Four Ways To Engage Your Remote Team

Dear Tanja, 

I oversee a distributed team. We’re all over the country and based in different time zones. We do a retreat once a year, but what are some things I can do in between to keep the team engaged?

This is a great question! Most remote teams have fun Slack channels and monthly or quarterly virtual hangouts. These are great ways for the employees to share their personalities and interests. However, this does not foster a connection to the company or its impact or create a sense of purpose that supports employee engagement. 

Here are four ideas to engage your remote team:

1- Open Office Hours

Leave an open Zoom meeting, or two, on your calendar every week for employees to pop in with questions, get feedback, or catch up. It’s an informal space where you are available for your team (which you can also double as admin time if no one joins the call). This provides a space for quick questions that in-person employees typically get when walking past you in the hallway, riding the elevator together, or walking into the building simultaneously. It’s little things that don’t require a meeting, but if unaddressed, they can become a barrier to productivity. 

2- Unstructured Social Time

Leave a weekly window open for employees to gather informally. This could be a Friday morning coffee break or a mid-week relaxation space. This time invites employees to meet and mingle, as they would in the break room. This doesn’t have to be long. Even just 20 minutes a week can help the team get to know each other, connect, and check-in.

3- Team Inquiry Meetings

When rolling out a new product or policy or making any changes to the organization (even welcoming new hires/positions), set up a time to share information about the change and answer questions from the team. Without this space, remote teams are learning about changes from an email. It can feel impersonal and isolating. Invite your team to be part of the change by getting everyone together to learn, collaborate, and celebrate new beginnings.

4- Ask! 

Ask your team- What would be meaningful to them? Be honest about your intention. Also, ask regularly. Support looks different throughout the year. Perhaps you can set up an anonymous Google Form that stays open for feedback, suggestions, and comments. When something like this is set up regularly, acknowledge the information and follow up with the team. It can backfire when a form like this is implemented but not acknowledged.

I hope this helps keep your distributed team connected and in high spirits! 

What would you add? What will you try? Share in the comments. Let’s keep working together to keep the office vibes up!

#remoteteams #consultant #coach #employeewellness #employeeengagement #social #officehours