Now, more than ever, more companies are beginning to settle into the concept of remote workplaces. In 2023, we’ve seen 16% of companies go fully remote, and it’s estimated that 32.6 million Americans will be working entirely remotely by 2025.
It’s easy to see why. After all, remote work certainly has attractive perks like cost reduction, scheduling flexibility, and reduced commute. As good as remote work is, promoting a strong company culture is harder. In specific industries like IT, teamwork, shared values, leadership, and mission are vital to keep the company running smoothly.
It’s just as crucial for employees, too. A study suggested that 88% of employees see a positive work environment as necessary for long-term business success.
So, how do you navigate the ins and outs of creating and fostering a strong company culture in a remote IT workplace? That’s what we’ll cover below.
What a Strong IT Work Culture Looks Like And Why You Need It
In today’s day and age, many use the term "work culture" as an office buzzword. It can be hard to discern its true meaning if companies don’t take the necessary steps to practice it.
In its basic sense, work culture refers to any elements that make up a business’s environment, including routines, shared values, mission, vision, norms, and stories. All these elements brought together create an environment that can help employees do their jobs or hinder them.
For example, a strong work culture in the IT sector might begin with establishing and communicating values of openness, innovation, and teamwork. Management can actively encourage developers to work together through team building or give them the environment necessary for creative thinking, leading to more productivity and engagement.
As it turns out, creating a company culture with all the necessary elements truly makes a difference, too.
A GlassDoor survey states that 56% of employees feel that company culture is even more important than salary for satisfaction. That means employees will be more engaged, productive, and likely to stay with the company. That being said, it’s a crucial system worth investing in. Some other examples of a strong work culture might include:
- Regular practices that align with company values – Companies reinforce work culture through aligned behavior. Those valuing teamwork might give their employees shared office spaces. Companies valuing creativity might introduce weekly brainstorming sessions.
- Rewards for carrying out the company mission and values – Employers who want a concrete work culture can begin to reward employees who carry out their values and mission. For example, an IT company might reward employees with a proactive approach with bonuses.
- Clear communication – Executives who wish to instill a certain set of values should embody those values in their leadership style and through any executive communication.
By creating a strong company culture, executives are also essentially creating an employer brand. Employees embracing unified values and mission will reflect in their work and how your company appears in the eyes of potential customers. A robust work culture creates a system where all aspects of your brand are effectively aligned.
Promoting a Strong Work Culture for the Remote IT Workplace
It’s no surprise that fostering a strong workplace culture is challenging. Executives must work closely with certain employees to reallocate resources toward the company mission and values. This issue becomes even more difficult in a remote IT workplace.
Since employees aren’t commuting to an office, it might be hard to give them the physical benefits of reinforcing a positive work environment. That means no shared office spaces, bean bags, lunch breaks, or routines that unite everyone.
In a remote environment, the workspace is virtual. Companies must focus on other means of fostering a positive work environment, such as clearly defining values following them through guidelines, and rewards. Here are a few key tips for promoting a strong work culture in a remote IT workplace.
Be Proactive About Connection
When employees operate from different locations, it can be hard to keep strong collaborative cohesion. Actual offices tend to be easier for teamwork since everyone is physically present. So much distance makes it much more vital to keep communication channels open and flowing.
To do so, employers can introduce regular ways for employees to connect while or after finishing their daily tasks. For example, you might consider a weekly meeting where everyone can exchange insights, impressions, and issues and brainstorm ways forward. Others might prefer to have a group call for a virtual team-building session.
At the end of the day, the form connection takes might be less critical. Executives should look for opportunities to increase communication and connect by solving challenges together.
Establishing Company Goals, Values, and Mission
Many companies don’t focus on why they do what they do. By clearly defining a company mission, executives can promote a model for company culture. While some companies know their mission, they fall short of putting values at their company’s forefront. This would entail defining and communicating how employees should handle specific processes and complete certain tasks. It helps to think of company values as ways that a mission is accomplished. After executives clearly define their mission and values, they can reflect it in their communications and guidelines.
Some common examples of values in IT sectors may include:
- Innovation – Foster this value by allowing employees personal time and regular brainstorming sessions.
- Collaboration and connectivity – Use highly organized office communication channels such as Slack, Trello, or Asana. They’re the perfect way to outline common goals and prime a virtual office for teamwork. To go the extra mile, schedule a virtual teambuilding session or even a real-life meeting.
- Trust and transparency – Consider creating a Google Drive or other cloud-based system where you can upload important company documents and leave them open for employees to read. Also, make any updates or changes on public policy public so employees can stay informed and in the loop.
- Accountability – Some companies may want to manage expectations right from the start. You can do this by setting KPIs and a leaderboard. Likewise, you can provide additional training for employees who need it and reward employees who consistently deliver good results.
- Consistent education and learning – It’s always a smart idea for companies to help employees learn additional skills. You may want to give them additional training or access to online courses to promote this value.
Balance Independent Work With Regular Collaboration
While many IT companies want to foster a work culture of collaboration, independent work (also called async work) can also be essential to the positive work culture puzzle. Many professionals do their best work when they don’t have to synchronize and perform updates with their colleagues regularly.
The IT sector does require teamwork much of the time, but it’s also essential to define which tasks can be done independently and which can’t. A positive work environment also means respecting employee preferences regarding working styles.
Plus, one of the main reasons many professionals value remote work in the first place is because it allows them to complete tasks without interruptions to their workflow. This method can be incredibly beneficial, resulting in higher productivity and better efficiency.
Be Transparent About Remote Work Policy and Establish Expectations
As human beings, we tend to socialize and organize structures pretty efficiently. It’s one of the main reasons we can build big businesses and organizations that carry out influential missions. A strong work culture is one manifestation of that. However, we’ve evolved to do this in person for the most part. We naturally rely on organization and structure to complete objectives when we’re together.
With the rise of remote work, our sense of structure might be skewed, so executives need to establish well-defined remote work policies and guidelines. Managing results also falls into this category. As soon as employees are onboard, it helps to define rules regarding tasks, meetings, workflow structure, and expectations. This will clarify any issues the employee might have from the beginning and save valuable time in the future.
Emphasize Work-Life Balance
While remote work for IT sectors can be flexible, it might blur the lines between work and everyday life. With their workstations so close by, it may be hard for many professionals to leave stress and expectations “at the office.”
Executives can define working and online hours to help keep employees satisfied and ready for work. This will allow employees to manage their time better, disconnecting when hours are up and facilitating a more productive work-life balance.
What Company Culture Is All About
Following the tips above, you can create a progressive yet authentic company culture for your remote IT workplace. While you won’t be able to rely on actual physical methods in the office, many ways exist to unite employees. It’s crucial to realize that every company is different, so you’ll need to improve most of the time.
Consider having a few guidelines in places or resources that new employees can consult. Many companies might hire brand strategists or human resource professionals to help establish company culture and facilitate a robust working environment.
