Make time for downtime
When everyone is working from home, there is less scope for the social interactions that go a long way to creating a strong team. That means it’s more important than ever to try and move chat beyond work during the day and not push teams to work constantly without the breaks and downtime they would have enjoyed when in the office.
There are a number of tactics that can work: put two staffers together and give them dedicated time to chat each week about a shared interest; hold a weekly virtual social event, using video conferencing tech, ideally during office hours so staff don’t feel resentful about work spilling over into home life; and actively encourage the use of non-work channels on your remote working platform. The latter is vital: sharing social media stories and swapping jokes online can be a handy substitute for spending a few minutes together around the water cooler or in the staff kitchen.