How to Strengthen Company Culture in Remote and Hybrid Workplaces

As the workplace continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: company culture matters. In fact, it’s more important than ever. With teams spread across cities, states, and time zones, remote and hybrid work environments present new challenges and new opportunities for cultivating a culture that connects, motivates, and retains top talent.

At Payentry, we work closely with businesses to navigate this shift every day. And we’ve experienced firsthand, when culture is intentional, it thrives. Even without a physical office.

Here are a few initiatives to strengthen your company culture in a remote and hybrid world.

1. Start with Clear Values and Live Them

Remote employees experience a company’s culture differently. As such, it’s a great opportunity to be intentional. Clearly defining your organization’s values, communicating them consistently, and weaving them into everyday moments helps ensure each team member feels connected, no matter where they work.

Consider:

• Visible and actionable values. Values should be communicated during onboarding, revisited regularly and visible throughout internal communications.
• Leaders who model values in a remote setting. Culture starts at the top. All leaders must consistently model the organization’s values through actions and communications.
• Recognize behaviors that reflect the culture. This may include on-the-spot praise, performance reviews and utilizing internal communication tools such as Microsoft Teams messaging.

When values are lived out loud, employees stay connected to the organization’s mission, regardless of where they work.

2. Prioritize Transparent, Two-Way Communication

In distributed teams, communication isn’t just a tool. It’s the glue that holds everything, and everyone, together.

Make space for:

• Regular team check-ins and one-on-one conversations. Regular check-ins are vital for building relationships, ensuring alignment, and fostering a sense of belonging.
• Company-wide virtual meeting updates. These gatherings ensure that all employees, regardless of their location, are aligned with the organization’s goals, progress and any changes. It fosters transparency and builds trust within the team.
• Open channels for feedback and ideas, such as Teams. As mentioned previously, creating open, accessible channels for feedback and idea-sharing is essential to empowering employees and improving the company culture. It shows team members that their input is valued and creates an open culture of continual improvement.

Tools like Teams, and project management platforms help. However, please keep in mind that a thriving organizational culture comes from how these communications tools are used, not just that they exist.

3. Make Onboarding Remote-Friendly and Culture-Focused

Your organization culture starts with how people are welcomed. A remote-friendly onboarding process should:

• Introduce new hires to team values and expectations. While this should have been shared during the interview process, it is important to reiterate formal expectations during onboarding and express the significance of the culture, vision, mission, mindset and collaboration.
• Pair newly-hired team members with a “Culture Buddy” or mentor. This “Go-To” teammate should check-in frequently, help answer questions, provide direction as needed and support.
• Include virtual meet-and-greets with leaders and peers. This is a perfect initiative to include as part of an orientation so that new hires have a chance to meet various department managers and gain insight into their respective roles and responsibilities.

When onboarding is intentional, new employees feel like part of the team from day one, even if they’ve never stepped into an office.

4. Celebrate Wins and Milestones Together

Remote teams still want to feel seen and appreciated. Make a point to:

• Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, and project wins. Recognizing personal and professional milestones helps team members feel seen and valued. Give shoutouts during company meetings or send a small e-gift card. These moments reinforce a culture of appreciation and achievement.
• Host virtual shoutouts or recognition boards. Create a space for ongoing peer-to-peer recognition that everyone can see. Recognition doesn’t always need to come from leadership. It can be even more powerful when it’s shared across the team.
• Send surprise gifts or care packages. Tokens of appreciation go a long way in a virtual environment. Receiving something physical connects remote employees to the company in a personal way. Gifts may be associated with specific achievements, holidays or simply as an appreciation.

Even small gestures create a lasting impact and reinforce building a culture of appreciation and belonging.

5. Encourage Flexibility and Trust

One of the greatest benefits of remote and hybrid work is flexibility. When companies trust their teams to manage their time and output, culture strengthens.

Empower employees to:

• Set work hours that suit their productivity. Allowing employees to set their own work hours can significantly boost productivity and overall job satisfaction for remote employees who do not have a specific work schedule that requires a structured day. The ability for remote employees to work during their most productive hours can lead to better outcomes for both the individual and the organization.
• Take breaks and prioritize well-being. Remote work can blur the lines between personal time and work time, making it easy for employees to skip breaks and overwork. Encouraging employees to prioritize breaks and mental well-being is essential for maintaining long-term productivity and job satisfaction.
• Speak up about what’s working and what’s not. Creating a culture where feedback is encouraged and valued is essential for continuous improvement. In remote settings, employees may feel disconnected or hesitant to speak up, As such, it’s important to build a culture that makes feedback safe and productive.

Flexibility isn’t a perk. It’s a core part of modern workplace culture.

6. Support People, Not Just Productivity

Your HR and payroll systems should be people-first. From benefits to time tracking, make sure your infrastructure is designed to support employees wherever they are.

At Payentry, we help businesses:

• Streamline remote hiring and onboarding.
• Manage payroll and compliance across all 50 United States.
• Offer benefits that matter to today’s workforce.
• Stay ahead of labor laws and HR best practices.

A strong culture is built on systems that are seamless, supportive, and scalable. With the right mindset, tools, and support, your team can feel just as connected, valued, and aligned as they would in a traditional office. We’re here to help you make that happen.

Ready to strengthen your culture in a remote world?

Let’s Talk about how Payentry HR and payroll solutions can support your team…wherever work happens. Our personnel management professionals provide expert support in payroll, workforce management, human resources, benefits administration, and retirement planning services.

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* MPAY LLC dba Payentry (Company), is not a law firm. This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in reaching a conclusion in a particular area of law. Applicability of the legal principles discussed may differ substantially in individual situations. Receipt of this or any other Company materials does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Company is not responsible for any inadvertent errors that may occur in the publishing process.