Feeling a sense of belonging as part of a team at work has become a bit of a hot topic in the past few years. This is no surprise given the rapid globalization and distributed nature of teams. When people only connect virtually, many of the organic human connection opportunities that exist in in-person environments disappear; you’re no longer gathering in the cafeteria to celebrate someone’s birthday, joking  together about  a smelly fridge, or catching an excuse to talk about last night’s game. 

Many of these connections around the office can feel surface-level at best, but collectively they can create the groundwork for employee’s to feel part of something bigger; to feel like they are known at work and belong there. Managers used to be able to rely on the office and the daily proximity of team members as a relationship-building accelerator. Now that many teams are almost exclusively virtual, the approach has to be different. It’s still possible to create a sense of belonging in a virtual and distributed workplace, but it requires more intentionality; with fewer ad hoc moments of connection, relationship-building has to become a workstream rather than something that just happens by itself. The benefit is that the focused effort can lead to even stronger and purposeful connections.

Here are some ideas you can leverage to create a sense of belonging for your virtual team members:

Tell the story of your team and business:
Jim Haudan, CEO of Root Inc. wrote the Art of Engagement. His #1 recommendation for engaging employees is to connect people to the business strategy with images and stories. In his words, “It’s impossible to think without pictures.” Make sure your team understands how they fit into the big picture of the organization. A huge component of whether a team member feels a sense of belonging is if they believe their contribution is relevant to a larger design.

Collaborate inside and outside the team
Much of what you’re battling with a remote workforce is a sense of isolation from one’s colleagues. Create opportunities for team members to collaborate with each other and (where possible) with people on other teams. It will take intentionality to structure virtual collaboration across various  time zones and with new tools, but it’s worth the lift. Productive and collaborative working sessions increase creativity and idea sharing, and have the added effect of building relationships among employees.

Share the air
People want to know their work has an impact—that their contribution matters. Part of that is making sure they all contribute. This can be sticky in virtual environments where it’s even easier for the introverts and quieter folks to be talked past and over. In virtual meetings, find ways to democratize input:

• Limit the amount of time any one person can speak.

• Ensure all voices are heard by literally calling on each person.

• Collect feedback via a shared document or spreadsheet so input and feedback from all parties is visible to everyone else.

• Create mechanisms to vote on ideas (either anonymously or with credit) which prevent the “loudest” voice from being perceived as the most “right.”

Celebrate publicly
Whenever possible, offer credit and praise in public. Make it clear that a person’s contributions are valuable, and make sure everyone else on the team also knows that. Encourage employees to celebrate each other as well. Set the expectation that you don’t just win for yourself or the company, you win for each other.

Schedule Office Hours

Even though you’re not in an office, there’s still a metaphorical door between you and your employees. Despite your “open door policy” your employees still may not feel comfortable booking your time to talk through something. Make it easy for your team members to know when and how to reach you. Consider putting open Office Hours on your calendar and welcoming all your team members to get in touch with you. Office Hours tell people you’re available and if they contact you they won’t be disturbing you or inadvertently overstepping an unspoken boundary.

Help colleagues make friends

Having friends—not just casual friends, but great friends—at work has been shown to be extremely positive. According to Gallup, having a best friend at work contributes not only to employee engagement but other outcomes such as profitability, productivity, creativity and fun. These friendships are even more critical for a remote workforce.  You can encourage friendships in a variety of formal and informal ways including:

• Model positive work friendships by creating your own with peers at work

• Encourage your employees to make time for spontaneous or casual “coffee” connections

• Design small moments within meetings to facilitate socialization and rapport-building between team members

The best ways to create belonging at work across a remote workforce will continue to evolve. We will become more comfortable building relationships through our screens, and collaboration tools continue to change.  We have to be just a bit more intentional, but we have the opportunity to experiment and find the ways that work best for our people. 

What helps you feel connected to your virtual team?

Interested in learning more about how leaders can be just as effective when they lead virtually? Join us for a webinar: 5 Habits of an Engaging Leader: Creating belonging in a virtual workplace on May 30, 2024. See a schedule  of all W&H events here.