Staying Connected While Being Apart
Staying connected virtually with your professional community is more important now that you no longer have the opportunity to bump into coworkers in the hallway. While you might miss the days of chatting in the office, event or work gathering, here are some tips to help you stay in touch and maintain a strong relationship with your professional community.
Check in with co-workers both current and past
During these times, Linkedin, more than ever, is a community that is in it together. Sending a message to check-in with a connection can help them feel supported regardless of what is going on in their work or personal life. If a past or present coworker is looking for a job, you can ask them what kind of support they need -- maybe an introduction to another connection, a recommendation on their profile, or offering to review their profile can be especially helpful.
Show your appreciation for your coworkers
Working remotely? Reach out to your teammates to continue to show your gratitude for their hard work. Highlight a coworker’s impact on a project by sharing a Kudos -- recognize a person’s unique element they bring to the group dynamic or appreciate a coworker’s improvement in a skill they were previously struggling with. Sending a message with a simple, genuine note can make a big difference.
Keep your company and team culture alive with a group chat
Many of our members are still working remotely as their organization determines the best way to reopen their doors. A recent LinkedIn survey found 54% of Americans say working at home made them more productive, while 51% also said it increased feelings of loneliness. Regardless of how you are feeling about remote work, you can keep your team feeling close by sharing funny pictures from your conference calls, videos of your pets, or playlists that get you through your workday. Coworkers can share their experiences, give advice, ask questions, and trade best practices within the privacy of a group message. Or, start a themed group chat for a specific topic - maybe a coffee lovers group chat ☕️ to talk “shop” about your favorite beans or preparation styles.
Continue a sense of collaborative learning by sharing educational content.
Even in these unprecedented times, we’ve seen our members prioritizing learning new skills. We saw a 50% week-over-week increase in streaming of LinkedIn Learning content this year. What better way to stay connected to teammates than to learn together. LinkedIn makes it especially easy to share LinkedIn learning courses with your coworkers and connections via messaging. In fact, we’ve seen an increase in members sharing learning courses with their communities by over 150% in March and April compared to earlier in the year. To do this, simply click the share button in the top right corner of a learning course. Learn more here.
As the world continues to adjust, how can you come together with your community and coworkers to give and get help? You’re not alone in working through whatever circumstances you’re facing. Whether publicly or privately, your community is just a click, a message, or a post away.