Engagement

Engaging virtual employees is vital to ensure efficiency and productivity and to build and strengthen relationships through the creation of a virtual office culture. There are many ways to create a virtual office climate and engage virtual employees including:

• Regularly checking-in with them
• Hosting virtual meetings and virtual social opportunities
• Making sure they feel heard and valued
• Promoting open-lines of communication
• Encouraging personal connections such as recognizing their strengths, challenges, and interests
• Providing opportunities for them to contribute and show their creativity

Building trust

Without trust, there is no team. In the virtual workplace, leaders and managers must be intentional about finding ways to build trust. Some examples include:

• Promoting open and honest communication among team members
• Providing opportunities for using webcams and pictures to help team members get acquainted with each other and become familiar with each other’s knowledge and experience
• Encouraging social interactions among team members to build relationships which in turn builds trust
• Showing empathy and respect
• Hosting fun team-building activities

Community Development

In order to overcome the feelings of isolation in the virtual workplace, it is important to build a sense of community. There are many ways a leader can create community such as:

• Creating opportunities for shared experiences such as book clubs or hosting special events such as virtual holiday parties or celebrations
• Celebrating accomplishments, birthdays, and other events
• Sending out t-shirts or other organization branded products as gifts to team members to create sense of belonging

Stakeholder Management

For successful completion of team projects to meet stakeholder demands, stakeholder management and communication is critical. Examples of stakeholder management include:

• Ensuring that stakeholders have a voice
• Providing opportunities for stakeholders to participate in the process
• Allowing stakeholders to contribute to the success of the project