{"id":3542,"date":"2021-09-21T11:28:24","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T11:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/devexperts.com\/blog\/?p=3542"},"modified":"2022-06-08T12:19:23","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T12:19:23","slug":"how-to-cultivate-small-talk-when-there-is-no-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devexperts.com\/blog\/how-to-cultivate-small-talk-when-there-is-no-office\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Cultivate Small Talk When There Is No Office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Small talk is typically considered a waste of time, but when remote working became the norm, employees everywhere really started to miss this social ritual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems this daily workplace pastime was more important than many had realized.  Through these brief conversations and shared interactions, the office becomes more than a workplace.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Achievers Workforce Institute conducted a survey<\/a> showing how the pandemic left one-third of workers feeling disconnected from colleagues and company culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to keep small talk alive while working remotely<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s becoming more evident that remote work is here to stay. Even after the pandemic is over, the acquired advantages of working from home might result in a hybrid work location. A mix between working from the office and home could even generate cost efficiencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, companies should also consider developing corporate interactions. After all, a non-traditional work environment needs out-of-the-box social rituals for the digital workplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 4 examples of what companies and employees can do to keep in touch and spark small talk in their daily routines:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Create digital spaces for casual socialization<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It can be easy to dismiss digital channels focused on socialization as mandatory corporate fun. The truth is, though, that employees need to have a space to talk about non-work-related topics. That\u2019s particularly important for newcomers who join the company directly to a digital workplace. They end up working remotely without having a chance to adapt to the corporate culture and how teams interact. That\u2019s why they need to feel integrated into their teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A virtual environment for social gatherings is a terrific way for people to meet, share their interests, and discover things in common besides working for the same company. In the immortal words of Humphrey Boggart\u2019s Rick Blaine in \u201cCasablanca\u201d, this can even be \u201cthe beginning of a beautiful friendship\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could experiment with these channels and look at them as an event venue. Go beyond the standard small talk and try to hold trivia contests, happy hours, and other gatherings that can shake things up a bit and bring joy to everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Rephrase your usual questions for better conversations<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How many times have you replied without thinking about the question \u201cHow are you?\u201d with a plain \u201cFine, thanks.\u201d? You\u2019re not alone. It\u2019s common to mindlessly answer this polite question, especially at work. It\u2019s even more common to ask it, as a courtesy, without expecting to engage in a conversation just yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, when talking on a digital channel, chances are that conversation will die pretty quickly with a brief reply to these kinds of questions. You might even find it awkward to reopen a conversation. You\u2019d even think maybe your colleague is too busy to talk since you can\u2019t see them live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try something different when dropping your morning \u2018hellos\u2019. Here are a few questions that encourage more engagement:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n