Corporate culture refers to a shared set of norms, values, assumptions, and beliefs that govern the organizational behavior of employees in a workplace. This culture defines how employees behave in the organization with one another, and it influences everyone in some way or another. As for organizations that operate in virtual workplaces, employees are connected remotely. Hence, a shared set of values is often missing. Therefore, there is an increasing need to instill a healthy virtual culture to ensure that each remote worker feels a part of the team and has a true sense of belonging.
Why do Virtual Workplaces Require a Corporate Culture?
It is essential to identify why a virtual workplace requires a corporate culture. First, there needs to be sufficient trust among remote employees. Lack of trust among employees connected virtually can lead to work disruptions where employees may not be willing to work as a team.
Second, introducing the leadership model in a virtual workplace and a set of shared beliefs and values becomes inevitable. People who are connected to one another remotely will find it difficult to accept the leadership of another remote employee. Leadership is not only a requirement for physical workplaces but becomes even more critical if employees are separated by geographical locations.
Employees in a virtual workplace may also feel isolated as their interaction is limited, which obstructs open, informal, and social communication between members of the same team. This hampers employee growth in terms of social skills, effective communication skills, and interaction outside of the work environment. Digital interaction does not allow for gestures, use of body language, or a pat on the back for a job well done. All these elements tend to be missing in a virtual workplace, but a common corporate culture could fill this void to some extent.
How to Build a Corporate Culture in a Virtual Workplace
The following are a few methods that may be useful to stimulate a corporate culture in a virtual work setting:
- There must be computer-based chat rooms set up for remote employees where they can discuss and perform work projects. This enables open communication channels in a virtual workplace.
- Moreover, virtual collaborative tools may be used to exchange ideas, share viewpoints and opinions on the various tasks assigned to remote employees.
- To cultivate a culture where social skills may be enhanced, virtual socialization tools must be set to ensure that remote employees can engage in informal and personal conversations. This is likely to induce social interaction among employees and will result in the creation of trust, something they are missing due to geographical limitations.
- Virtual employees lack a sense of engagement which may be countered using video calls and video conferences so face-to-face interactions can occur—as such, gesturing and the use of body language can be exercised to convey messages to remote employees.
- Occasionally, employees may be arranged to physically meet one another at a conference or annual dinner for the organization. This is another way to ensure that a corporate culture seeps into the virtual workplace. These meetings will develop a set of shared values, beliefs, and norms to which all remote employees can become accustomed.
- Another method to instill a corporate culture in the virtual workplace is through constant feedback from remote employees. Employees may be asked for their personal views regarding what is missing in the virtual culture and what needs to be amended. Their valuable insights can be used to make the required alterations because the employees make up a corporate culture, after all.
- Virtual employees may be granted full ownership of their individual projects to allow delegation. This is yet another method for ensuring trust among employees and will inseminate a sense of belonging.
Conclusion
Virtual workplaces can make remote employees feel less motivated and alienated, provided by the lack of physical interaction. However, corporate culture is as necessary for a virtual work setting as it is for a shared workplace. Using these methods, efforts may be dedicated toward establishing a virtual culture for remote employees.
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.
