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Though, in the beginning, it appears to be a temporary arrangement, as time proceeds, it was clear that it was unlikely to be the same ever again in the near future. Many firms have encouraged remote working, and they recognized the need for making lasting changes to provide a positive work culture. Organizational culture or work culture is an essential aspect of why employees choose to work for a firm and what keeps them there for a long term. It is this work culture that promotes employee motivation, productivity, happiness, etc.

The challenge faced by companies in this unprecedented time is that the organizational cultures are not within their control in the same way as they used to be. Since employees are working from home, they lack regular collaboration, in-person meet-ups, etc., thus affecting the company culture in various ways.

Company culture is being tested

Video conferences, phone conversations, emails and chat boxes have acquired the spaces of face-to-face discussions, tea runs, colleague chatters, and office lunches in these remote working times. But all these virtual meetings cannot recreate the spirit of the in-person meeting experience. In these circumstances, business leaders should think and re-evaluate how their company culture can be tuned accordingly in a dispersed workspace.

For every company, the company culture and values hold a special place- a company lives and breathes by the values they hold. But the pandemic has impacted some firms to lose sight of their core values during their fight for survival in these tough times. And the initial struggle has allowed firms to undergo a readjustment period and allowed some firms to instill values that had been difficult to introduce before.

Studies found that some of the remote working employees felt lonely and missed informally socializing with their colleagues. However, it isn’t easy to recreate the office buzz, fun time at work, bouncing colleagues’ ideas, and energy in a virtual environment.

Get the team together

The remote teams are likely to miss the in-person presence and personalities of their co-workers and the ambient chatter that comes with being physically present in the same room. The inability of team members to communicate with each other on an ad hoc basis can create a feeling of isolation, even though they are working on the same projects or attain a similar goal. To reduce this feeling of isolation, organizations must leverage technology to simulate physical team environments and activities as possible using collaboration platforms.

Reiterate your company values

Remote working has turned out to be the new normal and is here to stay. Hence there is chance for some employees to lose touch with the company’s core values. To avoid this, there are positive ways to remind your employees about what it means to work for the firm through virtual gatherings, online events, etc. So, it is essential to reiterate your company values to all your employees during these uncertain and unusual times.

Increased focus on company culture

Companies are focusing on developing and reaffirming business culture from the perspective of a new normal, where workers remain physically distant due to increased remote working. The use of technology allows employees to stay connected in new ways. Remote work culture can be cemented by many business methods including new ways to enhance team collaboration, increasing employee contact with managers, conducting social meetups, virtual coffee mornings, team quizzes, etc. To take the firm ahead, it’s essential to keep a team together with a shared vision and ideals. Working together and supporting one another is more necessary than ever.

Employee welfare and training

During this uncertain time, organizations have begun addressing more on employee welfare programs to support employees. It comes in online health, safety, and well-being training to create a positive work environment. The pandemic has caused havoc on people’s mental health and well-being, and employers are working to equip their workers with the means they need to deal with uncertainty. Developing an open office culture includes providing support and having open discussions about mental health.

Be a positive and responsive leader

Lower employee engagement and satisfaction is another factor that organizations are facing today. Remote employees are facing unprecedented levels of stress in personal and professional life, so employers should consider employee engagement. Team leaders should also engage remote teams in team activities and get the dispersed teams connected in a loop. Digital platforms like video conferencing solutions should be made use to support your people. Moreover, leaders must show empathy to individual circumstances and be helpful to resolve their issues.

Final thoughts

Companies should be able to develop clear policies and invest in technologies to ensure productivity is maintained. Moreover, companies should be able to deliver more favorable environments and should also focus on the future world of work.