The pandemic brought remote work to the masses, but there's a pendulum shift right now and a major call for a Return to Office. Productivity and company culture are normally the reasons, but the reality is more complex. Remote work is an opportunity for companies to rethink and reinforce their company culture and improve it in unexpected ways.
According to a 2022 study by McKinsey & Company, 87% of employees prefer remote work, with 58% reporting better job satisfaction and an improved work-life balance. Interestingly, a 2023 Future Forum Survey found that only 16% of knowledge workers actually want to be fully remote, while 12% want a full-time RTO. There's an obvious answer to preserve the company culture and keep employees happy and productive, and 72% of employees are in favor.
A hybrid work model, with a set number of days in the office, is taking over as the new work model. New research from Gartner says that 60% of large enterprises will adopt a hybrid work strategy by the end of this year. There are concerns about diluting the company culture with this new approach to working life, but they can be countered with modern technology.
Pre-Covid, work culture revolved around in-person meetings, as well as those small bonding moments in the open office space. A Price Waterhouse Cooper survey revealed that 79% of surveyed executives are worried about:
- Building meaningful connections without spontaneous interaction.
- Onboarding new employees without a physical presence.
- Ensuring equity and inclusion for remote employees.
These are valid concerns, and research does show that a lack of constant contact can lead to 'drift,'where the shared understanding of common company values deteriorates over time. But with the right tools and a proactive approach, that doesn't need to happen.
"Company culture isn't something that only thrives in an office—it's about the connections, trust, and recognition that employees feel, no matter where they're working. The shift to hybrid models presents an incredible opportunity to rethink how we engage and support our teams. Hybrid work doesn't have to dilute culture; it can actually reinforce it by promoting flexibility and trust," says Jesse Dowdle, CPO of Motivosity. "Through tools like Motivosity that enable frequent recognition and meaningful touchpoints, companies can create an inclusive, engaged environment that extends beyond physical space. It's not about forcing 'face time,' but about fostering an environment that prioritizes connection, collaboration, and empowerment—wherever work happens."
A few simple changes to the working process can replace the water cooler conversations with a more modern online alternative. They include:
Regular Touchpoints: Companies need to reach out for daily or at least weekly meetings to discuss team issues and company philosophy and to reinforce the team identity. Isolation can be a problem for remote employees who end up disenfranchised from the main team, but with the right approach, employee recognition can actually improve.
Interactive Onboarding: Slack is the champion of online collaborative tools, and it's perhaps inevitable that it will provide the blueprint for virtual mentoring sessions in its own company to give new employees the best chance of success.
Leader Visibility: Slack made a brave move by cutting formal meetings with all hands on deck in favor of more personal interaction with executives in shorter meetings. The company encouraged employees to have their kids and pets in the background, which helped foster a more personal connection between employees and upper management. It was a conscious decision to make executives more open, vulnerable, and approachable, and it has paid off with a strong team bond.
Support Groups: When IBM decided to support remote work, it initiated a 'Work From Home Pledge' that amounted to a code of conduct, with specific clauses and sections to help employees support each other in the quest for a healthy work-life balance.
This led to internal Slack groups, where employees helped each other by picking up groceries and reading stories to each other's kids. If anything, it strengthened the company culture more than any team-building event could hope to achieve.
Occasional Bonding Trips: Even fully remote companies like GitLab and Automattic insist on occasional in-person and often informal team-building meetings. Employees can build those all-important connections at these events, and new employees can integrate with the team and feel included.
Companies like Deutsche Bank, Starbucks, Siemens, and Infosys are moving toward the hybrid model. They recognize it gives them access to a higher caliber of talent that can demand such privileges, but there are also deeper rewards in restructuring the company culture.
Organizations and executives are right to be concerned about losing their company culture with a remote work approach, but the old-school water cooler is not the answer. Instead, companies need to look deeper into their processes and foster a new type of engagement that can transform, strengthen, and improve their culture from within.
