With remote working and work from home still the norm in many countries, there have been concerns that organisational culture is being diluted, and the link between employee and employer weakened.

 

It is now over 18 months since organisations worldwide, to varying degrees, have had to institute work from home (WFH), or remote work arrangements, in order to reduce the rate of infection of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. Prior to COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, the norm was that employees would be physically present at their workplace, which could include long commutes and juggling personal and familial obligations whilst on the job. Thanks to the pandemic and people working from home, or rather not in offices, for the most part, they are enjoying greater control of their everyday lives, being more present with their families, as well as some financial savings.

Interestingly, many organisations that previously had been opposed to remote work, and even flexitime, have now embraced remote work. More importantly, and in some instances, they have already indicated that employees will be able to continue working from home post-pandemic.

Without a doubt and for organisations to adopt such a posture, means that there are distinct benefits they are realising by having employees WFH. Among the benefits, which have been widely reported, are increased productivity, or at the very least no decline in productivity, and lower operating cost, such as from utilities, supplies and consumables, office maintenance, etc. On the flip side, there seems to be concerns, and perhaps some evidence that camaraderie among employees, and even company culture is eroding, since in-person, and casual interactions among co-workers that would occur in an office, are no longer occurring.

 

Is company culture really that important?

If there is anything that the current gig work and freelancing space can teach us is that there does not need to be alignment of an employee’s and an organisation’s needs and values in order for the former to do a good job and successfully execute the tasks assigned. Freelancers or gig workers might not necessarily know a lot about the organisation they have been hired to support, but once they possess the requisite domain expertise, and the role, tasks or duties are clear, they ought to be able to deliver the agreed outputs.

In the writer’s view, company culture becomes important, in order to foster loyalty among employees. An organisation’s values, needs, expectations all help not only to shape the brand of the organisation, but also provide employees with a context (or construct) in which to see themselves, the extent to which their contribution matters, and the extent to which being part of that team enhances their lives – beyond the financial compensation they receive. In other words, company culture is an intangible element that connects all employees, and essentially creates a group consciousness that allow the members to move in one accord.

 

The potential impact on WFH on company culture

In addition to all of the occasional internal workshops and discussions that are held to discuss the organisation vision, strategy and future plans, for example, as social creatures chemistry and interaction are crucial in shaping not only our views on the workplace, but also creating the emotional or personal attachment to the organisation and to colleagues. However, in a time of COVID-19, are employees’ ties to their organisations being undone?

For longstanding employees in an organisation and/or those have worked in the same team for years, they are likely to be imbued with the organisation’s culture, plus there is likely to be well-established and longstanding relationships that can withstand WFH – albeit initially. For newer employs or team members, they may not have a full appreciation of the organisation’s culture, and they might not yet have developed deep relationships with their teammates.

With ties between organisations and employees loosening, there have been concerns that staff retention is becoming more of a challenge when compared with the situation pre-pandemic. In the United States, a recent poll found that 48% of respondents had voluntarily changed employers in 2020, and 49% of respondents were planning to land a new position in 2021 (Source:  Tech Republic). In the Caribbean region, especially in the ICT/tech space, which seems to have a tight labour market, it is indeed possible that there has been an increase in the number of people jumping ship to take advantage of new and better opportunities.

 

Making WFH and company culture a win-win

At this juncture, the end of COVID-19 pandemic is unknown, and so WFH arrangements may need to continue into the foreseeable future. However, the following can help organisations maintain the culture when in-person engagement and activities are not an option.

1.  Reinforce the vision and mission for the organisation, which should be the foundation of the culture. In a remote working environment, it can no longer be taken for granted that employees will be adequately exposed to the mission and vision, and so leaders need to be intentional about ensuring that those core principles are known and even visible so that employees are reminded of what there are working towards, and consequently, the value of their effort.

2.  Emphasise the values of the organisation. Similar to its vision and mission, organisations ought to take every opportunity to reinforce their values and goals. Again, and particularly among millennials and Gen Zers, their loyalty is fostered when the feel that the values and ethos of brands are aligned with their own.  Further and during this pandemic, most organisations have had to pivot in some way, which may have affected the goals that had been established pre-pandemic. Those changes ought to be communicated to the team.

3  Increase the lines of communication and engagement. This point is the most critical, as it requires organisational leaders to move beyond the online calls and meetings, for example, to discuss business-related tasks and activities, and using the medium to strengthen the link to team members. There are many ways to widen and deepen the engagement, such as:

  • To include social or personal discussion on calls, which is something that might happen before and after an in-person meeting.
  • Connect with team members regularly, even if they is no fixed agenda, as it may allow individuals to talk more freely on work and non-work issues.
  • Make a concerted effort to share developments and provide updates, as they can increase transparency and help employees feel more connected to the organisation.
  • Recognise accomplishments to acknowledge the value employees are adding to the organisation and to its goals.

In summary, lengthy remote working arrangements and company culture do not need to be at odds with each other, though the former can dilute the latter. However, as noted above, the key is communications and continued engagement, so individuals do not feel as isolated, and that they remember why they were excited to work for your organisation in the first place.

 

 

Image credit: fauxels (Pexels)