How to Stay Connected with Your Colleagues Remotely

A remote-working environment has become the new norm for many of us now. While a virtual work environment has its advantages, it’s not always easy staying connected to your co-workers when you don’t share the same space or go for lunch together weekly. Here are some tips and ideas for you to sustain healthy work relationships in a remote-working environment.

1. Encourage video chat during team meetings.

For those of us who had been working remotely for a while now, working in sweatpants or pajama pants is not new. A lot of people prefer not to turn their cameras on during meetings unless it’s mandatory. However, having your camera on heightens the level of communication with increased verbal cues and visual participation, and the familiarity of a friendly face. Make sure you have good lighting and little to no distractions A tip on encouraging video chat is to set a theme for the background of each meeting. This fun idea can double as an ice-breaker conversation starter – for example, dream travel destination in a post-COVID era!

2. Regularly check-up on each other.

Every workplace uses different modes of e-communication to stay connected whether that be email, real-time multi-channel chat rooms, or a video conferencing platform i.e. MS Teams. If your workplace offers a more casual means of communicating, you can always stir things up by sharing a variety of content! Some ideas to keep the buzz going amongst your colleagues:

• Relevant articles or blog posts: it’s important to say current to the time and a well-written article can compliment someone’s day.
• Who can say no to animal pictures? Send an update of your furry friend and share the wholesome energy!
• Allow your colleagues to drop their two cents with a question of the week. You’d be surprised by the interesting responses (i.e. who is a historic figure you most admire?).
• Any life hacks you discovered during quarantine? Don’t shy away from sharing your discoveries!

3. Have a virtual lunch or coffee break

A regular break from work can improve productivity. Plus, a stretch break or a coffee break can help soothe our sore backs or strained eyes from sitting and staring at the screen all day. Share this time with a colleague or more to exchange your favourite recipes or chat about your day. You can utilize your lunchtime or coffee break to virtually catch up. Staying connected to your colleagues can bring new exhilaration to your work and help retain a healthy work environment.

4. Host weekly or monthly challenges.

A remote working environment doesn’t mean you can’t feed your competitive spirit. Stay connected to your colleagues by hosting a long-term challenge that everybody can participate in. This can be a great excuse to check-up on each other daily, asking each other about their progress. Some ideas include:

• An exercise challenge (i.e. 30-day push-up challenge).
• A baking challenge (i.e. who can recreate this recipe the best?).
• A photo challenge (i.e. share your favourite picture of the Sunset).

It doesn’t always have to result in a winner, but a creative and engaging challenge can always add more fun to what can be a stressful time for most.

5. Stay connected to at least one person.

Something as simple as checking-in at the start of your shift and reconnecting when you’re clocking out can help you stay in touch with your office culture. Staying connected to at least one colleague, whether that be your direct superior, can prevent your progress from going unnoticed. Weekly updates or bi-weekly/monthly meetings to discuss your performance with each others’ feedback can improve your professional development and help you stay productive.

Regardless of the measures you’re taking to stay connected, it’s always important that you feel safe and healthy during a pandemic. Maintaining your well-being is essential. There are free and confidential mental health support systems for those British Columbians that are struggling. For more information and resources, visit WorkBC.ca’s Working During COVID-19.