Companies have a hard enough time creating a positive company culture without the added complication of having remote offices.
While incoming international expansions are creating amazing opportunities for U.S. employees to gain global experience, there’s an unforeseen downside too. In the rush to establish a global presence, the importance of developing a strong office culture is often overlooked. Claes, who founded the first co-working space in the U.S. for European start-ups expanding to the U.S. market, shares strategies that she has found to be beneficial in creating a positive company culture in remote offices. When the team can’t be together physically, the next best thing is to connect through video. “Every Monday, our company gathers for 15 minutes to kick off the week.
“We aim to spread leadership roles around the globe and allow team members with vested interests to participate in all locations. It’s also a good practice to replicate group efforts in each office where possible. For instance, if London is holding a bake sale to support a local LGBTQ+ group, think about how this can be replicated in New York or Tel Aviv,” advises Claes.Spend some time developing global initiatives that all locations can embrace and support.