A co-located office develops its own personality through inside jokes, shared experiences, and a collaborative environment. A remote team needs to develop something similar.

Creating specific Slack channels based on interests and book clubs where the company funds the books are the easiest ways to do this for remote workers.

Learning about someone takes time and effort. But it also helps you as a team connect on a deeper level. One of the best ways to do this is with a game called Conspiracy Santa, a version of Secret Santa in which the team works together to pick the perfect gift:

Weekly video check-ins or catch-ups are fantastic ways to create a sense of community and belongingness:

• Start with a welcome and an agenda. Update everyone and set the tone by chatting a few minutes.
• Celebrate accomplishments. Let people know about exciting news and changes.
• Give a high-level update on the progress of company-wide goals.
• Give each team a chance to share major updates, concerns, or questions.
• Do a Q&A session, real-time or with anonymous forms ahead of time for sensitive topics.
• At the end of the call, make groups of people who may not normally connect and let them talk more personally.

• Remote workers often feel lonely without in-person connection and that can impact their abilities and productivity.
• It takes more effort to bond with people you only interact virtually
• Human beings need social and face-to-face interaction to build trust and understanding.
• Remote working brings more instances of miscommunication due to the lack of physical feedback.

Research indicates that successful teams foster “psychological safety”. This is a culture characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect, where people are comfortable being themselves.

Teams with psychological safety are more creative. They’re more trusting. They’re more innovative. And most of all, they’re more connected.