Building a thriving remote work culture: Actionable strategies for managers

The rise of remote work

Remote work is here to stay and it has fundamentally reshaped team dynamics and work culture for groups large and small.

For small organizations with small teams, embracing a remote culture is about more than flexibility; it is about survival and growth.

In 2024, Stanford economist Nick Bloom found that the success of remote teams is directly related to how effectively managers support their employees, highlighting the need for strong leadership in remote cultures (Goldberg, "Here's What We Do and Don't Know about the Effects of Remote Work," The New York Times, Oct. 2023). Yes, that means you!

So, let’s dig into tried-and-true strategies and practical tools to help you build a thriving remote-first culture for your team—and dodge common communication pitfalls along the way.

Remote work culture: What it is and how to build it

Remote work culture is everything managers and their teams do (or don’t do) to create norms for how they work and interact. Here are some foundational elements at the organizational level:

• Trust and communication
  Remote teams can’t rely on casual office interactions to build trust and foster open communication; instead, remote teams thrive on deliberate check-ins, transparently written communication, and virtual spaces where team members feel safe to share ideas and concerns.
  Remote tip: Use tools like Slack or Teams for quick updates and encourage a culture where over-communicating (within reason) is encouraged.

• Inclusivity and engagement
  Without a shared physical space, it’s easy for some voices to get lost. Remote work culture requires intentional efforts to make everyone feel included.
  Remote tip: Rotate facilitators in virtual meetings and use tools like polls or breakout rooms to ensure everyone can have their voice heard.

• Clear expectations and accountability
  In remote settings, ambiguity can be amplified. Clearly defined roles, goals, and outcomes are essential to align the team.
  Remote tip: Document workflows and goals in shared project management tools like Asana or Trello to ensure everyone knows their responsibilities—and everyone else does, too. Transparency is key.

• Tools and processes
  Technology is the backbone of remote work. Unlike in-person settings, where face-to-face collaboration fills in gaps, remote teams rely entirely on tools to stay connected and productive.
  Remote tip: Invest in the right platforms for video calls, task management, and file sharing, and ensure team members are trained to use them effectively within your organization, i.e., Slack is only one-to-one used for urgent requests, and email is only used for non-urgent matters.

• Well-being and support
  Remote work can blur the lines between work and personal life because you can’t leave the building at the end of the day, increasing the risk of burnout. Supporting mental health and recognizing achievements are vital to keeping morale high.
  Remote tip: Encourage regular breaks, offer flexible working hours, and celebrate big and small wins in team chats or meetings.

By adapting these principles to the unique dynamics of remote work, managers can create a culture that’s effective, engaging, and fulfilling for their teams.

What can YOU do to create a supportive remote workplace culture?

As a remote team leader, your choices are vital for building a cohesive remote workplace culture. Intentional leadership helps establish a culture where employees feel supported, engaged, and aligned with company goals. Here are some ways you can shape your remote workplace culture:

• Setting the tone and leading by example: Model open communication by sharing updates, discussing challenges, and explaining organizational decisions in public spaces, whether through a text-based tool like Slack or during company-wide or team-specific Zoom calls. It builds trust and strengthens team cohesion.

• Encouraging open communication: Within your team or project groups, create safe spaces for feedback, celebrate diverse perspectives, and promote inclusive discussions that help employees feel heard and valued. Use asynchronous tools like Miro, Confluence, or Marco Polo to document ideas and contributions, ensuring team members in different time zones can participate.

• Supporting team growth and development: Offer virtual training sessions, host online mentorship programs, and provide career development opportunities tailored to remote contexts. Recognize achievements in team-wide Slack channels or during virtual stand-ups to make acknowledgment visible and meaningful.

• Promoting work-life balance: Since you can’t model leaving the office at 5 PM, demonstrate healthy boundaries by setting your Slack status to “Out of Office” or publicly share a message like “Signing off for the day” to encourage and give permission to team members to prioritize their well-being too.

• Facilitating collaboration and connection: Strengthen relationships and drive collaboration through virtual team-building activities like online trivia games, cross-functional virtual projects, or even casual video “coffee chats” that recreate the water cooler effect in a remote setting.

