How to unite a team split between remote workers and office workers

 

Agree a clear method of working

---

Avoid any confusion, mistakes, or even bad feeling within a team or department by ensuring that each member knows exactly how they will work with their colleagues, including:

• forms of communication and how often that communication will happen
• a schedule of meetings, including what will be discussed
• how each team member can make their availability accessible
• goal and project plans, schedules, and deadlines
• how often each member will keep the rest of the team updated and in what format
• the technology that will be used, for instance, Google Docs or Microsoft Teams
• best practice guidelines

 

Use the same technology

---

Make sure that the team, whether working from home or the office, use the same technology. You might be surprised by how many applications of technology impact on a working day, for instance:

• document creation, updating, and sharing
• video conferencing
• screen sharing
• emails
• online research
• access to diaries

Employers generally have no obligation to provide IT equipment and software to remote workers, but it may be useful to consider ease of access to certain software for home-workers, for instance, using a free video conferencing app such as Zoom.

Speaking of video conferencing, the CIPD provides 10 helpful tips on holding effective online meetings.

 

Maintain regular communication

---

Regular communication, whether 1-to-1 chats or group meetings, is key to maintaining team morale when that team is split between office and home. Without it:

• remote workers may fall victim to feelings of isolation, depression, and demotivation
• office workers may receive preferential treatment from managers because they are more visible
• hybrid workers may lose touch with the team’s overall goals and missions as they experience a ‘ships passing in the night’ existence, rarely encountering the complete team in one go

Regular communication just for the sake of it, however, is not the answer. Instead, it should be inclusive (accessible and at a suitable time for everyone concerned), scheduled (pre-arranged and announced well in advance), and intentional (there’s a reason to hold this video-call or send this email).

 

Working practices that suit all

---

Where a team or department is made up of employees working on-site, at home, and perhaps also on a hybrid basis, it is important that its working practices are suitable for all and that they offer each member the same opportunity to contribute.

For instance:

• ensuring that team meetings are suitable for everyone to attend
• holding team meetings by video call, even for those employees in the office
• not arranging team meetings on-site that remote workers can’t attend

 

Make sharing easy

---

Where sharing information and resources is important, make it easy for all team members, whether remote or office-based, to have access. Consider using an online-hub that, while sufficiently secure, can also be accessed by all team members.

This might be done via a corporate virtual private network (VPN) or by using a cloud service such as iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Docs. However, do remember to check the legal requirements for data processing and storage first.

The ICO provide a useful, up-to-date guide on data protection.

 

Bring everyone together

---

Teamwork happens more smoothly when the members of that team know each other and feel that they are working towards a common goal. In fact, the same team-spirit can be key to motivating an entire workforce. Team meetings have an obvious work-related purpose, but they don’t have to be all business. Here’s how team get-togethers can be a social event too:

• Where there’s a new face at the meeting, begin the meeting with a round of introductions including everyone’s name and what they do. Beyond conveying information to the new team member, this gives everyone a chance to feel heard and valued.
• In-person social events can be an ideal way to bring a team together but where this isn’t possible, organise an online event such as a pub quiz night.
• Introduce a regular – but not more frequent than once a week – lunch-time video call where team members can chat away from the subject of work. Treat it like a virtual break-room or water-cooler experience.

 

Final Thoughts

---

As the UK moves into a way of living and working that is free of most pandemic restrictions, the existence of teams who are split between remote and on-site working is likely to continue. It may well be the path that many employers remain on in response to a candidate-led job market and an increasing demand for work-from-home employment. It is therefore imperative that employers quickly learn how to effectively manage a team working from different locations.