​One of the most common challenges of working from home is connecting with your colleagues and team members. You don’t have the same opportunities to chat over lunch or coffee as you do in an in-person work setting. Remote workers must be willing to go above and beyond to make connections with their colleagues, feel part of the company culture, and ensure they’re doing their job well.

Here are some tips for connecting with a new company while working from home.

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Embrace Video Calls

Participating in video calls is an important aspect of working from home. Being able to see your colleagues’ faces and them yours allows you to communicate more effectively and feel more connected. We miss out on subtle facial and body communication cues when we only communicate through typing. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of video calls, embrace them for the sake of your work relationships.

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Focus on Mental Health

Social interaction is a crucial element of everyone’s mental health. Without it, we can feel isolated, anxious, and depressed. Make an effort to check in with your colleagues’ mental wellbeing in one-on-one conversations. Simply connecting with them by asking how their weekend was or sending them a funny meme can make everyone feel less alone.

Also, consider asking everyone on your team to submit when their birthday, children’s birthdays, and other milestones are. Being able to congratulate them on special days makes everyone feel good.

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Schedule Daily Check-Ins

Back in the day, daily meetings were a source of boredom and frustration for many. These days, connecting with your team to discuss the day’s tasks and priorities can feel like an enjoyable social gathering. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes at the start of the day, schedule a video call to touch base and make sure everyone is on the same page.

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Leverage Slack Channels

Most remote teams are using Slack or similar communication software for project management and collaboration. While having project-focused channels is important, having channels for non-work chatter is just as important for connectivity. If your workplace has a tv show everyone enjoys watching, why not create a channel just for discussing the latest episode? If any of your colleagues are parents, create a channel for discussing parenting topics.

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Hold Zoom Work Sessions

This activity is becoming more popular amongst remote teams. Arrange for your team to join a Zoom video call for one hour. During this hour, each person can work on their tasks and projects while being able to see their colleagues on screen. This creates the illusion that everyone is working together at the same table. It can bring a sense of normalcy to working from home and allow you to chat with your team members about the project.

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Looking for a New Job?

We can connect you with excellent employers who understand the challenges of working remotely. You can apply for one of our many open positions in the IT, manufacturing, and engineering fields.

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Check out our current openings now for more information.

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