Here’s a quick question: what motivates employees to stay and work hard for a company?
Besides the pay (since who doesn’t want more money?), another reason is because they like their company’s work culture. According to the American Chamber of Commerce, one of the reasons employees resign is due to toxic work cultures.
No matter how high your salary is, if your company’s work culture is unbearable, you won’t be able to stay for long. This just shows the importance of a good working environment, doesn’t it?
But what is work culture? There are various definitions for this term.
But generally, work culture is defined as a concept studying employees’ beliefs, thought processes, and attitudes, as well as the organization’s principles and ideologies. It can also refer to the mentality of employees, which further determines the organization’s overall ambience.
So how do you know if the company you’re working for is creating a positive work culture? Here are some signs of a positive work culture in a remote workplace that you should look out for.
They’re Open to Feedback.
One of the most apparent signs of positive work culture is whether the company’s leaders and managers listen to their employees. Immediately during the interview stage, you can see this if they ask about your interests and thoughts regarding the company.
When working via an online job, it is crucial that you know your voice is heard -and valued- by your leaders.
It shows that you don’t need to be afraid to speak up to your managers and that you can rely upon them to have your back, especially when you’re just starting out at your job. This also incentivizes employees to speak their minds and contribute during meetings.
Your Boss Doesn’t Micromanage.
Trust is a vital component of making a remote setup work. It boosts a remote worker’s confidence and productivity at work and motivates them to prove that their boss is right in trusting that they’re doing their job.
Without it, however, you’ll constantly feel that your boss has nothing to do except breathe down yours and your co-workers’ necks, figuratively speaking.
That said, just because your boss trusts you doesn’t mean you won’t have to use your company’s monitoring software. After all, they still need proof that you’re working and accomplishing your tasks. In Remote Staff’s case, the monitoring software also ensures that our subcontractors are appropriately compensated for the hours they’ve worked.
The Company Practices Transparency.
Of course, trust goes both ways. If companies want their employees to trust them, then they must be willing to share relevant information with their employees.
This means sharing their vision and goals for the company, how they plan to achieve these, and the role employees play in achieving those goals.
Doing this helps employees better understand the role they play in the company. Which, in turn, gives them a clearer roadmap for accomplishing their tasks.
The Company Provides Opportunities to Meet Your Other Co-Workers.
Just because you’re now working remotely doesn’t mean you can’t establish camaraderie with your co-workers anymore.
Another of the positive signs of work culture is that your company provides opportunities for you to meet your co-workers, either virtually or in person. These allow employees to feel a sense of belonging with their co-workers, even in the remote workplace.
Some examples include virtual “daily meetings” where you can chat with your co-workers and learn about how their day went. The same goes for other team-building activities like workshops and virtual exercises.
The Company Encourages Camaraderie Between Its Employees.
Small talk is a vital part of work culture. Here, employees can help each other out when someone struggles with their tasks, catch up on the latest harmless gossip, and generally build camaraderie with their co-workers.
Although these things are easier to do back in the office, that doesn’t mean you can’t do them remotely. Employees merely adapted by shifting their conversations online through group chats, private messaging, and virtual calls.
Good companies and bosses realize that small talk isn’t a distraction and don’t really police them so long as they don’t get in the way of work getting done.
They Provide the Necessary Work Communication Tools.
If your company wants to promote strong communication between its employees, they should provide them with the means to communicate. As soon as you’re onboarded, they should state their preferred communication apps and provide the necessary access to these.
Having these apps on your computer/laptop will make communicating with your boss and team that much easier so you can all be more productive.
The Company Recognizes and Celebrates Employee Accomplishments.
Everyone wants their hard work to be awarded and recognized by their bosses and co-workers. It makes us feel appreciated by our colleagues and know that our efforts aren’t just in vain.
So if the company you’re working with remotely does this regularly, congratulations, they’re likely to be a good one. It shows that they value their employees and their contributions, no matter how small.
But don’t get me wrong. A “Great Job!” and a virtual pat on the back can only motivate you for so long if that’s the only way the company shows appreciation. Without opportunities to advance in your career or a periodic salary increase, you’ll soon lose motivation to work hard and eventually resign.
Your Boss Assigns Tasks Appropriate to Your Skill Level and Experience.
Picture this: a big-name company finally hires you that offers plenty of benefits and a hefty salary. Sounds like a dream come true, doesn’t it?
But wait, what’s this? You constantly have tight deadlines, and your strict boss expects expert-level results from you, who’s just starting your career. Does it still sound like a dream?
There are still many companies out there that treat their employees as disposable cogs in their operations. Fortunately, many more realize that the best way to increase employee retention is by treating them fairly and actively investing in them.
So one of the surefire signs of a positive work culture you should look for is whether you’re given tasks that are appropriate to your skill level at work.
This means your assignments are neither too easy nor too difficult to accomplish – and your boss gives you a reasonable amount of time to finish them.
Finding the Right Workplace Made Easier.
For many workers today, a hefty salary isn’t enough to motivate them to work hard and stay in a company. They’re also looking for good working conditions and a safe and healthy environment which they’ll enjoy working in.
But finding the right work culture for you, especially remotely, can be challenging. Fortunately, you can use the signs of a positive work culture mentioned above as a guide to help you in your search.
With these, all you have to do now is send your resumes to companies you think are the best fit for you.
And if you don’t know where to start looking, head to Remote Staff.
Our jobs list has various available positions, so you don’t have to worry about running out of options. Good luck!
