How to Create An Online Culture and Retain Talent 

According to  MIT Sloan Management Review  research , more than 40% of employees were thinking about leaving their jobs at the start of 2021. As time went by, the Great Resignation came the same year whereby workers quit in unprecedented numbers. Consequently, most business and organization leaders struggled to manage the high turnover and hold on to valued employees. 

In an  analysis  of employee attrition in Culture, 500 companies from April to September 2021 showed the top 5 predictors of attrition during the Great Resignation. Toxic corporate culture led by 10.4%, and failure to recognize employee performance was 4th at 2.9%. Among other predictors included job insecurity, high levels of innovation, and poor response to COVID-19. There is no doubt a culture plays a significant role in growing or breaking a company. 

Steps to Creating an Online Culture that Contributes to Talent Retention 

Setting and cultivating a company's culture is essential for any business, whether in-office or remote operations. In the post-pandemic era, most businesses have adopted the remote or virtual work model; therefore, you cannot overlook effective ways to build and maintain an online culture. It's a culture that makes a company unique and determines its success. 

The steps below will help you create an online culture that addresses talent gap issues (experience lower turnover rates) and contribute to remote employees' happiness and productivity. 

1. Calibrate your company's values 

A company's value system is key in determining and shaping its culture. Values act as a blueprint that guides employees understand what an organization stands for and what is expected of them. Therefore, the first step to creating an online culture is to create values, and if you already have the existing values, you need to adjust them accordingly. 

Team leaders and other corporate leaders of an organization should then share the values with their remote teams. It guides them in their work as they strive to achieve the company's goals and vision. Additionally, studies  showed that employees who understand their company's value are likely to be with a company for at least a year. 

2. Build trust with your remote teams 

Trust is an important virtue and serves as the bedrock of solid relationships: whether personal, diplomatic, economic, or corporate, as it is between employers and employees in a remote environment. It is therefore vital in building a strong online culture. If an employer doesn't trust their employees and vice versa, there are higher chances of damaging an organization's culture and even losing some of the employees. 

Below are a few ways to build trust with a virtual team: 

• Practice transparency 
• Keep open, effective, and consistent communication 
• Be honest and supportive to your remote team
• Give remote employees recognition and appreciation where deserved 
• Have some time for non-work-related connections
• Avoid micromanagement 

3. Place value in employees' well-being 

You have probably heard leadership coaches and other successful leaders talk about empathy for employees and prioritizing their well-being. If you're a leader working with a remote team and aim to build a strong and authentic culture, you must make your employees feel safe and cared for. 

like in other work environments, even remote employees face work and personal challenges as they deliver their assigned responsibilities; therefore, supporting them differently would foster a better culture and keep them productive. 

For instance, establish boundaries between work-time and personal time (address work-life balance issues), provide employees with free self-development programs, and set realistic goals. In addition, set regular one-on-one meetings to listen to what they have to say. By creating a great online culture, you have a high chance of retaining productive talents in your organization. 

4. Create and maintain means for effective communication 

Communication is important when dealing with virtual or remote teams: it compensates for the lack of face-to-face communication and maintains a motivated and productive team. 

According to  Michael Page, employers who invest in delivering clear lines of communication have higher chances of building trust amongst employees, thus leading to increased productivity, morale, and output. It also helps supervisors and employees keep goals on track. 

Therefore, having effective communication is another significant step in creating a distinctive online culture within your organization. It also entails utilizing the right tools for the work. So, what tools can you use to communicate effectively with your remote teams? Below are a few:

• ‍Emails- the most common means of communication for most businesses. 

• ‍Video conversations- video communication helps you maintain a more human connection with remote employees. It also facilitates more personal discussions between employers and their employees.

• Direct messaging- direct messaging is the best mode of communication for fast conversations and updates within the day. Therefore, companies should invest in messaging tools. Examples are Slack, Google  Hangouts Chat, Skype for Business, and WhatsApp. 

• Phone calls- most people opt to use the above tools rather than phone calls for communication. Phone calls are great for direct and fast contact. 

It is also important to promote open and effective communication with your teams. For instance, keeping everyone involved, delivering your messages clearly, and listening to your team members. 

5. Redefine boundaries, expectations, and responsibilities

As highlighted earlier, effective remote work should strike a balance between work and personal life. Redefining such boundaries and responsibilities of your remote employees is a critical step in creating an online culture that doesn't leave your team burnt out. 

Ensure you clearly communicate the responsibilities of your remote employees and what is expected of them. Also, discuss and set favourable working hours for your teams. By clearly communicating, your team automatically understands what they should do and at what time. They hardly experience work burnout and still enjoy their personal life. 

6. Include remote employees in company events and activities

Another way to cultivate your online culture is to involve the remote employees in company events and activities such as conferences, workshops, company holiday parties, etc. It also entails including your remote employees in planning meetings and some in-office activities. 

Why is this kind of strategy important anyway? It helps remote teams feel included and as part of the company. It also provides remote workers with valuable opportunities for networking and building relationships. As a result, your employees will feel engaged, happy, and are likely to stay in the organization for a reasonable period. 

Final Thought 

Many businesses have embraced the remote work model, especially during the pre-pandemic era. Creating an online culture is never easy, and retaining top talent remote employees is even harder, especially if you're starting. However, if you decide to use a remote-work approach, you've to deal with it and do it accordingly. 

Building an online culture is extremely important if you want to achieve most of your goals. A good culture will surely help retain talents in your organizations and keep remote employees productive. The above six steps are helpful for any organization that wants to create an online culture and retain talent.