NCET Biz Tips: Humanizing virtual workplace communication
Nicole Rose Dion / Paige Galeoto
by Paige Galeoto and Nicole Rose Dion
As some of our workplaces suddenly became — and then stayed — remote, many of us have had to embrace full-time virtual communication in our jobs for the first time without much guidance. But the fact is, virtual was trending long before COVID-19. The global remote workforce has increased by 140% since 2005. So thinking about how we can communicate better in a virtual environment is not simply a short-term challenge, it’s essential to the future of our work.
At Estipona Group, we’ve had some time to figure it out. Our full-service marketing firm has been virtual for 11 of its 27 years. As we’ve transitioned from bricks and mortar, to virtual, to the pandemic’s extra–virtual-plus version, we’ve adjusted our strategies for communicating with colleagues and clients. During that time, we’ve discovered what works for us and what doesn’t. And like everything in life, it’s just as important to acknowledge and learn from our failures as from our successes.
Enter the Glip “happy hour”
Glip is our agency’s internal communication platform (like Slack, but part of Ring Central) that enables instant messaging internally and includes a video meeting platform. It has cut down on our work emails by 80%, allows us to group discussions by client, includes a digital water cooler for chit chat, and even provides a platform for sharing and cataloging creative ideas.
When we had to give up in-person meetings back in March, transitioning to video meetings was pretty seamless. We were able to take care of business and still see each other’s faces. It almost felt like our old in-person meetings. So it seemed logical to transition our monthly in-person happy hour to video, too. Only it didn’t work.
Unlike an actual happy hour, where you walk away from your computer and unwind over a drink with friends, the video cocktail party began to feel like work. The first one was well attended, the second a bit less, the third was cancelled due to lack of interest.
Assessing your workplace culture
While a regular social hour may not be vital for your company, we’ve determined that maintaining our social connections helps us do our jobs better. One way we’re accomplishing this is by opening our group meetings with more small talk — actually planning for our it in our agendas. So a first step in humanizing your virtual workplace communications: understanding your workplace culture, and accommodating it. Ask yourself these questions:
What do employees need to feel connected, invested in the work and part of the team?
How can your communications process address these needs?
What isn’t working with how you’re currently communicating, and what’s an alternative?
Asking and answering questions like these is part of a list of tips for humanizing your virtual workplace communication we’ll be offering at NCET’s virtual Biz Bite on October 28. NCET is a member-supported nonprofit organization that produces educational and networking events to help people explore business and technology. More info at www.NCET.org
Paige Galeoto is VP of Creative and Nicole Rose Dion is Account Director at Reno-based marketing firm Estipona Group. For 27 years, Estipona Group has operated at the intersection of fun and effective, providing strategic branding, design, public relations, and online communication services to clients of all shapes and sizes. Learn more: estiponagroup.com