Company Culture Beyond the Office Walls

Company culture is an important way for employees to understand company values beyond their individual contributions. Teamwork and culture have more influence over company success than any other factors. This being said, it can be difficult to maintain company culture without face-to-face interaction. Below are some tips for instilling a remote company culture, as we continuously learn how to adjust to daily life in a pandemic.

1. When possible use video calling. Emails are less personable and cannot convey tone.
2. Try virtual coffee chats. There are various mobile apps that schedule coworkers for a 30-minute, one-on-one chat once a week. The sole purpose of the conversation is personal connection, a catch-up to get to know one another better.
3. Encourage transparency and informal conversation (when appropriate) by utilizing instant messaging instead of formal emailing.
4. Practice over-communication. Discover what modes of communication work best for your teams, and use them often.
5. Utilize technology. Various communications and collaboration technology are critical in building a virtual company culture,
6. Regularly plan fun activities. Activities such as virtual lunches, themed happy hours, book clubs, and game nights can help compensate for in-person work outings.