How to instill a more robust culture in a fully remote team

As more companies ponder the future of remote work, it’s going to be important to keep remote teams engaged with your business and brand. For the past 6 years, I’ve been a part of BKA Content, a award-winning company based in Utah, that has maintained a good reputation among its writers for creating an excellent remote working environment and known for its high standards.

According to Matt Secrist, co-founder and COO, BKA has over 600 independent contractors and 20 employees, all of whom work remotely. Over 200 of those writers have been with the company for two or more years. About 30 writers have been with the company for more than 6 years. It’s not easy to keep freelancers on board that long without some strong ties to the company.

Communication
Secrist states, “I think frequent communication…(makes) a huge difference.” I concur with this statement. BKA sends out a weekly newsletter to all its writers. After six years, I still enjoy reading it because it always gives relevant information. Their culture comes through in the newsletter. It’s not preachy. Sometimes, they have fun games and contests that create camaraderie and give us fun things beyond writing. The newsletter also keeps us up to date with AP grammar and other industry items. But it’s never a newspaper, so it’s quick to read. We also have a Facebook group in which we can interact. The leaders are committed to keeping the remote teams engaged.

Organized processes
Starting with the training modules, BKA creates a strong culture through organization and clear goals. Their strong onboarding process set standards right away. Their writers were not left to their own device. I worked closely with one person for the first few pieces I turned in, which is core to their success in keeping excellent writers. Their business has grown so much that they have created teams for certain accounts. Secrist estimates that they have more than 150 individual teams. I deal with one account manager for each team, which strengthens the bonds between people. We aren’t just email accounts, but real people working together.

Clear goals and standards
I believe one of the keys to BKA’s success is that it is transparent with its goals and standards. Writers are required to turn in a certain amount every week, which means it needs to be part of our routine. Every account has a style guide with detailed instructions for writing for that brand. We are encouraged to contact the account manager with questions. The account managers always respond in a timely manner with professionalism. The culture of BKA is positivity. Even though missed deadlines can have consequences, there is grace and flexibility. In six years, I can say that they have always dealt with me fairly, which is a core value of the company.

Transparency
The leadership is always transparent with the writers. When we’ve had a hiccup with payroll, the CFO has always addressed it head-on and not prevaricated. It’s always been fixed as quick as possible. I had lost over $200 over a period of four months because one payment amount had gotten changed to $0 in the system. When I discovered it, the account manager had it corrected that day and added the amount to my next deposit. Dealing with issues, especially financial issues, quickly is key to keeping remote workers engaged.

Remote work is here to stay
Secrist supports my own insights by saying, (BKA has) “worked to build an online community where people feel valued and heard. Being kind to, invested in, and interested in the people we rub shoulders with in a virtual setting has created an atmosphere of mutual respect.”

We may be seeing an end to the pandemic, but workers want remote work. Regardless of how that looks in your company, you have to address how to keep your remote teams engaged while giving them flexibility. Looking at other companies and how they do it can help you create a solid team who are on the same page.