Improving Company Culture In Hybrid And Remote Work Environments

Workplace culture is an important indicator of a company’s health and growth potential. When company culture is thriving and dynamic, it’s easier to attract and retain talent, accomplish objectives, adapt, innovate, and grow.

Many companies want to make meaningful changes to their operations and employee relations for improved culture, retention, and long-term growth.

Improving company culture in hybrid and remote work environments is an excellent goal for organizations looking to collaborate and lead effectively in a tech-driven world.

The Importance of Building Company Culture in Remote Environments

Is Hybrid Work Damaging to Company Culture?

One common misconception about hybrid work is that it damages company culture. As a result, some organizations have prioritized a return to in-person work, regardless of worker preference.

In reality, requiring in-person work to strengthen company culture will likely produce the opposite effect.

What is Workplace Culture?

What creates and sustains company culture? The most crucial components are the company’s mission, values, and the established norms of the workers. This refers to their attitudes, behaviors, and habits.

In healthy workplace cultures, the workers’ attitudes and behaviors positively reflect the company values and work to further the long-term mission.

This happens when workers feel fulfilled in their roles, back the employer’s ethics and values, and believe the company has integrity. Meaning the workers support the company because it operates in alignment with its values, instead of simply marketing them.

Workplace culture's crucial elements can be initiated, fostered, and grown in a hybrid or remote setting.

Remote work technologies are not going away. For many organizations, the lower overhead and greater flexibility have pushed the boundaries of innovation, productivity, collaboration, and accessibility.

Rather than seeing hybrid work as an impediment to culture, leaders can use hybrid and remote work models to innovate, collaborate, and create a culture that supports current and future work models, technologies, and communication methods.

Supportive Work Culture Practices

The Daily Work Details Should Reflect the Company's Culture

Two years ago, one of the biggest concerns was that working from home would harm productivity. Isolation, interruptions, and the comforts of home life could distract workers from the task at hand.

But many leaders have discovered that their employees have a more intimate relationship with their work when they don’t have the distractions of daily office life.

Because workers feel more connected to their work at home, so they can make the work reflect the company culture.

Revising Processes With Worker Input

Companies can look at how their processes reflect their values, contributing to the overall culture. Common issues like administrative headaches or communication issues can make the work harder.

Since remote and hybrid work models are new to most companies, it is necessary to adjust accordingly as information or issues present themselves.

Leaders can revisit their organization’s daily processes, from the big picture to administrative details, to see where to adjust. If your company values forward-thinking solutions, don’t neglect systematic improvement.

Encourage input and feedback from your workers, so you can create or improve processes that promote clarity, efficiency, and user satisfaction.

Making Meaningful Hybrid and Remote Connections

The more that employees believe their work has value rather than placing importance on their location, the more connected they will feel. Provide ample feedback and opportunities for collaboration and team building.

Keep regular department meetings, but be aware of shorter attention spans and a need for breaks, and find ways to keep everyone involved or engaged.

When you have collaboration or team-building sessions, spend more time and create space for social interactions and light-hearted chats. Foster community and collaboration with fully remote employees in creative sessions, team meetings, social hours, and brainstorming sessions. These activities build enthusiasm and solidify shared goals.

When hybrid employees are in the office, ensure their tasks are essential and energizing. Help your workers feel they are making valuable contributions instead of being physically present just because they have to be. Address specifics in their work or contributions, and ask them for feedback and input.

Differing Needs and Norms Across Departments and Positions

Small-Group Culture & Nuances Across Departments

Multinational corporations have a strong overarching brand, but their local constituents have unique cultures. Frequently, smaller companies are too concerned with discouraging workplace cliques to think about how small-group cultures can strengthen the company.

Take a temperature check of team interactions. What’s the culture of one department when compared to another? You might find that one group of people found systems and processes that work for them that would not translate well to another department with differing objectives.

Instead of making every team a uniform replica of corporate culture, see how you can encourage groups to reflect different facets of the company while upholding the company values and mission.

In other words, ensure everyone is headed in the right direction, although their paths and vehicles may vary.

Remote and Hybrid Managers Need More Support

Remote and hybrid managers often experience different work stressors than those they lead. In turn, they may need help feeling as connected to workplace culture as their on-site counterparts.

When planning remote and hybrid work, much of the focus was on helping individual workers overcome virtual challenges. Managers were tasked with overseeing the new work environment and keeping the atmosphere equitable and healthy.

This left little room to determine how companies could help their leaders thrive or even cope with the challenges of the new work model.

Leaders rely on peer support and group dialogues to navigate difficult situations. When managers work in a hybrid model—partly remote, partly in person—it’s harder to connect to the right people at the right time.

Understanding that managers have a significant influence on fostering workplace culture, how can companies focus on providing leaders with organizational support? More importantly, what is the support that is needed?

Find ways to build community among your managers to revive workplace culture. Invest in development programs and leadership training to improve relationships and drive efficient practices.

Positive Company Cultures Adapt to Grow

Remote and hybrid work doesn’t inherently result in a failing company culture. Respect the newness of the work models and the need for continuous process improvement. Seek input from your team–they often know which issues must be prioritized to improve their remote work experience.

Creating new cultural norms and practices to support your overall company culture is an exciting opportunity to use new technologies and workplace models to your benefit. It also means demonstrating the qualities every growth-driven company should embrace: adaptability and creativity in challenging situations.