• Being adaptable and transparent during change: Clear, empathetic communication during transitions builds trust and stability. Use tools like Loom to record personalized video messages explaining changes or hold open Q&A sessions on Zoom to address concerns in real time.

Why your remote culture matters
Your remote work culture directly influences productivity, employee retention, and well-being. Even before the pandemic, studies demonstrated that well-structured remote work benefits employers and employees.

Stanford's Bloom designed and ran a two-year experiment with Chinese travel agency CTrip to test whether a work-from-home option would benefit both the employer (reduced rent on office space, less attrition) and employees (Mautz, "A 2-Year Stanford Study Shows the Astonishing Producitivity Boost of Working from Home," Inc.com, Apr. 2018). The first nine-month round of the experiment began in December 2010; upon completion, the results were so positive that WFH eligibility was extended to hundreds more employees across the organization. Measurable benefits reported among the remote cohort included (Mautz, 2028):

• An extra 8-hour workday's worth of productivity per person

• 50% less employee attrition

• Shorter breaks

• Approximately less spent on office space per person

Bloom and colleagues did include one work-from-home precaution in their resulting publication: More than half of the employees who volunteered to work remotely for the experiment changed their minds about being fully remote. They felt too isolated (Mautz, 2018), underscoring the importance of having a strong remote culture.

Benefits of a strong remote work culture

The culture remote managers create is the foundation of their teams. Supported employees communicate better, stay engaged, and find more enjoyment in their work. Here’s a closer look at how the core benefits of strong remote work cultures improve teams.

Improved collaboration
Open and effective communication breaks down silos and creates seamless workflows. Teams know where to find information, how to connect with colleagues, and which tools to use for specific tasks. This clarity enables them to work together more efficiently, make decisions faster, and produce better results.

Enhanced engagement
When employees feel included, they’re more connected to their work and the organization’s goals. Strong engagement comes from recognizing individual contributions, offering consistent feedback, and creating opportunities for team bonding—even virtually. Engaged employees are more likely to stay motivated, go the extra mile, and contribute to long-term success.

Higher morale
A positive remote work culture creates an environment where employees feel valued and supported. This improves team spirit, fosters colleague trust, and leads to higher job satisfaction. Employees who feel appreciated and connected to their teams are more likely to take pride in their work and contribute to a positive work atmosphere.

Increased flexibility
Remote work cultures inherently offer employees greater autonomy over their schedules, allowing them to adapt work to their personal needs. Flexibility allows employees to achieve a healthier work-life balance, reducing stress and increasing productivity. When employees are free to work in ways that suit them best, they’re happier and more productive.

The strength of your remote work culture becomes a powerful asset for your team, helping employees and teams reach their full potential.

Remote work culture challenges (and how to overcome them)

Remote work offers flexibility and freedom but has unique challenges impacting communication, collaboration, and employee well-being.

Communication and collaboration
Despite the benefits, remote work presents challenges like communication barriers and collaboration issues. According to an Owl Labs survey, 16% of companies operate entirely remotely, indicating that a significant portion of organizations are navigating these communication challenges ("Remote Work Statistics: 50+ Key Facts to Know in 2025," Notta.ai, Oct. 2024).

• Communication barriers: Misunderstandings due to lack of face-to-face interacdtions or unclear messaging.

• Collaboration issues: Brainstorming, decision-making, and teamwork challenges without in-person dyanmics.

• Uneven participation: Some voices may dominate virtual discussions, silencing others.

You can address these challenges on your team by setting clear communication guidelines, such as assigning specific tools for different interaction types. For example, video calls for brainstorming sessions can mimic the dynamics of in-person collaboration. To address uneven participation, you can actively invite input from all team members and use features like hand-raising to ensure everyone has a voice. Asynchronous tools like Marco Polo are great for team members who might find in-the-moment participation difficult but still want to contribute face-to-face.

Employee well-being

• Isolation and loneliness: Limited social interaction can lead to feelings of disconnection with 25% of remote workers experiencing feelings of loneliness, impacting their overall well-being, as reported by Gallup’s State of the Workplace Report (Dyer, "How Loneliness and Remote Work are Shaping the Employee Experience," Forbes, Oct. 2024).

