Establishing Workplace Etiquette in a Shifting Virtual Culture
In a changing virtual world, it’s important now more than ever to establish workplace etiquette for a virtual office. As many people move from in-person to online and much of us settle into the reality that the office place is now the home, you’ll want to set expectations and boundaries. It’s important to always reevaluate and adapt to shifting work cultures and environments, but also maintain consistency within your company. Here’s how to make the most of your company’s digital work etiquette.
Set the Ground Rules
For starters, create a set of baseline rules and procedures that are expected of everyone in your virtual company. This should include expected online or available hours, meeting etiquette, and how to let others know you’re out of the office. These are basic concepts that have likely changed and evolved. Remember, keep the flexibility of family in mind. Many people have changing and ongoing obligations, like online learning for their kids, that need to be addressed. Be sure to establish a process for dealing with unforeseen emergencies and shifts in schedule.
Lastly, if you’re enacting mandatory furloughs, don't forget to include what that process looks like. Communication is key to maintaining a successful remote team, so remember to have open, honest lines of communication for your staff. Keep them involved in the company so they have ownership in these decisions.
Establish a Dress Code
Next, establish a dress code, like company uniforms. Use an established dress code to not only avoid any embarrassing mishaps but also set professional expectations for your clients too. For example, business shirts and a custom business skirt or pants should be worn whenever on virtual calls with new prospective clients.
You may even want to order a custom business work blazer for women that your employees can wear while they are conducting virtual interviews. Consider creating your own branded fun background banners for digital meetups, or other unique ideas. Also, don’t allow your employees to wear their robes for in-company calls. Have minimally required standards, such as an embroidered work blouse or other dress code when you’re all meeting together. Getting up and getting dressed keeps everyone feeling productive and like they are having a workday instead of a long cup of coffee on the weekends.
Be Open to New Concepts and Ideas
The digital workplace is constantly evolving. There are many people out there who have worked remotely for years, so this new shift is not new. Consider reaching out to pros to help you manage these new changes. Even putting a contract worker in charge of helping you to manage the shift in-house is a great way to get productivity flowing. Your biggest concerns in a virtual work environment are communication, distractions, and a sense of team. Create policies that do double duty to foster these pillars of the workplace.
Try digital happy hours and team-building, have a non-work-related Slack channel, or start some kind of digital workshop where your employees can come together and feel like they aren’t isolated in their homes. These concepts ensure that people are feeling as if they are still a part of the team. Always be open to shifts, understand the effects of disturbing current events on your team’s productivity, and provide resources for help.
Ask for Feedback
No business owner should assume they know everyone. In fact, the number one way to keep open communication is to allow for feedback. Get input from new systems surrounding digital etiquette. Listen to your staff, their pain points, what’s working well, and what isn’t. Understand that you’re not going to get everything right on the first try. Instead, be sure to openly ask for feedback and check-ins. Develop a sense of trust with your staff.
No one likes to be micromanaged, so ensure you’re creating a safe, welcoming space for people to deliver their feedback. Set up an anonymous digital feedback system. Host meetings for feedback, or foster digital brainstorming sessions to solve a pertinent problem. Anything you can do to foster a sense of ownership and team within a digital space will help you produce better results for your company.
Be Respectful
Lastly, create a respectful work environment. Remember that the world is a hair-trigger during stressful times. Always be aware of these elements and understand that everyone processes new and disturbing information differently. In order to keep your digital etiquette in check, have resources available to your employees during times of stress. Also, ensure that all employees from different backgrounds understand what will and will not be tolerated within company channels. Collaborate with your HR team to make effective digital policies for virtual workplace etiquette.
Overall, creating flexible and functional digital workplace etiquette guidelines takes some time and preparation. Set up base rules and fill in the details with the input of your team. Set aside a chance to constantly evaluate how things are going and make changes accordingly. The result is a virtual etiquette policy your whole company will enjoy.