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Team building in a virtual world

One thing this pandemic has taught us is the flexibility to work remotely and to make sure everything is correctly setup to do so. As companies closed for lockdowns, it meant that workers had to adjust quickly to the work from home model, and learn new skills they might not have used until working virtually.

Companies had to rethink their business structures completely. This involved boosting their eCommerce, upskilling in digital communications, and providing software for staff to stay in touch. All the while trying to boost morale and keep the company culture alive.

Now that we’re all setup to work like this, it’s meant some businesses have embraced this way of working by adopting a home/office balance. The traditional 9-5 seems to be slowly moving into a more flexible solution. Forbes recently reported a 20% increase in overall happiness with the flexibility to work remotely. Reducing commuting time and office distractions amongst other things, actually improves happiness and productivity, particularly in millennials.

It’s also important to make sure you keep everyone feeling involved when they’re out of the office. Tips to do this are:

1. Video in remote workers for team meetings.
2. Have a messaging platform like Microsoft Teams, Google Chat or Slack, so your team can stay updated.
3. Have face-to-face catch ups regularly.
4. Create a rotating schedule for team members, so you’ve always got a good vibe in the office and everyone gets to book in remote days.
5. Create playlists together, so remote workers can feel included in the office music choices.
6. Have regular WIPs so everyone feels across work and nothing slips past.
7. Have great work-perks in the office to encourage staff to want to come in. Shared lunches, top barista style coffees, meetings over a shared morning tea etc.

At the end of the day, there’s something nice about being in the office and having a coffee with your work colleagues. That’s why finding the right work / home balance is the key to a happier team.

At Café Direct, we’ve got an amazing range of coffee machines ready to go, plus we do regular machine servicing, and provide freshly roasted beans to match. Get in touch with our friendly team on 0800 836 346 or enquire online about options to suit your workplace, it could well be the thing that your staff look forward to being in the office for.