• Burnout risk: The same Gallup State of Workplace Report said that 16% of remote employees reported difficulties maintaining motivation, indicating a risk of burnout. Blurred boundaries between work and personal life can lead to overwork (Harter, "The New Workplace, U.S. Employee Engagement Stagnates," Gallup, Jan. 2024).

To combat isolation, remote teams can schedule regular virtual social events, such as casual coffee chats or team-building activities, to foster connection. Promoting open discussions about mental health and offering supportive resources can make a significant difference.

Cultural and organizational alignment

• Cultural misalignment: Difficulty in building a cohesive culture across dispersed teams.

• Onboarding gaps: Difficulty in immersing new hires into culture and workflows remotely.

Reinforce shared values through regular communication, team rituals, and celebrating achievements to address cultural misalignment. Creating opportunities for team bonding, such as virtual events or collaborative projects, helps build cohesion across dispersed teams. To bridge common onboarding gaps, implement structured remote onboarding processes, including virtual introductions, clear guides to workflows, and mentoring programs to help new hires feel connected and supported from the start. Pairing a new hire with a long-time employee can help make the onboarding process more personal, bringing the positives of your remote work culture to the forefront from the beginning.

Logistical and operational issues

• Time zone differences: Coordinating schedules can strain productivity and balance.  A 2022 study of companies transitioning from in-person to remote found that 43% of those surveyed said their transition was not smooth and of that 43%, 19% reported it was due to time zone differences (Dean, "100+ Remote Work Statistics You Need to Know - Trends, Effectiveness & More," Business2Community.com, Apr. 2024).

• Lack of visibility: Limited insight into employee workloads or engagment levels.

• Technology reliance: Dependence on tools that may fail or cause workflow friction. In 2022, 16% of remote workers reported difficulties tracking productivity, underscoring the challenges of relying on technology for performance monitoring (Dean, Apr. 2024)

To manage time zone differences, teams can adopt flexible work schedules and leverage asynchronous tools—Marco Polo and others—to maintain productivity no matter when (or where) teammates work. Regular status updates and project management software provide visibility into workloads and engagement, ensuring tasks are on track without micromanagement. To minimize disruptions from technology reliance, organizations should invest in reliable tools, provide adequate training, and have backup systems to address potential failures.

How to build a remote work culture

Obviously, you want your remote team to bond. This means finding ways to close distances and foster trust, but doing so without the ease of in-person requires some extra work.

Here are some practical, tried-and-true steps to create a connected and high-performing remote team.

Practice and prioritize intentional communication

Clear, intentional communication is the backbone of a thriving remote culture. Establishing simple norms for how and when to communicate ensures that teams stay aligned, connected, and productive. Regular updates on company news and progress keep employees informed and engaged while using the right tools for asynchronous workflows, enabling smooth collaboration across time zones. By prioritizing communication strategies, managers can eliminate confusion, reduce inefficiencies, and foster a strong sense of connection in remote teams. Practical steps to take to underpin your culture with intentional communication include:

• Create a set of communication norms. Define clear guidelines for using communication tools. For example, emails can be reserved for formal updates, while instant messaging apps like Slack are better for quick, informal conversations. Specify response time expectations to ensure clarity and accountability without overwhelming team members. Important: Your entire team must adhere to these norms.

• Provide regular updates. Share frequent updates on company news, project milestones, and team goals. Use asynchronous updates, like recorded videos or written summaries, to accommodate different time zones.

• Be a remote culture trendsetter. Encouraging other leaders of remote teams to do the same within their teams.

Team building and bonding

Hey, work can be fun too! And you certainly should make time for fun because it can create a strong remote culture for your team by bringing them together more frequently with activities that foster connection. These activities foster connection, boost morale, and create a sense of belonging across distributed teams:

Virtual team bonding

• Host virtual game nights, trivia, or escape rooms.

• Organize virtual happy hours or coffee chats for casual one-on-ones.

• Run team challenges like step trackers or recipe contests to encourage friendly competition.

• Celebrate team birthdays and work anniversaries.

Learning, recognition, and shared purpose

• Schedule Lunch and Learn sessions or encourage book clubs on industry topics.

