5 creative ways we’re staying connected while working from home

“Morning, Tom – how’s the leg healing?”

“Cheryl, Binder… do you have ten minutes to review this report with me over a cup of coffee?”

“Hey, are you guys heading to the Lunch & Learn session?”

The workday is filled with interactions, big and small, that nurture teamwork and camaraderie. The strength of these in-person relationships is largely responsible for fuelling company culture and fostering a positive, productive work environment. 

Now that most employees have transitioned to working from home, businesses of all sizes are finding creative ways to remotely foster and maintain these important personal connections.

At SAP Concur, our teams are reporting that they are staying connected in a variety of creative ways. Here are just a handful of the solutions that are working well for us in Canada:

1.    Weekly team happy hours

Employees may connect many times over the course of the week, but happy hour allows for a more casual (beverage optional!) mix of business and pleasure for an entire team or business unit. 

SAP Concur happy hours serve two purposes: 1. Business: Managers can ensure all team members are regularly and equally informed of broader team and corporate priorities and 2. Pleasure: Happy hours are the perfect time to catch up socially as well, keeping remote teams strong and connected. 

Some of the technology we use for video-enabled happy hours includes Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

2.    Group workouts (kids and pets welcome)

More like kids and pets encouraged! Some of our biggest laugh-out-loud moments in the past few weeks have occurred thanks to kids and pets taking an “active” interest in our virtual exercise groups. At SAP Concur, we’ve found that having a time and place to meet up with colleagues online for yoga, strength training and more is a great way to maintain routine… and motivation!

3.    Virtual lunches and coffee breaks

Working from home has not had to mean eating alone. Employees are encouraged to lunch with co-workers virtually just as they would if they were in the office. In fact, seeing each other’s delicious home-cooked lunches has resulted in more than a few recipes being exchanged. 

4.    Virtual water cooler

Just like at the office, you never know who might drop by the water cooler. This Microsoft Teams-enabled group has become the hub for lighthearted employee banter. Topics include meme sharing, gratitude Fridays, celebrating birthdays and hilarious poll questions. Participation in the virtual water cooler has been in the 90th percentile and though it’s primarily a social rather than work group, it has surprisingly brought cross-functional teams closer together than the physical office setting ever did.

5.    Goal sharing

From learning a new instrument or language to painting and taking online courses, many SAP Concur employees are sharing their home-based self-development activities and milestones. Those with similar goals and interests can connect in smaller groups, while as a whole we make it a priority to encourage each other and check in on progress.

Keeping remote colleagues connected matters not just for the sake of work, but for wellness. Organizations that manage connection well may also be better positioned to bounce back when we return to our physical workspaces.

We’d love to hear how your business is staying connected! Post your stories by tagging us on LinkedIn.