5 Ways to Improve Virtual Communication and Remote Collaboration

Posted by Cristina Lucas on Jul 16, 2020 1:09:22 PM

Did you know that employee productivity increased by 20 to 25 percent in organizations where employees are connected (Inc), and that 54 percent of employees say a strong sense of community keeps them at a company longer than was in their best interest (Gusto)?    

In fact, strong workplace communication and an environment that fosters collaboration results in benefits such as: 

  • Improved productivity
  • Better knowledge sharing
  • Higher morale among employees
  • Stronger job satisfaction
  • Increased employee engagement
  • A better employee experience
  • Increased revenue
  • Better business results
  • And much more 

Despite this, many organizations are struggling to implement effective communication and collaboration strategies. A study from Salesforce found that 86 percent of employees and executives cite lack of communication or collaboration for workplace failures. 

Communication becomes even more important when your employees are based remotely.

When working from home, it can be easy for employees to fall into silos and not communicate with their team. To ensure your employees remain productive it’s important that you encourage your team to communicate regularly through a successful communication strategy and world-class communication technologies.  

Are you looking to improve remote communication and collaboration among your team? Genesis Integration has created a list of five tips that will help you do just that:

1 - Use organizational and file sharing tools

When in the office, the organization of projects is often done through face-to-face communication in a meeting room. This makes it easy to ensure every team member knows exactly what they’re doing and what it is that you are trying to accomplish.

Organization among remote teams is tricky. Keeping track of projects and having a paper trail is crucial to the ongoing improvements of your operational processes. Using an organizational tool such as Microsoft Teams, Basecamp, Trello or Workzone will give you features such as time tracking, project management, file sharing and much more. 

Remote working also means your organization has no centralized database to organize, share and access work. This is where cloud technology comes in handy. Consider using technologies such as Google Drive or Microsoft SharePoint to make file sharing and management easier for your team. 

These technologies will ensure your team continues to seamlessly move in the same direction. 

2 - Hire the right staff 

It seems obvious right, hiring the correct members of staff? You, of course, want to do this in all situations. You need to look at a candidate’s experience, skills, personality and much more before making a hiring decision. However, finding someone that shares your company’s values is even more important when you have a remote workforce and no centralized office.

Communication and self-motivation are some of the top skills you should be looking for when adding to your team. It’s important to find team players who will be motivated when working from home and who will make that extra effort to reach out to their peers. 

3 - Integrate real-time messaging software into your day-to-day operations

One of the perks of being in an office environment is the ability to step away from your desk and spark a conversation with a colleague. Whether it’s by the water cooler, while making a coffee or out on a lunch break, these casual conversations help to strengthen both personal and professional relationships among your team.

This becomes harder when working from home. That’s why it’s your job as the employer to encourage casual conversations - both professional and personal ones. You can do this by integrating instant messaging software, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. Support your employees to have both non-work related and professional conversations throughout the working day. 

Consider hosting casual virtual team events, such a weekly lunches or happy hours. By setting the expectation with the meeting subject, your team will expect to be more casual and relaxed, which can lead to some great conversation and bonding.

4 - Trust your remote employees 

Remote work isn’t too much different from working in an office, but the lack of visibility can leave some managers micromanaging their team. This will have a negative impact on the long-term success of your business, significantly affecting the morale and productivity of your team.

Communication with your remote team comes down to trust. All employees and managers should feel comfortable sending frequent messages to each other, but, at the same time, it’s crucial that you don’t ask your talented employees for so many updates that you scare them off. 

The foundation to any successful remote team is employees who can trust their peers to get the job done. 

5 - Use video meeting technology

Your remote employees rarely, if ever, get to meet in person and that can impact how effectively they communicate with each other. Video conferencing platforms help organizations to connect with each other face-to-face, and that helps drive collaboration and creative problem-solving. 

Take Zoom, for example. The video conferencing solutions, which has soared in popularity in recent months, can be used to host meetings, phone team members, chat with peers and much more.

Interested in learning more about Zoom and how you can use all of its features to host incredible video conferences with your team? Read our recent blog, titled ‘How to Use Zoom Like a Pro: 7 Hidden Features and  Advanced Tips to Improve your Video Conferences’. 


If you want to improve your company’s existing communication and collaboration strategy for your remote team, contact Genesis Integration today. Our team of experts have years’ of experience implementing and integrating technology solutions to boost the productivity and efficiency of small, medium and large organizations.

Why Video Collaboration is Essential

Tags: Collaborative technology, Tips For Remote Working

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