In teams with members who work remotely, either part of the time or all of the time, building trust can take a little extra effort. Since they can’t chat by the water cooler or go out to lunch together, remote workers must find ways to bond online.
High levels of trust among team members and between the manager and direct reports are essential to building a high-performing, committed team. When employees trust their coworkers and leaders, they are 12 times more likely to feel engaged and motivated to perform at work, according to ADP Research Institute.
Unfortunately, there is no algorithm or instruction manual for building trust. It’s a feeling that must be earned between people, whether they work in the next cubicle or on the other side of the world. But while there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, there are many things managers, individual collaborators, and HR leaders can do to build team trust in a virtual environment.
1. Don’t skip one by one
For people managing remote teams, it’s critical to prioritize one-on-one time with direct reports. programming (and No cancellations) regular employees and managers 1-on-1 and check-ins allow time to connect and build trust in remote work.
One-on-one time can also be great for teammates. Schedule time with each of your colleagues to catch up and get to know each other. You don’t need a work-related agenda; save tasks and to-do lists for later. Just spend some time learning a bit about your partner as a person. It’s a great start to building trust in remote teams and can even help create a sense of belonging in the workplace.
2. Set clear expectations and goals for the team
It’s hard to maintain trust when people don’t understand what others on their team are doing or responsible for, especially when work is scattered among virtual team members. Trust develops much more easily when everyone on the team understands their role and how each colleague contributes.
Along with role clarity, working toward shared goals can help build trust in a team. To align with team goals and ensure everyone is on the same page, it helps to follow a goal setting framework. (We use the OKR methodology at 15Five.)
3. Be authentic and transparent
Transparency is a fundamental pillar of trust. For team leaders to earn the trust of their employees, it’s important to be open and clear about why decisions are made and how they affect the team. Even when a leader has to be the bearer of bad news, employees find him more trustworthy when he tells them directly and doesn’t try to sugarcoat things.
In peer-to-peer relationships, being transparent with one another and providing honest feedback is critical to building trust in a remote team. When coworkers feel like they are seeing the real you, they are more likely to feel comfortable bringing their own authentic selves to work.
4. Make mental health a team priority
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we need to prioritize mental health in the workplace and draw boundaries between work and life. For remote employees, work can be isolating and the ability to make meaningful personal connections can be more difficult.
Setting clear expectations for yourself and your team members and supporting yourself emotionally is critical to managing mental health and building trust. If you see a coworker struggling, offer to help by taking some tasks away from them or just pay attention if they need to talk.
5. Have career conversations
A golden opportunity to build trust that many managers miss is talking to their direct reports about career planning. According to 15Five’s 2023 Manager Effectiveness Study, just 52% of employees said their manager has had a conversation about her career with them.
Managers who show that they care about their direct reports’ careers and want to help them do their best work, even if it means they may eventually outperform their current position, can earn some serious trust points. In fact, we found that 67% of employees report that they work harder for a manager who cares about their career growth.
6. Show gratitude
Acknowledging your peers and showing gratitude at work is a great way to build trust. And when people feel recognized by their managers and coworkers, they perform better and are more engaged. They are more likely to stay too.
According SHRMa 2022 study by the Achievers Workforce Institute found that nearly two-thirds of employees said that feeling “significantly recognized” would reduce their desire to look for work.
There’s no reason virtual team members can’t recognize and celebrate each other just as often as in-person teams. While you may not be able to chest-pump your remote coworkers, can give them a high five (virtually) for a job well done.
As Eric Richard, Vice President of Engineering at Hubspot He said, “Peer recognition is an important element on any team. High Fives generate a sense of accomplishment, and people feel that their work was noticed and appreciated.”
Boost confidence in the workplace with our latest guide
Trust is crucial to organizational success, and HR plays a vital role in cultivating and maintaining it. In our latest guide, The Trust Advantage: How Building Trust in the Workplace Can Boost Employee Performance, you will gain the knowledge and practical strategies to build trust within your organization. See the research behind the benefits of trust in the workplace, the role of HR in building it, and potential pitfalls to avoid.
