Remote work has changed radically over the past decade, especially in the last few years. Prior to this, remote jobs were the unicorns of the working world — nearly impossible to find and, if found, exceedingly rare that it wasn’t a scam.
The number of people working remotely in the US has tripled in the past few years, with 16% of all global companies now operating entirely remotely. This growth has led to companies needing to develop ways for remote staff to connect with one another and make cohesive team collaboration a priority, regardless of where their employees may live.
One remote company that has made social media connection a priority is Cyberbacker, which provides administrative support services to companies worldwide. Cyberbacker’s Vice President of Social Media Marketing, Joarra Solis, has made social media groups the forefront of her remote worker community building.
“We immediately recognized how important and engaging community groups are because engagement and interaction work on both ends,” says Solis. She has not only utilized social media groups to connect remote workers already with Cyberbacker, but also to reach out to potential new hires. “Ultimately, Facebook groups have become a goldmine of leads for us.”
The risk of disconnection
Having remote workers offers companies a large amount of flexibility and productivity from talent from all over the world. The primary drawback, however, is the risk of disconnection between remote employees. Meeting via Zoom, for instance, won’t provide the same level of camaraderie that many in-office teams experience.
Since the advent of social media, people have met lifelong friends, reconnected with family, and even met spouses over platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The ability to create groups, message, share photos and videos, and form meaningful connections with others — no matter where they may be — is truly remarkable.
As Solis explains, companies can use social media to their advantage to engage with their target clients and customers and connect their remote teams, helping them feel less disconnected from the workplace. One study discovered that over 70% of remote workers felt some level of disconnect from their workplace, which can lead to less-than-ideal job satisfaction, a drop in productivity, or problems with retention.
Motivation starts with recognition
Employee recognition is foundational for motivated teams. Cyberbacker regularly gives “shout-outs” to its loyal remote Cyberbackers on their social media pages.
“This kind of public recognition goes a long way in making employees feel valued and appreciated for their hard work,” says Solis. “It also helps employees feel seen in a remote work situation where, at times, they may feel isolated.”
Team members can be recognized personally or on a broader scale via social media channels. Studies show companies that prioritize employee recognition see far less turnover than those that don’t. Teams who scored in the top 20% of recognition engagement with their employees experienced 59% fewer turnovers.
Groups for team members
The options for groups — especially private groups — on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn are an excellent resource for remote employees to socialize with one another. Groups can be divided by departments or formed for the entire company, if it is a smaller size.
“Through private groups, employees can get to know one other outside of the lens of the workplace,” Solis says. “B2B groups through LinkedIn can also connect remote employees with employees from other businesses, though leaders may want to survey their employees to see what platforms they are most likely to use before creating these groups.”
Other programs, such as Workplace from Meta, provide all-in-one communication and sharing options for remote teams.
Social media engagement for employees
Getting your employees involved in social media outreach for the business can be a great way to make them feel part of the team. Tagging team members on Instagram posts when they do something remarkable, sharing triumphs or personal good news on Facebook profiles, or allowing team members to create YouTube or TikTok content for the company are great ways to get them involved and connect them over social media.
Rules and regulations
Even though social media is a great tool for connecting remote workers, there still need to be guidelines set by leadership for social media use within the company. For example, there should be clear rules on what can be shared on public forums. Any social media policy should be communicated to the team as a whole and applied to every employee — remote or otherwise. It can be easy to overshare on social media, and workers should be encouraged to keep separate work and personal accounts on specific platforms.
Remote workers can benefit greatly from social media engagement with their fellow employees. This can help them feel more connected to the business and their team, as well as provide ways to share information in real-time.
Social media has changed how the world communicates, and the workforce is no exception. As more people venture into remote work, harnessing the benefits and power of social media communication can help companies feel more connected.
