An office environment is an excellent place for relationship-building with colleagues. It’s a place where you can establish lifelong friendships or allies in times of need. But how are these bonds being created in a virtual workspace? As our society shifts to a virtual workplace, we have to adjust how we create and maintain work relationships. We share our insights on building work relationships while working from home.

Utilize Technology

Technology is the easiest and most basic way to start a relationship with your colleagues. Picking up the phone, texting, messaging, group chats on platforms such as Yammer, or video chats can help you stay connected with your coworkers. Allow yourself to discuss subjects beyond work to find commonalities with your colleagues. Easy subjects to consider are sports, fitness, food/cooking, pets, or family. Once you establish common ground with your coworker, start expanding until you form a trusted relationship. You hopefully find that you enjoy conversing with at least a few colleagues, which can lead to inviting them to more personal platforms online such as TikTok or Instagram. Be careful when inviting colleagues to your personal social media. We advise talking to them first before sending an invite as they may prefer to separate that aspect of their lives from work.

Games

Are you holding a virtual team meeting? Start it off with a quick game to help get to know each other more personally. Icebreaker games such as Two Truths and a Lie, Who is It?, or even an at-home scavenger hunt can help break the ice and start a more fluid and fun conversation. Through these types of games, you may find you have a similar sense of humor with someone or share hobbies with a teammate. Identifying commonalities with some of your colleagues can open the door to more thoughtful dialogue and, therefore, the start of a great work relationship.

Team Outings

There are many unknowns in the world right now but if you and your team or colleagues feel safe and ready, try to schedule team outings. Nothing can replace face-to-face human interaction, and if you are working from home, it makes these interactions far and few between. You can start by asking a colleague for coffee, lunch, or maybe your team to happy hour. These small steps can help you determine what type of outing will work best for you and your team. Perhaps attend a sporting event or a team-building activity such as Escape the Room. These activities can lead to a stronger bond with your colleagues, which can continue to be fostered virtually by staying connected through technology.

Put Yourself Out There

Ultimately, to help form bonds with your colleagues, you have to put yourself out there. You might have to take the first step in creating a relationship with your coworkers, but you should find smooth sailing once you break the ice. You might even consider scheduling weekly informal calls or video chats to help nourish the connection while working remotely.

DIVERSANT

DIVERSANT, an ACS Company, is one of the fastest-growing IT staffing firms in the US. Our team of recruiters can help you identify a team that suits your personality and skillset. Contact us today to learn more.