The effect COVID-19 has on businesses runs deeper than financial issues. It has taken a toll on the working environment for most companies. Currently, workers are becoming more isolated from one another as companies continue to conduct business online. As remote marketing talent, it is more important than ever that you make conscious efforts to the company culture. If you don’t have a positive work environment, your team will struggle to find meaning in their work, which leads to a decrease in productivity and retention challenges.
If your goal is to advance in your career, then you need to add value in addition to doing a great job. Candidates who are viewed as individuals who can move up will show leadership long before they actually have a direct report. In order to separate yourself, you need to show support for other members even if it does not directly correlate to your job.
The marketing team is a vital piece of the organization. Even if your team is scattered around the country, encouraging each other to stay connected is the only way to effectively build a cohesive team. Over communicating is the key to success in a virtual work environment. While there is no single way to effectively promote a positive work culture, there are actionable steps you can take to add value.
Here Are Ways To Contribute To Your Organization’s Work Culture and Stand Out Within Your Marketing Job:
Build Relationships
Regardless of your position, one thing remote marketing talent has in common is trying to build a meaningful relationship with coworkers. However, the sudden shift to a virtual workplace has left employees isolated from the rest of the team. For some employees, the relationship built in the office becomes harder to maintain.
Top marketers can facilitate social interactions and a collaborative environment by using chat platforms and video conferencing tools. Making small adjustments to your daily interactions establishes a better connection between you and your coworkers.
Some great examples to implement into your daily interactions would be:
- Introducing a light conversation before asking a work-related question.
- Scheduling one-on-one meetings to get to know each other better
- Sharing interesting articles or post
- Scheduling a virtual happy hour for your team
- Scheduling a brainstorming session
- Checking in on your co-worker’s wellness
- Attend a virtual event with co-workers
When people work from home their emotional state tends to differ from the office. Take a few minutes and ask how your coworker’s life is going. The informal conversations you used to have in the office are being replaced by these meetings. Therefore, the relationship you build outside work-related matters is equally as important to the success of the team. This is an opportunity to make a deeper connection and give your colleagues the support they need. However, if possible, including both face-to-face interactions and virtual conversations will provide better results.
Encourage & Give Support
While it can be tempting to turn off the camera during an online meeting, you can not shy away and stay silent if you plan on making an impact. In a virtual work environment, it is especially important for everyone to speak up and join in the conversation. A team can only be successful if every remote marketing talent is willing to put in the effort to keep the ball rolling.
Make it a point to acknowledge your coworker’s accomplishments. You want to encourage an environment where everyone is valued for the work they contributed. Incorporating consistent recognition will help team members feel more included and motivated. While supporting productivity, you are empowering others to hold each other accountable for better results and a positive work environment.
If you are a long time remote worker, share your knowledge and experience with the rest of the team. With the sudden shift to remote work, some people find it difficult to adjust to the new environment.
Be Enthusiastic
Top marketers who are excited about the work and ready to collaborate with others will generally create a positive atmosphere. However, it is safe to say that not everyone can be enthusiastic every day. When it comes to determining your emotions, only you can influence your outlook. Rather than dragging yourself through the day, focus on what you enjoy about your work. Your attitude has the potential to create more energy and motivation amongst your peers within your marketing job.
However, you don’t only need to be enthusiastic about your work. You can show your excitement to interact with your colleagues. Creating themed chat channels or a “good news” group chat will harness the positivity during these unpredictable times. With the endless resources for online social activities, you can quickly change the team dynamics and push away negative tendencies.
Do More Than Just Your Job
Remote marketing talent must go above and beyond standard job duties if you are striving for ultimate success. Instead of waiting for a question or task to arise, anticipate the needs of your team and bring it up. Determining what the company needs and how you can help will ensure your company recovers quicker after COVID-19. A good team member will rarely sit back and watch others struggle. Marketers who can encourage each other to become more productive, creative, and innovative will continue to add value to the organization.
Essentially, working on a remote team is more than having the right technology. A good team member shows genuine enthusiasm and commitment to the mission. By implementing these characteristics into your daily interactions, you will contribute to your company’s cultural foundation.
However, it is important to note that you can only add real value to the team once you can effectively manage yourself. For some, working from home is not easy. When you work from home you become responsible for keeping yourself on track and remaining productive despite all the distractions around you. As the leading marketing recruiting firm, we have seen many marketers struggle to adjust to the new environment. Learning how to better prepare yourself for virtual work is the first step to creating a successful work culture.
Here Are Articles To Better Prepare You For Remote Marketing Job Opportunities:
5 Ways to Prepare Yourself to be a Remote Marketer
How Marketers Can Successfully Work Remotely
7 Lesser-Known Tools That Can Help You Effectively Work Remotely in a Marketing Team
Author: Melissa Van Rossum