to the company’s success.

Maintaining or enhancing corporate culture is a crucial objective for every employer, especially when their corporation continues to operate remotely. Since many firms had to make a significant transition to a hybrid or remote model, company culture has become a top priority for many Company executives.

Importance of maintaining company culture

Organizations must create a space where team members feel connected and safe, as this space might help in maintaining remote workplace culture. Employees must believe that their team is committed to remaining productive and working hard together and that their thoughts and emotions are considered. For remote workers, regular communication with both their team and managers is a compulsion.

More than 40% of organizations reported a moderate to high impact on how their infrastructure managed the culture and workplace transformation to remote work, as suggested by a study on the effect of COVID-19 in the workforce environment conducted by HR consultancy firm Mercer.

Now, as we are well aware of what company culture is and what its significance of it, we can focus on the steps to be taken to value the company culture even when working from home.

Here are a few steps:

  • Transparency in Communication: Transparency and open lines of communication are essential in the workplace but even more crucial in remote work settings. As if the management does not communicate with them, employees might be left feeling isolated.
  • Gain your employee’s trust: In a remote location, trust is essential. Trust between team members and leaders becomes a vital part of a positive corporate culture. Employees who are respected and treated with trust will work harder and contribute to the company’s productivity. Although relationships among teams can foster trust naturally, it is ultimately the job of a hiring manager to nurture an environment where trust is appreciated, encouraged, and established. Therefore, instead of micromanaging, which may appear more effective in the short term but can undermine motivation and productivity in the long run. Respecting your recruit’s views and opinions will assist them in trusting their recruiters.
  • Prioritize employee well-being: Define the firm culture’s fundamental points, which mainly include employee well-being and emotional stability. Remote work should not cause emotional or physical distance between coworkers, nor should it make it difficult for them to communicate their distinct requirements and perspectives. Leaders may convey to their workforce that employee happiness and health go hand in hand with company performance by supporting employee wellness through various initiatives. This way, you will showcase your company’s intention of prioritizing their well-being.
  • Highlight the work culture you want to develop: Discuss your work culture carefully with senior leaders, managers, and staff members before conveying that to your remote newbies. Find strategies to accentuate and reinforce your current culture with remote workers. Start by identifying the culture you desire, then ask each team to create guidelines that will improve their capacity to collaborate remotely and motivate staff to embrace the culture.
  • Foster behaviors that reinforce the demanded work culture: When it comes to organizing tasks and bringing workers together into cohesive groups, a remote workforce requires deep-rooted leadership abilities. Employees are more likely to overlook social and emotional signs in a remote setting than when working on-site. Therefore, organizations must ensure that their managers have the tools necessary to give each employee the coaching, instruction, and assistance they require to adapt to the company’s work culture.
  • Specify your employee expectations: Frequently redefining the expectations you have from your employees is necessary when adjusting to a new situation. While work culture is not constantly on display like it is in a physical workplace, it should nonetheless serve as an example of behaviors that encourage and support teamwork and collaboration. Set clear expectations and goals for each employee as this would provide them with a direction in which they need to move forward.
  • Gamify things: Fun-oriented thinking can benefit a positive workplace culture. It’s a terrific way to break up the routine of a somber company meeting to play activities aimed at learning more about distant coworkers. Organizing happy hours or meals can provide remote workers who live in the same city a chance to interact with one another and something to look forward to.
  • Prioritize employee work-life balance: In a remote setting, attention to your employees’ work-life balance can strengthen your organizational culture. Examples would be providing childcare support for working parents, more flexible time-off policies to accommodate new schedules, and so on. Offering remote social activities will also assist in reinforcing employee work-life balance.
  • Opt for good communication: Whether personal or professional, communication is essential. Encourage regular participation in team discussions and support teamwork among employees that extends beyond discussing a current task or assignment. Realizing and emphasizing the importance of human connection is crucial.

Conclusion

All remote firms need to establish and enhance their company cultures. The importance of business culture is discussed during new employee onboarding, but it still needs to be emphasized often to stay on top of mind. When focussing on just getting the job done, it’s simple to lose sight of standards and culture during regular duties and routines. Leaders must constantly remind themselves and their teams that company values and principles should never be neglected or given a low priority. Every choice a company makes ought to be consistent with its standards and beliefs. Otherwise, employees will disregard these norms, and your corporate culture will deteriorate.