Learn effective strategies to build a thriving remote company culture. Read our guide with tips and real examples to keep your remote team engaged and happy.
How to Build a Great Remote Company Culture: Key Tips & Examples
Working from home is common these days, but a strong remote company culture is still crucial. Company culture is simply the values and habits that shape how work gets done. With a distributed team, you need new ways for people to feel connected and inspired even if they aren’t in an office together.
A positive culture pays off. For example, 84% of employees at companies with strong culture say they are highly engaged, versus only 22% at companies with weak culture. People naturally want to feel part of something, so when culture is bad many will look for a new job. In one survey, one in five workers quit a job because of a toxic culture and half said they considered quitting over it. These stats show why building a remote culture matters.
Even fully remote companies can succeed. Help Scout – a company with a 160-person global team – built a remote-first culture and saw an 84% employee engagement score in 2022, higher than the tech industry average. This shows that with clear values and effort, you can keep your team happy from anywhere. For more tips on team culture and remote work, check out our Academic Broadcasting Platform blog where we cover similar topics.
- Tip: Define and share your core values early. Make sure every team member understands the mission and goals. When everyone knows the “why” behind the work, it helps people feel connected and motivated.
Why Remote Company Culture Matters
Remote work is not going away. A TriNet report notes that about 39% of U.S. jobs can be done remotely, and roughly 14% of workers (about 22 million people) now work from home full-time. Given these numbers, companies need to focus on culture even more. A well-built culture helps attract and retain top talent: TriNet explains that a strong remote culture lets businesses hire people from anywhere, giving small companies an edge. It also keeps workers engaged: when people feel included, they identify with company goals and work harder.
Without it, staff can feel lost. TriNet warns that without a solid culture remote employees may feel isolated and leave at the first opportunity. In fact, if the team misses out on the usual office chit-chat (by the watercooler or after hours), people quickly feel out of the loop. That can hurt productivity and morale. A positive remote culture bridges that gap with new rituals and communication, so no one feels alone.
Tips: Schedule a regular weekly call or chat where everyone shares a “win of the week” or personal news. Rotate who leads to keep people engaged. Also, create informal “watercooler” Slack channels for non-work chat – these small touches remind teammates that they belong.
Core Principles of a Strong Remote Culture
A strong remote culture starts at the top. Leaders must be remote-first in mindset, meaning company values, tools and routines should work equally well online and in-office. Help Scout’s founder stresses that if you want remote culture in your mix, you have to be “remote first.” Remote culture must be part of your company’s DNA. In practice, this means letting everyone have equal access to information and decision-making, whether they are in a city office or at home.
Communication and transparency are the lifeblood of remote work. Remote teams need more structure and open communication than co-located teams. This means using tools and processes that keep everyone in the loop.
For example, TriNet suggests making most information written and easily accessible online so every team member can see it on their own time. Meet often – even if just for quick stand-ups – and encourage people to speak up about roadblocks. Clear schedules (like weekly check-ins) and visible project boards help remote staff know what to do and when.
Flexibility and trust are also key. You must trust your team to do good work without peeking over their shoulders. As one expert puts it: avoid micromanaging remote staff. Let people set reasonable hours and take breaks. In fact, studies find remote work can improve life balance for 71% of people, but only if companies value it. Encourage everyone to have work-free time and even short vacations; a rested employee will engage more and stay longer. Showing trust makes team members feel respected and part of the culture.
Setting clear expectations completes the picture. Make sure remote employees know what is expected in terms of work output and behavior. If needed, update your handbook with remote-friendly norms (for example, whether camera-on is required in meetings). When everyone understands the rules and values, they can focus on doing great work together instead of wondering “Is this okay?”.
Tips: Remind the team that it’s okay to work flex hours as long as everyone meets deadlines. Celebrate when people speak up or help each other – e.g. a quick shout-out on Slack for a job well done. These small actions build trust and reinforce that everyone is on the same team.
Tools and Technology for Remote Culture
Using the right tools is essential. A recent survey by Slack’s team listed the minimum tech every remote team needsslack.com. Some key items are:
- Video Conferencing: Use a platform like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for face-to-face meetings. Seeing each other’s faces (even on a video) helps people bond and read non-verbal cues. Make time for video calls so employees feel a human connection.
- Document Sharing: Use cloud drives (e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive) or collaboration suites (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) so everyone can work on files together. This keeps everyone on the same page about project plans, docs, spreadsheets, etc.
- Project Management: Use apps like Trello or Asana to track tasks and deadlines. A shared board or timeline shows who is doing what. This visibility is like walking by a task list in an office – it replaces that shared awareness.
- Team Chat: A real-time chat app such as Slack or Discord serves as your digital office hallway. Slack itself recommends a robust chat platform as part of a remote toolkitslack.com. Chat channels let people ask quick questions, share ideas instantly, or post fun links and photos.
