As the coronavirus continues to spread, more and more employees are beginning to work from home. 

Suddenly, enterprises the world over have had to figure out not only the technical challenges of working from home, but also how to help their employees feel connected with their team. 

As employees acclimate to this new normal, they face some new challenges, particularly regarding productivity, routine and their mental health. 

As a tech company with two locations, a remote-working sales team and other remote workers, we know the importance of staying connected and maintaining positive co-working relationships when we can’t be together in person. 

We decided to share how we have leveraged our experience and collaborative platforms to help our teams stay connected both before and during these uncertain times. 

1) Enhancing our online community 

Working away from the office can leave staff members missing the familiar structure and routine of being in the office. And without the ability to interact with their co-workers face to face, employees can be left feeling isolated, stressed or anxious, which can have a huge impact on employee mental health.

As a business, we have always leveraged our online resources,  to help our remote staff and employees in the two offices stay engaged and feel like part of a community.

But now more than ever, we are investing time in building up our sports and social group on our internal social media platform and creating exciting content and opportunities for engagement. 

We have also used online conferencing tools across departments to catch up with key tasks, as well as our project management tools to help us collaborate on and track key tasks.

These resources have played a vital role in helping us socialise just as we would in the office. Although it might not be business as usual, they have played a pivotal role in helping us achieve a sense of normality.  

2) Socials and Events

Our team has always enjoyed being social after work. We often go on nights out, attend local events, visit comedy clubs and take part in team-building exercises. 

While the current situation makes it difficult for us to meet in person, it hasn’t stopped us from socialising. We have used our existing online platforms to get together online and organise events, including a company-wide pub quiz! 

We have also had a chance to utilise free online library resources to expand our book club so that everyone in the company can take part to explore and discuss a wide variety of titles. 

3) Raising money for charity

In these uncertain times, fundraising can seem like an impossible task. How are you supposed to get together to raise money when you’re not even supposed to actually get together?

This is where our online community has been invaluable. By staying connected, our team has found inventive ways to raise money for charity, even as we work from home. And it’s been a huge success!

Our latest event was for Go Green for Concern, an organisation dedicated to fighting cases of extreme poverty in communities around the world. 

Despite working remotely, everyone across our enterprise took part, dressing in green and sharing selfies on our internal community page. For every selfie posted, EssentialSkillz added an additional £10 to the pot. 

By the end of the day, our team raised £370! 

 It’s not just good for charitable organisations. Giving is one of the 5 ways to mental wellbeing and can go a long way in helping the mental health and wellbeing of employees. 

4) Celebrate at every opportunity

With everything that is going on, it’s easy to become disheartened, stressed or anxious.

These are all natural emotions in times of uncertainty and can result in many people focusing on the negative elements of the situation. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of every opportunity to celebrate success  – even if it’s just the little things. 

We decided to launch a new initiative to get to know our new hires and celebrate them joining our team! 

We had a couple of one-on-ones where we talked about their interests, their background and what they’re most passionate about.

We hope that by learning more about our new team members and putting them in the spotlight, that it would help give them and everyone else a chance to get to know each other in a more meaningful way. 

As an online training provider, we know how important it is to gain experience and build key skills, and this year we have been incredibly lucky to work with a diverse group of fantastic interns.

We arranged a (virtual) sit down to see how they had settled in, what they hoped to achieve and where they wanted their new skills to take them in the future. 

Although the current situation is obviously concerning for many, it’s important to remind people to focus on and find hope in the future. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re looking forward to carrying on these initiatives as part of our ongoing community strategy. 

5) Taking care of mental health 

The current situation has, understandably, caused a lot of worry and concern in sectors across the world. There are now a whole new series of challenges to contend with, not only in terms of physical health but our mental health as well.

The mental health and wellbeing of our staff has always been a concern for our company. In November 2019, members of our team completed their Mental Health First Aider certification. The course, run by Mental Health First Aid Ireland, teaches learners to recognise the signs of poor mental health and give them the resources to provide effective support and guidance.

The training provided a wealth of new information and resources that we have been able to use during this difficult time, including awareness days (Mindful March) apps (PTSD Coach) and practical advice (MIND).  

We were able to draw on these experiences and resources before the situation developed, and we will continue to use them throughout the course of the situation and long after to ensure that our employee’s wellbeing remains a top priority,

6) Operational changes 

We have also implemented small operational changes to help protect the mental health and wellbeing of our employees as we work from home. 

To start, we have scheduled a weekly company conference call to keep everyone up to date and for employees to ask any questions they might have going forward. It has also served a good opportunity for our team to catch up and check-in with each other. 

Secondly, we have asked our employees to turn on their webcams during meetings. Face-to-face meetings can help add a human element to the working from home experience and help stave off the sense of isolation that can often come from working at home.  

Thirdly, we have encouraged our managers to check in with staff on a team and individual basis. This not only lets everyone keep track of projects, but also allows our managers to check up on employee wellbeing and encourage one-on-one-questions. 

Conclusion 

At times of stress, we work better in company and with support. While it’s important to follow social distancing guidance, it doesn’t mean you have to feel disconnected at work. 

While loneliness can be a problem for people who work remotely, finding new ways to build team cohesion online can go a long way in helping your team stay connected. This can help everyone stay productive and have a positive impact on their mental wellbeing.

We hope that our experience and the ways we have tried to safeguard the wellbeing of our staff can also benefit you and your organisation. 

Looking for effective online mental health and wellbeing training? Explore our training library and try any course for free.