By Charlotte Lariviere – Managing Director @eCommerce Placement
If you're like me and still navigating the remote work world, you may have picked up on how essential it is to lead your team with kindness and empathy. It's a game-changer and can really make a difference in team morale and productivity.
Why It's Important
- Making everyone feel heard: When miles apart, it's easy for team members to feel disconnected and hesitant to speak up. Creating a safe space for ideas and concerns is a must.
- Trust and loyalty building: Showing genuine care builds trust among a remote team. Trust is the glue that holds everything together, making the whole team stronger and more loyal to the mission.
- Bringing out the best: Making your team feel appreciated boosts confidence and creates a culture that motivates everyone.
How We Do It
- Weekly one-on-ones: We cover work topics, personal check-ins, and bounce ideas off each other. Outside of these meetings, I'm available on Slack for everything from recruiting tactics to movie recommendations.
- Celebrate every win: When someone places a candidate, brings on a client, or finishes a project — we celebrate. Shout-outs in Slack and on weekly meetings are a huge confidence booster.
- Work hard, play hard: Remote work blurs the lines between home and work. We emphasize the importance of taking time off — for vacations, sick days, or mental health days.
- Virtual team building: Happy hours, holiday parties, birthday celebrations, and occasional in-person retreats. We even met for an in-person retreat last year — it was a blast.
- Elevate and empower: We love providing opportunities to develop new skills. If someone on the team shows interest in marketing, I'll do everything I can to support and resource that growth. Their success is our success.
Kindness and empathy are essential when leading a remote team. Small acts of support and understanding create a positive ripple effect that nourishes the close-knit, family-like culture that defines eCommerce Placement.