As the demand for remote work skyrockets, the term “remote jobs” is now searched for over 18,000 times per month on Google in the UK. The last few years have seen a rapid shift away from traditional office work as both businesses and employees see the value of remote working.
For business startups, creating a remote workforce is often a no-brainer. Being able to save money on your overheads and source talent without location restraints offers wider opportunities to thrive.
With this being said, can working in a remote environment make it harder to form connections at work? 48% of employees say remote working has made it harder for them to work with others, so what impact will this have on your new business?
In this article, we explore the key challenges startups face and how you can recreate those all-important office connections in a WFH environment.
How Startups are Reshaping the WFH Landscape
Office work, as we’ve long known it, has transformed drastically over recent years. The corporate landscape is currently made up of a combination of traditional office setups, hybrid models, and fully remote businesses.
Many new entrants to the business market are steering heavily towards a WFH environment. With 78% of remote workers reporting an improved work-life balance, it's no surprise that startups are offering flexibility that suits a huge portion of job seekers.
On top of this, a whopping 83% of employees say they work more efficiently and productively when they work from home, which is ideal for getting a new business startup up and running.
The Challenges of WFH in a Startup
Although there are undeniable benefits to having a remote workforce, this doesn’t mean it is free of challenges. For startups building their foundations, there are bound to be some teething issues that are made trickier when there is no office dynamic in place.
Lack of face-to-face interactions: Being the most anticipated challenge when starting a new remote business, not being able to meet employees in person can make it challenging to get into the swing of things. Without daily chit-chats in the office and lunchtime outings, the company culture will naturally be weaker than it would be in an office environment.
Communication challenges: Instead of being able to ask questions, brainstorm ideas, or get together for an impromptu meeting as you would in an office, everybody needs to get used to scheduling meetings and communicating via message. This can be especially tricky if your employees are working across different time zones, limiting the number of hours in the day that overlap.
Lack of employee engagement: When managing a startup business, establishing a strong employee engagement rate in the early days can transform the success of your business. Since employees are working from home, it can be easier for them to lack motivation and feel less connected to the company. This can inevitably lead to poorer productivity and slower growth.
How to Create an Office Culture in a WFH Environment
Not having a physical office environment doesn't mean your business can’t build a strong company culture. Let’s discuss some ways you can overcome the traditional barriers associated with remote working to create a well-connected team.
Host team-building events
Not having an office doesn’t mean you can’t plan team activities. Getting the team together is a great way for everyone to let their hair down and chat with colleagues they may not get much chance to interact with.
If your workforce is all relatively local, planning a central meetup every quarter or so will mean everyone can get together from time to time and strengthen their working relationships. For teams that cannot feasibly meet in person, hosting virtual team-building events, such as quiz nights or virtual cocktail classes, can still have a strong positive impact.
Schedule weekly video meetings
Building up working relationships within your team can make all the difference when it comes to the productivity of a startup. Employees being able to comfortably communicate with each other will not only improve the company culture but also create a cross-functional team who are able to share their expertise.
Putting consistent meetings in the diary, whether daily or weekly, will allow your team to regularly check in with each other and ensure they are all aligned on their projects. Having these virtual meetings that allow the team to see each other and catch up will help maintain strong communication in the remote environment.
Utilise project management software
With WFH being such a common working style nowadays, there are various software choices available to help your business manage its workforce. Utilising a modern system designed to improve daily operations can take a huge weight off your shoulders.
As a startup, having software in place to manage your ongoing projects will ensure all employees are working collaboratively, even if they are not in the same place. Being able to assign tasks, monitor progress, and set deadlines will create a seamless system that everybody can contribute to.
Offer virtual coffee breaks
Without general office chit-chat and catch-ups, while waiting for the kettle to boil, remote teams will naturally be less tight-knit than office-based teams. An effective strategy that is not often well-utilised by remote businesses is implementing virtual coffee breaks.
Schedule a short break, even just 15 minutes, during the middle of the afternoon which can be used for employees to take a rest from their work and chat with their colleagues.
Whether you choose to run a group call that can be joined by those who fancy a casual natter or randomly assign pairings to instigate chats among colleagues who may not usually get the chance to interact, these short snippets in a day can have a huge impact on wellbeing.
An Adaptable Work Environment is Key
While a WFH environment poses unique challenges for startups, it also offers opportunities to create a powerful workforce. Adapting to the needs of the modern employee by creating a flexible working environment that brings together talent from a wider demographic is looking to reflect the future of the corporate world.
Hosting virtual events, utilising video calls, encouraging social conversation, and using good project management software are all strategies that can help you create a collaborative workforce without barriers. By making an effort to bring together your employees and replicate office connections in a remote setting, your business can overcome the hurdles of WFH.
