7 Tips to Promote Communication in Remote Work Settings

Having a remote staff can yield numerous advantages, including increased productivity and reduced overhead costs. Nonetheless, a notable challenge lies in fostering effective communication among team members. Fortunately, there are several strategies to promote communication among remote staff and bridge this gap. 

Lauren Davies of VoIP company bOnline comments: “More people than ever are working on a hybrid or even a totally remote basis and therefore, employers and managers need to be able to offer a plethora of options for all involved. Key to this is communication. The best teams communicate well and the worst teams barely ever communicate and therefore, using the right tools is really important.”

How Do Businesses Optimise Communication?

Businesses are progressively streamlining operations through the adoption of cloud-based sharing tools. These platforms enable seamless exchange of documents and resources among departments, improving internal communication.

Additionally, another method businesses employ to streamline communication involves transitioning from traditional landline systems to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This solution offers an efficient mechanism for improving internal communication, particularly beneficial for remote workers, and enhancing customer interactions.

Why Should Businesses Have Good Communication with Remote Teams?

Effective communication is paramount for remote teams, enabling collaboration, clarity, trust, problem-solving, engagement, and a positive work culture. In distributed work environments, clear communication fosters effective collaboration by bridging physical distances and facilitating brainstorming and project teamwork.

It ensures remote employees understand tasks and goals, reducing misunderstandings and confusion while providing channels for regular check-ins. 

Benefits of Good Workplace Communication

Communication builds relationships and trust among team members, enhancing delegation effectiveness and decision-making trust. In problem-solving, it facilitates discussion and informed decisions, ensuring adaptability and progress sharing.

Furthermore, communication strategies combat feelings of isolation, promoting engagement and motivation among remote workers. By fostering open, respectful, and inclusive communication practices, companies cultivate a positive work environment reflective of their values, even in remote settings.

Tips to Promoting Communication for Remote Teams

Workplaces can implement a range of different methods to enhance communication within remote teams. Discover our top 7 ways to foster effective workplace communication here:

1. Utilise Communication Platforms

Leveraging digital communication tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat facilitates seamless interaction among remote staff and is integral to remote work success.

These tools enable quick and efficient employee chat, supplementing traditional email communication. Moreover, they provide structured chat rooms for organised conversations, including company-wide threads, team-specific discussions, and direct messaging. Additionally, designated channels for informal interactions allow remote staff to engage in casual conversations akin to office chatter.

2. Upgrading to Faster Internet

Regardless of your industry, investing in high-speed broadband internet is a valuable step that can significantly contribute to the growth of your small business. By opting for faster internet, businesses and teams can enhance communication and collaboration, enable parallel user activities, conduct effortless video conferencing, and fully utilise cloud-based tools.

3. Recognise Achievements Publicly

These communication platforms also offer opportunities to publicly acknowledge and commend exemplary work by individual staff or teams, fostering a culture of recognition and boosting morale among remote coworkers. This practice reinforces the appreciation of employees’ contributions, even in virtual settings.

4. Utilise Project Management Tools

Incorporating project management tools like Monday, Asana, or Trello streamlines task management and promotes transparency in remote work environments. These tools enable team members to track project progress, assign tasks, and collaborate seamlessly, irrespective of their physical locations. By enhancing collaboration and communication, project management tools contribute to greater efficiency and effective time management within remote teams.

5. Facilitate Virtual Meetings

Hosting regular video meetings is a proactive approach to maintaining engagement and accountability among remote teams. These meetings allow employees to connect with their colleagues visually, enhancing personalised interactions and facilitating more effective communication. Encouraging the use of webcams during meetings further humanises the remote work experience, promoting face-to-face conversations and deeper connections.

6. Host Events and Socials

Despite working remotely, organising occasional team-building events fosters genuine connections among remote staff. Activities such as team sports, quizzes, or escape rooms promote collaboration and strengthen workplace relationships, emphasising the importance of communication within the company culture.

7. Send Company Merchandise

Sending company-branded merchandise to remote staff upon joining the team helps cultivate a sense of belonging and inclusion. Simple gestures like sending mugs or badges establish a tangible connection to the company culture, fostering a sense of unity among remote employees.

Effective communication is crucial for remote teams, enabling collaboration, clarity, trust, problem-solving, and engagement, and fostering a positive work culture. Utilising communication platforms, upgrading to faster internet, recognising achievements publicly, using project management tools, facilitating virtual meetings, hosting events, and sending company merchandise all contribute to promoting effective communication for remote teams.