The pandemic completely redefined the way we work and the ways in which we communicate between our teams. Unless you’re in a position where you can house your team in an office while adhering to the social distancing measures the likelihood is that your team will be working remotely from their own homes.

We’ve already been through this before, which is why I wanted to share some tips on how to connect with and maintain relationships with your team throughout these difficult times.

  1. Communicate regularly: Setting up virtual 1-to-1’s, and team meetings are crucial for those working remotely as it gives employees the opportunity to communicate with their team, something which once felt normal and was taken for granted.
  2. Frequent Check-ins: Remote working results in staff feeling disconnected, making employees feel as if they need to overcome issues on their own. As a manager, you need to make yourself available, speak to your staff, make sure they’re happy, and offer support wherever you can.
  3. Make it fun: It doesn’t always have to be work, work, work! In the first lockdown, many teams went further than just being colleagues but developed deeper friendships through various other team-based activities. Whether you’re playing a virtual game, having some drinks as a team, or simply having a team discussion. The opportunities are endless, not only will this lift the morale of your individual members of staff but in fact the whole team.
  4. Encourage knowledge sharing: With your team working remotely it means they won’t have the constant support available that they would have once had. That’s why we recommend hosting frequent team-training sessions where employees can share newly learned knowledge, and managers can provide any necessary training.
  5. Choose the right communication tool: There are many tools available to overcome the communication barriers that remote working brings to organisations. There are many free tools such as Zoom, however, tools like this aren’t always ideal when it comes to communicating with your customers.
  6. Make collaboration more efficient: Team collaboration is a leading factor for productivity, hence why it’s so important that your remote teams work together and communicate.

A great tool to consider is Horizon Collaborate, which supports the team and covers all the points covered above in one way or another. We’ve provided many of our business customers with the means to shift their employees from the office to remote working with our VoIP phone systems that allow your staff to work from home as if they never left the office – continuing to provide a high level of customer service, and increasing productivity within your team. Give our team a call on 01727 221303 for a no-obligation phone call where we can discuss your remote working requirements further.