Times are definitely tougher now, but a strong remote company culture will help you thrive…

If the global pandemic has changed one thing, it’s what office environments look like… Introducing the “remote company culture” as the new workplace.

That’s the reality we’re dealing with right now.

More employees are working from home and companies are shifting towards hiring virtual teams. This scenario demands a different approach to the organizational culture of many companies… Including yours.

However, preserving your company culture remains an important part of adapting to the post-pandemic world. If you want to sustain culture, it all starts with developing new means of communication. Ensure that your employees remain as connected as ever. 

Here are some post-pandemic tips for maintaining a strong company culture, even when your team is remote.

Company Culture Tip 1 – Don’t Sacrifice Sustainability for Short-Term Results

Sacrificing long-term goals for short-term results is a BIG mistake.

Majid Al Futtaim CEO Alain Beijani points to the dangers of this attitude. Alain operates a conglomerate based in Dubai that operates a host of commercial ventures. These include shopping malls, hotels, and entertainment businesses – industries that have been hardest-hit by the crisis.

He says:

“Some organizations have traded their long-term sustainability for short-term outcomes. When a crisis such as COVID-19 strikes, if you have a strong culture and a shared sense of purpose that your leaders role model every day, you can weather the storm better than most.”

The point he’s making is that cultural change doesn’t mean cultural replacement. The remote company culture you have now can serve you in the long-term, as long as you make the appropriate changes.

So, what’s the big picture?

You need to know how to keep your company successful for years to come, pandemic or no pandemic.

Trying to adapt your remote company culture on the fly may seem like the best idea right now, but if it comes at the cost of long-term sustainability, you’re making a critical mistake.

Company Culture Tip 2 – Nurture Your People More Now Than Ever Before

The Q2 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Workforce Survey shows that 54% of workers struggle at their jobs in the post-pandemic world. Yet many of them enjoy the remote aspect.

Now more than ever, nurturing existing employees is important. As much as your team may enjoy the freedom of working from home, they likely find many things about it frustrating, too. 

This affects their productivity, which affects your company’s growth potential… And that means the company culture may require reevaluation.

How do you, as a leader, manage such situations?

Manage employee behaviors. Assert and reinforce core company beliefs. This applies to customer service, sales, manufacturing, and interaction among employees. It all counts!

Company Culture Tip 3 – Assess How the Pandemic Has Affected Your Team

To ensure continuous growth, you need damage control… And that starts with assessing how this pandemic has shaped your company’s culture.

Shifting from on-site offices to remote work is one aspect, of course, but if your business is ecommerce, remote work isn’t anything new. It’s still possible, however, that the pandemic affected your culture in other ways.

Maybe employees don’t feel as secure about their jobs… Maybe some of them don’t feel empowered anymore… The pandemic has affected in-person communication. Was that a key company culture value?

To combat these problems, reinforce your company culture, empower employees, and show empathy when needed. Offer consistent feedback and keep encouraging communication and connections among your employees.

Pay attention – your team will tell you what they need.

Company Culture Tip 4 – Focus on Purpose (Rather Than Your Pre-Pandemic Business Model)

Managing your company culture in a post-pandemic world may mean reevaluating your business model.  

Maybe your company can benefit more from a subscription-based service, or maybe shifting your focus toward online sales is the only way to go.  

However, changing your business model doesn’t have to mean changing your company culture. In fact, a solid culture may very well help you make the needed adjustments.

Openly communicate with your employees, regardless of their position. Let them know what’s required for the company to succeed. Reassure them that focusing on new goals doesn’t have to mean a change in culture.

Explore the many ways you can develop new leads – even if your team needs to adapt to new methods of communication and interaction with prospects.

Company Culture Tip 5 – Find New Ways to Create Value

Alain Bejjani has a simple vision for his conglomerate:

“Creating great moments for everyone, every day.”

He stresses the importance of valuing the social contract with employees, not just the social contract with customers and clients.

Create value and reinforce it…

Something as simple as committing to avoiding employee layoffs adds value. It also shows empathy and trust in the loyalty of your employees.

Company slogans are not enough. Action speaks much louder than words in a post-pandemic economy.

Companies have always created value in one way or another, but now it requires more creativity. 

For example, Majid Al Futtaim reskilled employees from movie theaters for the grocery retail side of their business. You can also consider something similar… 

Show your employees that the company culture is behind them, that they are still valued. Make sure they know they still have a role in keeping your business on track and successful, even if their role has to change slightly.

That’s creating value for those who may have lost hope.

Conclusion

Company culture is more important than ever. Employees need to understand that you have their best interests in mind. You’re probably reassuring your customers and clients that they’re important to you, but your employees need to hear it as well.

This mindset creates an aura of invincibility around your business. It’s what you need to sustain growth and a productive company culture.

There are many ways of adapting your business to a post-pandemic world, but few of them involve changing the culture, company policies, or the way you treat employees.

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