Ways to Maintain Your Company Culture with a Hybrid Workforce via Zoom Team Chat

A sense of belonging and community is critical to building effective teams and a thriving company culture. But as workers become increasingly dispersed between remote workspaces and offices, staying connected with employees and creating the strong connections that enable effective teams can present a real challenge. 

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can support your company culture from a distance using a solution every Zoom user already has: Zoom Team Chat.

As some workers return to the office, they’ll be able to enjoy the perks of in-person connection, such as chats at the watercooler and stopping by at a co-worker’s desk. Remote employees won’t be able to participate in these small but significant office activities, which can make them feel left out or disconnected from their team. 

To ensure remote employees are included in your workplace culture, you need to create spaces where they can connect with their in-office counterparts. Zoom Team Chat allows for you to create these types of spaces where employees can connect and have both work-related and non-work-related discussions in an asynchronous environment. Here are a few examples:

• Create spaces for hobbies and activities - Everyone has a particular hobby or activity they enjoy, and a Zoom Team Chat channel is the perfect place for employees to discuss them. You can create channels for hobbies like cooking, music, local-meet ups, funny memes and videos, and much more! 
• Communicate through company or team-wide channels - Having a central place where employees can share important information, ask questions, and coordinate their efforts is essential. By creating chat channels for company-wide or team-wide announcements and information, you can keep everyone in the loop and host discussions where everyone can participate. 
• Host fun activities - Within your channels, you can host different kinds of fun events and activities, such as submissions for your favorite cuisine or cocktail, or even hosting an NFL or NBA fantasy draft! And don’t forget about virtual happy hours and games with Zoom Meetings and Zoom Apps. With in-person meet-ups a thing again, it’s important to include your entire team for inclusivity. 
• Keep everyone informed on your whereabouts - Not being able to physically see your co-workers can create hurdles. Make sure to use presence with Meetings and calendar integration so your co-workers can easily see if you’re in a meeting, busy, or available. Zoom Team Chat even has a setting that alerts you when a busy contact becomes available. Tools like personal notes are a great way to let your co-workers know you’re on vacation or at a dentist appointment. 

For more on how Zoom Team Chat can help your organization maintain its company culture, watch our on-demand webinar, Get to Know Zoom Team Chat. 

Can’t get enough? Check out our special collection of articles from MIT around Collaboration, Culture, and Creativity in the New Workplace.