However, while remote working has its benefits, it can also present challenges in staying connected with your team. Virtual communication can make it easier to feel isolated or misunderstood. That’s why today we’re going to share with you some tips and tricks for staying connected while working remotely!

Virtual community spaces

If you can’t hang out with your colleagues in person, spending virtual time together is the next best thing! One example of this would be channels on your work messaging app (like Slack) where people can talk about non-related work things, be it movie recommendations or pictures of their pets. Another example, which is done at Klang, is the Art Team’s weekly virtual “Art Cafe”. The Art Cafe is a relaxed space for Klangers to gather and chat about art, as well as share their art with each other. The art cafe is “a nice informal venue where people can come together and share their art and be happy for each other's cool projects”, says Zsolt, one of our Engineering Managers. There’s nothing like bonding over a shared passion to bring a team closer together!

Regular check-ins

If you are a manager, another way to help ease the feelings of disconnect is to have regular check-ins with your teammates. Cathy, our Development Director, stresses the importance of something she calls “exhaustion tracking”. Exhaustion tracking involves frequent check-ins that help managers keep track of their team’s fatigue/well-being. “This is important in general but it’s even more important when you are remote”, says Cathy.  Often when working remotely it is more intuitive to keep meetings business-focused and minimal.  “As producers, our focus should always be on people - this then enables the people to do what they do best, and turn out a great product”, she explains. With exhaustion tracking, Cathy is able to make sure that her team is feeling heard and getting the support they need. Klang is currently working towards standardizing tools like exhaustion tracking, to make them accessible to all managers.

Virtual team bonding

We all know that bonding with your colleagues outside of work can not only improve your working relationships but can also lead to a sense of belonging and sometimes long-term friendships. Virtual team bonding is no different! Things like playing virtual games and online social or happy hours are great ways to get to know your coworkers on a personal level, as well as build trust and rapport. For example, at Klang, the publishing team gets together online to play a game from Jackbox TV every other Friday at the end of the day!

Meeting in Person (if Possible!)

We know that this is not always a tangible option, but another great way to stay connected with a remote team is to meet up in person once or twice a year. This could be anything from a holiday party to getting a group together to work remotely from an Airbnb in the mountains (one time a group of Klangers worked remotely from Iceland together and it was a very special experience, another time a group worked from Morocco.) Work conferences are another good excuse to meet up in person. This past April members of Klang’s Rendering Team, who often work remotely from each other, were able to meet up at the Everything Procedural Conference 2023. “It was a great learning opportunity and a great bonding experience for them”, says Zsolt.

Working remotely has its ups and downs, but there are ways to remedy feelings of disconnectedness that you might feel! We hope that these tips and tricks will help you feel connected to your team, even if you aren’t with them in person.