All these tools make communication easy. But remember, tools alone don’t create culture – people do. Choose tech that fits your team and actually use it. Encourage everyone to keep their status updates current, and to join the video calls on time. When tools become second nature, the team stays connected seamlessly.
Tips: Pick one main chat channel for everything non-critical (for example, a #general Slack channel). Use status messages (like “in a meeting” or “out for lunch”) so people know availability. And turn on one-on-one video chats randomly (“coffee breaks”) to check in on each other personally.
Team Building and Social Connections
Human beings are social, so make space for it. Building culture remotely means deliberately creating “together time.” As Slack’s blog suggests, try activities like:
- Virtual Watercooler: Create a dedicated chat channel for off-topic fun. People can drop a cat video, a favorite recipe, or weekend story there. This mimics hallway conversations and helps friendships grow.
- Remote Workshops: Schedule casual virtual classes or workshops (anything from coding tips to yoga) that anyone can join. These shared learning moments get people chatting and laughing together.
- Online Games: Encourage team members to play together online. Whether it’s a quick trivia contest or an ongoing fantasy sports league, friendly competition builds camaraderie. Reward winners with silly titles or small prizes to make it fun.
- Show & Tell: Hold a short “show and tell” session where team members share a hobby or interest. For example, each person posts a 2-minute video about a pet, a craft project, or travel photos. This personal sharing can reveal surprising common interests and make everyone feel closer.
Some companies also hold virtual happy hours, lunch-and-learns, or “get to know you” quizzes. The exact events don’t matter as much as the goal: give people a chance to chat about non-work topics. These breaks from routine keep people from feeling isolated.
Tips: Poll your team for fun ideas. Maybe host a monthly trivia night or a book club. Even a quick “question of the day” in chat (favorite movie, dream vacation, etc.) can spark conversation. The key is to laugh and have a little fun together, so work doesn’t feel all work.
Hiring and Onboarding for Remote Teams
Your culture starts with hiring. TriNet emphasizes hiring people who thrive in a remote setting. In practice, this means looking for candidates who are self-disciplined, love the work, and have a track record of independent success. During interviews, ask how they stay organized at home or deal with challenges on their own. The right fit will more easily buy into your culture from day one.
Once you hire someone, onboard them carefully. Make sure new team members feel welcomed and part of the group immediately. TriNet suggests assigning each new hire a friendly mentor or “buddy” to answer questions. Set up informal meet-and-greet calls with different team members (not just their direct boss) so they can build relationships. You might even create a special chat channel for new hires to introduce themselves and ask new-user questions. These actions signal that you care about the person, not just the work.
It’s also a chance to teach them your culture. Walk them through your company values, history, and even the fun side (like explaining any chat jokes or rituals). Give them a tour of your tools and norms. Maybe share a little “welcome kit” email with highlights of the team’s style. The smoother the first week, the more likely they’ll feel included and stay.
Tips: In the first week, have a one-on-one call just to listen. Ask the new person how they’re settling in and encourage feedback. Early small gestures like a welcome e-card signed by everyone or a surprise delivery (snacks, coffee) can make a big, human impression.
Encourage Well-being and Work-Life Balance
Finally, a remote culture should value people’s well-being. Remote work can blur the line between home and office, so it’s easy to overwork. Make it part of your culture to respect personal time. For instance, have “no meeting” hours or a full “no-meeting day” each week. Encourage team members to shut off Slack at a reasonable time. Lead by example: if managers work late constantly, others will feel they must too.
TriNet points out that many remote workers tend to work longer hours and never feel off-duty. To prevent burnout, actively encourage breaks and time off. If someone is on vacation, celebrate that on the team channel so others see the normalcy of downtime. Talk openly about setting boundaries: for example, share personal routines (like “I log off by 6 pm to be with family”) and encourage others to do the same. Over time, respecting these boundaries becomes part of the culture.
When employees feel balanced, they bring their best selves to work. They’re more creative, loyal, and communicative. A culture that says “you matter even outside work” will keep your team healthy and engaged.
Tips: Consider giving everyone a small wellbeing stipend or a subscription (like meditation apps or a gym pass). Host virtual meditation or stretch breaks. Most importantly, thank people for their hard work regularly and remind them it’s OK to step away and rest.
Putting It All Together
Building a remote company culture won’t happen overnight, but every step helps. Start small: maybe introduce a weekly virtual coffee chat or a new Slack channel this week. Keep experimenting with new activities and ask for feedback on what’s working.
The most important thing is consistency. Make culture a regular topic in meetings. Praise behaviors that reflect your values. Over time, the team will internalize the culture: they’ll know how to behave, communicate, and support each other even without an office around them.
Remember the example of Help Scout: by committing to culture – from hiring to daily habits – they created a distributed team that feels like a close-knit group. You can do the same.
By following these tips – hiring thoughtfully, communicating openly, using the right tools, and building human connections – you can build a thriving remote company culture. Your team will not only survive remote work but thrive in it.
