How to Develop Productive Culture in Remote Teams

It is never easy to build a productive culture for team members. There are so many different pieces of a puzzle to take into consideration. Now, imagine a remote team. You have to develop a culture that will glue your employees together who are thousands of miles away from each other. That's a definition of a tough challenge. 

Let's not forget that the majority of remote teams never meet face-to-face. How are you supposed to come up with a win-win scenario in this situation?

The Importance of The Suitable Culture Fit

According to the findings of the most recent studies, we are very likely to witness the absolute domination of the remote-working teams over the traditionally fixed office teams by 2025. But, there's a catch. When it comes to successful and effective organizations the culture has become more important than ever. The distributed teams just can't make it without a healthy culture. Forget about suits and heels. That just won't do in the remote business world. So, what are the ways for remote workers to work as a team as if they have shared the same office space for years, every single day, around the clock?

The Successful Culture Begins With The Thoughtful Hiring Process

Have you ever used the wrong jigsaw piece? You probably have. Then, you know how it feels not to find the right employee for your team. You may be a business rock star with an immense potential. However, if you aren't a perfect fit for the specific company culture then you are going to sit on a bench and don't enjoy your team's business game. Is there a way to avoid this worst-case scenario? Well, follow your culture's requirements and you won't make a mistake. Opt for employees who are natural problem solvers and don't have problems with self-motivation.

Always Find Time For Cultural Training

We all know how important is to ensure proper training for new team members. The traditional teams have all the time in the world to train their new members. We can’t say the same for remote teams. Time and opportunities to expose new members to cultural values and practices are the precious and limited resources in the remote business world. Also, when working remotely you can’t just sit and wait for new members to absorb the culture. So, what’s the solution for the remote culture training? New hires should have enough time and cultural training material at their disposal. Let your cultural imagination run wild. Feel free to experiment. You can make videos and always ask for your new hires' feedback. You will have a useful library for future training that can ensure more personal and impactful touch.

Team Meetings Are Always Important, But For Remote Teams They Are Uber-Important

When you are spending time with your team in the same office, you can always find an opportunity to hold a meeting. But when your team members are scattered all over the world, you have no choice than to give team meetings a ceremonial meaning. Remote manages shouldn’t allow for these meetings to turn into simple status updates. You need to create that special feeling family members share when they sit down together to share a meal. All teammates should be able to catch up with your team's progress during these meetings. More importantly, they should be given an opportunity to speak freely about what's on their minds and in their hearts.

Who Says That Remote Teams Can’t Have One-On-Ones?

One-on-ones aren't reserved only for traditional teams. You can still achieve the desired level of intimacy and trust through individual video calls. If your remote teammate needs help at an individual level, you can organize a special meeting for his or her eyes and ears only. One-on-ones should become an integral part of your remote culture. The employees need to know that they can always count on fully individualized support. At the same time, these types of meetings shouldn’t be reserved only for your organizational vertical (management-employee), but they should also include organizational horizontal structure (employee-employee).

Remote Recognition – Close Results

The trouble with the remote teams is that you can’t announce an employee of the month for other members to look up to. However, this doesn’t mean that public recognition, even a remote one, can’t have a positive effect on your team. Whether you say it or share it through the chat, a job well done, always sounds and feel good for your teammates. Recognition has always been and still is one of the most effective ways to keep your team motivated.

Remote Teams With The Full Focus on Culture Succeed

Strong and productive remote culture is possible. In addition, you don’t need to spend a fortune on the state-of-the-art technology to strengthen your organizational culture. The great thing about remote culture is the fact that this is an extremely grateful and not too demanding plant. It requires just a little bit of your attention and what you get in return is the solid foundation for your company to grow. The geography isn’t an excuse for an ineffective remote team. With the thoughtful approach and attention focused on the practices outlined above, it won’t matter for your team if the members are located in the different cities, countries or continents.

How Can goCulture Benefit Your Remote Team?

goLance has been launched to be more than just another freelance website. From the very beginning, our platform has been focused on solving the challenges of the modern business and the gig economy. We have learned, experimented, and developed shoulder-to-shoulder with our users. Our goCulture has helped us to become what we are today. We are willing to share this invaluable experience with the countless remote teams all over the world.

One of our clients has freelancers in San Diego, Portland Maine, and Siberia. They all work together and care deeply about each other’s families. Despite the fact that they have never actually met in person, they know each other pretty well. It’s both amazing and inspiring to witness how they stand up for each other and cooperate simultaneously on a daily basis. On Fridays, they always have a beer together while they are in a video conference call. That is remote workforce goCulture they have been able to develop while working on our platform. You don’t have to shake someone’s hand or look him/her in the eye to build trust and friendly professional relationships.

 

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