How do you create a healthy corporate culture in a world with very few touch points? In a working world where most employees haven’t ever met their colleagues face to face, the need for connection is essential. The only answer is technology.
Following on from the previous article, we’ll look at the technological innovations driving companies back toward an integrated work-life for increased job satisfaction and motivation.
A recent joint survey asked executives what the top remote-work challenges are. On average, 64% of executives agreed that maintaining company culture was at the top of the list of challenges.
Why is company culture so crucial for success?
Company culture defines your work. It refers to the principles and values that create your corporate identity. It’s the proverbial glue that keeps your workforce together. The culture in an organisation acts as a guide for employees in their daily operations and provides them with a scope for meaningful work.
Companies with a healthy culture are more successful. This is because employees feel valued. They do their work with pride and push themselves to do better – not only for themselves but also for the company.
Good company culture in a remote world means that you and your colleagues aren’t just a team with shared objectives, but rather a team that cultivates communication and cooperation in all (work and non-work) scenarios.
How are companies using technology to bring employees together?
The world is now in its second year of navigating the unchartered waters of remote work. Tech companies have identified the need for employees to feel more connected with their counterparts and have since been developing platforms and applications which act as virtual workspaces for people to interact.
There are numerous software tools that companies use to communicate and track projects. Most notably, Microsoft Teams acts as a virtual office with streamlined communication and task management. Using Microsoft Teams means fewer emails flying around and having all documents in one place. This ultimately boosts collaboration and productivity in your team.
Besides widely used communication platforms like Microsoft Teams, there are dedicated applications for scaling company culture within a remote world.
Also widely recognised is Slack, an easy-to-use messaging program that is designed for the office. It’s simple yet effective interface facilitates communication among colleagues and helps teams to collaborate across the globe. Slack allows employees to communicate across departments in a bid to move away from only communicating with colleagues that you work with. There are a number of great companies offering something similar as a combination of project management and employee engagement tools. These include Asana, Monday.com, etc.
Other companies like Cleary have developed a digital lobby for end-users where employees can post questions and announcements. Additionally, it provides a space for team members to provide personal information about themselves as well as meeting icebreaker questions.
The platform acts as an instant messenger with anyone in the company, reducing the need for emails when colleagues want to ask a quick question.
Another example of a virtual office is Tandem. A platform that encourages users to participate in daily check-ins. The platform is highly personalised and allows for meaningful communication. Tandem empowers employees to bring forward a human element where you can share your status that you are available for a meeting, in deep work mode or out walking your dogs and thus unavailable.
Tandem and Slack are very similar in that they encourage more communication between staff. However, Tandem provides those personalised features which remote workers have longed for since the onset of the pandemic.
Utilising technology to bring your team closer together is a necessary investment in the well-being of your company culture. While maintaining company culture in a remote world isn’t simple, the power of technology certainly makes it seem so.
If you’re looking to implement innovative technology to empower your team, get in touch with me at heinz.braegger@leverage-experts.com. If you want to learn more about corporate culture and why is more important than ever, click here to access my previous article about it.
A seasoned change and transformation expert. Successfully integrated M&A transactions, reorganized entities in digital business transformation and formed winning teams. Evaluated, hired, outsourced and outplaced employees. Supporting Top Management and HR departments in Situations of Rapid Change (SRC), as well as in strategic personal resource planning.