Building a Community Within a Virtual Work Environment

There are many advantages to a virtual workplace; however, many times the environment neglects to support collaboration and can get lonely. Building a sense of community in a virtual workplace can be challenging, but it is essential for fostering teamwork, collaboration, and a positive work environment. A strong community in the workplace will lead to employee retention, stronger innovation and collaboration, cohesion during projects and less conflict. Having a strong team will help your organization to thrive.

Here are a few ways to build a community in a virtual work environment.

Virtual Events

Just because you are virtual, doesn’t mean you can’t have social events! Social events in the traditional workplace are a common way to encourage team bonding. Plan events for every other month, or once a quarter, to encourage team members to get to know one another. You can get creative with the events. Try finding virtual games to play, or mail everyone materials to host a paint night.

Meetings

A regularly scheduled meeting is a great way for everyone to get to know one another, and for new hires to become familiarized with the team. Host monthly meetings to catch up with everyone on the team. Allow people to share updates from work or personal life. Different groups of people may not meet up often, depending on their roles, so this is a way to bring everyone together once a month.

Asynchronous Communication

In addition to synchronous communication taking place over the phone, or over zoom, utilizing various methods of asynchronous communication can be beneficial. “This offers the chance to respond when we’re able to, rather than immediately. Asynchronous communication includes email, messages on your project management platform, and, yes, apps like Slack” (Koper, 2012). Consider programs like that Slack can encourage quick communication rather than sending an email which may feel the need to be more formal.

You can also try to get creative with asynchronous virtual activities to “make connections that don’t require you to be available simultaneously. Things like Secret Snowflake gift exchanges allow for participation regardless of schedule” (Raines-Loring, n.d.).

Newsletters

Sending a newsletter is a great way to share news and updates with everyone. Emailing a newsletter periodically will keep everyone connected. Think of including things such as, upcoming events, birthdays, company announcements, accomplishments, etc. 

While virtual work is efficient in many ways, your organization will be even more successful if you have a strong team community. Try choosing one or two of these steps to implement into your workplace. Putting in an effort to increase social opportunities will bring employees closer together both professionally and personally. 

References:

Koper. (2017, February 8). How to Build Community within Your Remote Team | Nusii Blog. Nusii. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://nusii.com/blog/build-community-remote-team/

Pasini, R. (2018, June 29). 12 Ways to Cultivate Community Among Remote Teams. Remote Work From Home Job Search Tips and Advice. https://www.virtualvocations.com/blog/remote-company-services/12-ways-cultivate-community-remote-teams/

Raines-Loring. (n.d.). Building Community within Hybrid Teams | Human Resources | Colorado State University. Building Community Within Hybrid Teams | Human Resources | Colorado State University. Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://hr.colostate.edu/flexible-work-arrangements/building-community-within-hybrid-teams/