Organizations work hard to develop great company culture that will increase job satisfaction and productivity, with employees meeting company objectives in an environment they like and find comfortable.

In the recruitment process, organizations emphasize to new or potential employees the importance of company culture and the recruits will consider if they are a good fit for the environment at a particular organization.

Given how important company culture is, HR training and management development services look at ways in which a company can improve the environment employees work in. However, as working from home arrangements become more common, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations may struggle to maintain company culture with remote workers.

Since working remotely can make employees feel distant from the organization and colleagues, these are culture building programs that HR services like LeadHRM recommend for organizations.

Happy Hour

Certain restaurants offer free or discounted food and beverages during what they refer to as a “happy hour” and organisations have been using this term to refer to a specific time once a week or every other week for the management and employees of a company to relax and socialise in a more casual setting.

Prior to COVID-19, a company happy hour would take place in the office premises afterhours or at a restaurant or pub. While restaurants are open for business and ensure safety measures are in place, your remote workers may feel more comfortable meeting virtually.

From games like bingo and trivia to online dance parties and DIY craft or baking challenges, there are several activities that can be done online and management development services will look at ways to make employees more comfortable around their bosses during the company happy hour.

In order to keep it interesting, a new theme can be selected every week, whether it is karaoke, trivia, or movies and team-work can be encouraged by changing the organising team every week.

A tip given by HR services like LeadHRM is to change the time and day of the happy hour every week. By allocating a specific time on a particular day a week, you are unintentionally excluding the same people from the company happy hour week after week. By changing the day and time, however, you may find that more people can participate.

Show and Tell

If we are asked about our colleagues, we may only be able to talk about their strengths or interests in the context of their job. We may never know about their personal interests or preferences like hobbies or talents. This applies to remote workers as well, as the opportunity for conversation and socialising is limited.

A show and tell is a fun way for colleagues to get to know each other and have a look into their lives. You can allocate an hour every week for an employee to talk about an interest or hobby and answer questions by their colleagues. This will give your employees an opportunity to bond.

Professionals at LeadHRM services and other companies offering executive management services also recommend “ask me anything” sessions, where an employee must answer questions on various topics. The company can also have employees talk about a particular topic once a week, for instance, super powers they would like to have or their inspirations.

Safe Space

While a happy hour or show and tell is aimed at giving remote workers an opportunity to relax and have fun with their colleagues, it is also important to create a safe space where employees can talk about any issues or difficulties they are facing.

Working from home, especially in the midst of a global pandemic, can have a toll on one’s mental health and feelings of anxiety, fear, and stress are common and to be expected during these times. While HR trainings by companies like LeadHRM will emphasise on the importance of physical safe spaces in an office, organisations may not have considered them when rolling out working from home arrangements.

By having a virtual safe space, remote workers can discuss issues they face with productivity and motivation and support each other during these difficult and uncertain times.