How to Keep the Camaraderie with Co-Workers While Working from Home

There’s a large population of the workforce that is several months into adjusting to working remotely due to the Coronavirus outbreak. While the flexibility of working from home is a huge perk, most of us have also come to find out that working remotely comes with its setbacks. One of those setbacks is the lack of human interaction we get from going into the office each day and collaborating, even socializing, with the rest of our team.

Working from home doesn’t mean the camaraderie you’ve built up with your co-workers for the duration of your time with the company gets erased. It simply means that just as we’ve adjusted to staying productive within our roles outside of the office, we need to adjust the way we interact and bond with our co-workers as well. Below are some tips for staying connected to your team without seeing them at the office every day.

Zoom Meetings vs. Phone Calls

If working together in person isn’t an option, virtual meetings are the next best thing. Of course, phone calls are great for questions and brief discussions, but virtual meetings on the meeting software of your choice is needed when working from home. Whether it’s a team check-in meeting once a week or a one-on-one virtual call with a team member or manager, seeing a smiling face is better than hearing a voice.

Team Communication Platforms

Team communication platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout or Chanty are perfect for remote work. This modern software allows large teams to stay in constant communication throughout the day in an organized way. Direct message with co-workers for private conversations or participate in group chats about specific topics, it’s all possible with a good business communication platform.

Celebrate Small Wins to Big Milestones

It’s more important than ever to connect and keep that camaraderie going since we can’t celebrate accomplishments in real time at the office. Celebrating means recognizing everyone’s hard work and team effort towards common goals, so be sure to give a shout out to co-workers for everything from small wins to major milestones.

Continue Monthly Get-Together

The team happy hour that you looked forward to each month might be on hold for a while, but who says it has to end? Continue that monthly get-together with co-workers virtually. It doesn’t have to be all business, all the time. In fact, you will create a stronger bond with your team if you make an effort towards getting to know everyone on a human level rather than strictly business.

JW Michaels & Co. is an executive search firm dedicated to serving the specialized recruiting needs of top-tier financial services, legal, technology and business institutions. Contact us about our Executive Search and Flexible Staffing Solutions today.