Majority of Americans Feel Less Connected to Their Company Culture While Working Remotely, But Believe Leadership and Learning Opportunities Can Help
TELUS International, a leading global customer experience and digital solutions provider, announced the results of its survey of U.S. employees’ sentiment toward remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the survey of 1,000 Americans working during the pandemic, a majority (51%) cited feeling less connected to their company culture while working from home.
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When asked what they miss most about working in the office, small talk and interacting with colleagues (57%) topped the list, followed by collaborating in person with a team (53%) and the separation between work and home (50%). Additionally, the survey found that the three most critical components of creating a strong virtual office culture are: virtual workshops and continued learning opportunities (68%); weekly staff meetings and one-on-ones with managers (66%); and schedule flexibility (65%).
“Although culture is a foundational element of a company, we don’t consider it to be a physical place. We believe it is a curated collection of values, vision and purpose that are reflected in a company’s actions and decisions, and what comes to life in moments of connection and interaction between employees to inspire a sense of meaning and belonging,” said Marilyn Tyfting, chief corporate officer of TELUS International. “Given culture’s key role in retaining top talent, it’s an increasingly critical success factor for companies nowadays given the significant transition from on-site to remote work models due to COVID-19. We have seen firsthand that when an employee’s personal values align with our company’s, much more often than not, they choose to stay with us over the long-term – to be part of something ‘bigger’ than themselves and to grow their careers. It’s our job as employers to ensure we provide meaningful support, mentorship, and learning opportunities in order to help them remain engaged.”
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The survey’s findings also suggest that the majority (90%) of U.S. workers agree that someone can be a great leader whether in-person or virtually. Respondents considered the following to be the top components of a thoughtful remote check-in from a manager or company leader: the manager asking how they can help the employee (60%), sharing updates on the state of the business (51%), creating employee development plans and suggesting new learning opportunities (47%).
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