It’s no secret that a strong culture is one of the biggest ways to encourage solid teamwork in the office. But how do you build a healthy culture when your team works remotely?

Well, don’t worry – it is doable! Here’s a 5-step plan for creating a healthy work culture for your remote workforce:

Step 1: Open those communication lines

Even teams who work in the same office experience communication fails from time to time, but it can be even more problematic for those working in remote locations.

Employees working further afield should have dedicated channels so they can chat to their in-office colleagues instantly. Tools like Slack are good for quick chats, whereas the likes of Trello and Asana enable your teams to communicate on specific projects.

And, let’s be honest, nobody wants a silent office, so why should remote employees have to work without chitchat? Instant messaging platforms mean your remote teams can have light discussions with your in-house staff, providing a sense of camaraderie and friendship.

Step 2: Encourage lunch ‘n’ learns

Lunch ‘n’ learns are a brilliant way to encourage shared leadership as part of your work culture, and gives your employees a chance to step up to the plate and share their skills with other team members.

Encourage your remote workers to share their specialisms with the in-house crew by inviting them to host a lunch ‘n’ learn, either via web chat or by visiting the office to present their ideas. This way, remote teams feel more integrated with the rest of the workforce, and in-house employees can appreciate the wisdom and skills of their remote colleagues.

Step 3: Prioritise mental health and wellness

You’d be forgiven for thinking that remote workers enjoy a better work-life balance; your in-office team might even envy them a little. But there’s more to remote working than dodging the morning commute and working in your PJs.

While you can boost office morale by ordering pizza for lunch or holding afternoon yoga classes every so often, it’s a bit tricker to do the same for your remote employees.

Why not introduce one-to-one health and wellness check-ins a part of your culture? You should do this with everyone in your team, but when it comes to your remote workforce, check that they’re taking regular breaks and not working more hours than they need to be. If you noticed someone in the office following this pattern, you’d offer support, but it’s harder to spot if you don’t see your team members day-to-day.

Step 4: Offer verbal high-fives

Even if it’s difficult to get the Employee of the Month trophy shipped over to your remote teams, there are still ways to make sure everyone knows when they’ve smashed it.

Never underestimate the power of the good-old-fashioned shout out. Nothing says motivation quite like letting your teams know you’re proud of them, so make shout outs a firm part of your culture.

Obviously remote workers might not be present in team meetings, so slip your shout outs into group emails or chat groups. This will allow colleagues to congratulate your remote workers and give them a well-deserved confidence boost.

Step 5: Get together and socialise!  

A strong office culture is nothing without a team that has fun together. Every few months, get the whole gang together off-site for a social that gets everyone involved; think of activities that don’t exclude anyone, but do get teams communicating and having a laugh.

For example, you could lock all your employees up in a room for an hour. Yep, really!

Escape Hunt is the ultimate off-site team building experience. Put your teams’ brains to the test with challenging escape rooms packed with mind-bending clues to inspire that all important get-out strategy. This exciting take on a company social will have your remote employees feeling like an integrated part of the team, plus with so many props and photo ops, just imagine the Instagram likes!