A BPO startup’s insights into building a good remote work culture

Remote work is inevitable as it is beneficial to businesses. However, this has created new challenges for businesses implementing them.

Apart from changes in company culture, remote work brings major adjustments in how employees engage with their teams. At worst, employers would not want their staff to feel isolated from the company.

Maintaining a thriving remote work culture is the key to successfully managing remote teams. Though, it requires conscious effort and effective strategies.

Joshua Eidelman, CEO of NeoWork, shares his insights into building a good remote work culture in episode 447 of the OA podcast.

What does a good remote work culture look like

Happy employees are a noticeable sign of a good remote work culture.

Teams are at their best productivity and engagement when their duties and work values are aligned with the company. At the same time, they are actively communicating with their peers, whether through chats or virtual meetings.

Joshua shared this sentiment with NeoWork’s teams in the Philippines, noticing “how quickly [his] team is to make friends with people that work on other accounts.”

The company’s good remote work culture even reflects in its retention rates. According to Joshua, NeoWork boasts a “92% employee retention rate, whereas [the] industry average for [the] Philippines is around 60%.”

He emphasized that remote work benefits employees in locations like Manila, where most people “[don’t] want to do the two-hour commute every day and back.”

Tips for building a good remote work culture

Companies usually face several challenges in remote working and building their culture outside an office. This includes the following.

• Isolation. Joshua stated, “Loneliness can creep in if [the staff are] working remotely all the time.” With isolation and loneliness being greater concerns, sitting alone in a home office all the time can surely impact a staff’s welfare.
• Setting boundaries. Some teams still find it difficult to set boundaries when working remotely, with staff working longer hours or taking their work outside their shifts.
• Micromanaging. While more managers are adjusting to the remote setup, micromanaging is still a concern in building a healthy work culture. This is because they find new ways to do this, with employees getting bombarded by chats and constant calls.

Investing a lot in their culture, Joshua shared how NeoWork builds and maintains a good remote work culture.

Conducting in-person events

While remote work offers flexibility and convenience, it’s crucial to maintain an in-person element to foster team cohesion and combat isolation.

NeoWork’s In-person events serve as opportunities for team building and leadership development. They allow employees to interact with colleagues from different departments and build connections beyond their immediate work circles.

Joshua highlighted the positive impact of such events, where team members establish friendships with people they would not typically interact with daily.

Setting up engagement activities

NeoWork emphasizes the significance of engagement activities in maintaining a strong remote work culture.

They organize regular town hall meetings, nonstop karaoke sessions, and other interactive events to ensure employees feel connected and engaged. These activities contribute to a sense of camaraderie and minimize their attrition.

Compatibility with synchronous work and overnight shifts

Lastly, the company highlights its staff’s compatibility with the work set up as part of building remote work culture.

Since most of NeoWork’s clients are based in the United States, many employees work synchronously with their employers, necessitating night shifts in the Philippines.

Joshua emphasized the “whole sub-culture of people in the BPO industry working the overnight shift” in the Philippines. However, they still ensure their candidates are compatible with the setup.

NeoWork pays close attention to candidates’ experience and comfort level with overnight shifts during recruitment to ensure a good fit for working US hours.

Building remote work culture through outsourcing

NeoWork is committed to helping US clients build their remote teams and extensions of their companies through outsourcing.

They successfully navigate the challenges of remote work by capitalizing on its advantages while prioritizing in-person events for team building.

Their commitment to engagement activities and employee satisfaction contributes to a remarkable retention rate.

NeoWork looks forward to innovating its services in the future through breakthroughs such as AI-assisted agents. However, they aim to do this while keeping their roots and value of providing their clients with the best teams, whether in the Philippines or Colombia.

Visit NeoWork’s website to get in touch.