• Use tools like Kudos boards for team shoutouts and recognize achievements with care packages or thank-you notes.

• Host company-wide virtual retreats where leaders share state-of-the-union information when the entire team can be together.

Creativity and fun

• Hold brainstorming sessions or hackathons using virtual whiteboards.

• Create themed Slack days (e.g., baby photos or memes) and host open mic talent shows.

• Start collaborative projects, such as shared playlists or virtual art.

Wellness and inclusivity

• Offer virtual fitness classes, mindfulness sessions, or wellness challenges.

• Celebrate cultural diversity with virtual potlucks or international holiday events.

• Promote work-life balance through workstation makeover contests,home-office tips, and work outdoors days.

Community and connection

• Organize virtual volunteer activities like letter writing or fundraising drives.

• Share weekly team retrospectives, including challenges and wins, to foster connection.

• Create a storytelling time capsule to capture and celebrate team milestones.

Blending these activities into your remote culture can build engagement, strengthen bonds, and create an inclusive, thriving team environment.

Trust and inclusivity

Trust and inclusivity are essential for creating a remote work culture where every team member feels valued and supported. Here are some approaches to promoting a sense of belonging on your team:

• Have an “open-door” policy when it comes to creating a comfortable workplace. Make sure your team members know they can come to you if they feel unseen or if they are feeling uncomfortable in a situation at work.

• Encourage open discussions about diversity to create a safe space for sharing experiences and ideas.

• Accommodate various time zones, caregiving responsibilities, and personal preferences.

By prioritizing trust and inclusivity, managers can create a culture that celebrates diverse perspectives and empowers employees to bring their whole and authentic selves to work.

Performance and feedback loops

Clear and consistent feedback is vital to keeping remote teams motivated and aligned. Regular one-on-ones provide space to discuss progress and challenges, while 360-degree feedback offers a well-rounded view, including input from peers, supervisors, and subordinates. By fostering open communication, organizations can support growth and ensure teams stay engaged and on track.

• Depending on the size of your organization, consider scheduling feedback sessions to formalize the process and ensure this important process doesn’t fall off the radar.

Onboarding in a remote environment

Onboarding new team members is one of the most critical steps to building a successful remote culture. 

In a remote setting, onboarding requires intentional strategies to introduce team culture, essential tools, and clear expectations—especially in the absence of in-person office cues. From pre-onboarding prep to a strong first day, every step sets the stage for success and fosters a sense of belonging that motivates new employees to thrive.

Pre-boarding: Setting the state for success

• Provide a detailed welcome email or onboarding guide before their start date.

• Ensure all tools (laptops, accounts, and software) are ready to go ahead of time.

• Introduce them to key team members via asynchronous welcome videos or messages.

• Share an agenda for their first week to reduce uncertainty and build excitement.

Day 1 strategies: Introducing tools, cultures, and expectations

• Schedule a virtual welcome meeting introducing the company mission, values, and team culture.

• Provide a guided walkthrough of essential tools (e.g., Marco Polo, Slack, Trello, Zoom, etc.).

• Share clear expectations for communication and collaboration, including best practices for asynchronous work.

• Pair them with a buddy or mentor to help answer questions and navigate the team dynamic.

Building and fostering culture buy-in

Connecting individual goals to the broader team purpose is crucial for engaging new hires—and keeping them engaged.

• During onboarding, discuss how their role directly impacts the company’s mission.

• Highlight team successes to show how collaboration drives results.

• Share stories of employees who have made meaningful contributions and advanced in their roles.

Learn from the best: Top remote companies and their remote work practices

Top remote companies have created cultures that keep teams connected, engaged, and productive. These organizations show that work is about more than location—it’s the people who work there and what they create together. Maybe some of these strategies might work for your organization, too!

Culture building best practices from top remote companies

DuckDuckGo: Transparency and autonomy
DuckDuckGo thrives by fostering transparency and empowering employees with autonomy. The company uses a flat organizational structure, equal compensation, and open communication to build trust. Tools like Asana and Zoom ensure clear project management and meaningful team interactions. Their practice of assigning Directly Responsible Individuals (DRIs) encourages accountability and ownership, making it easier for teams to manage their work independently ("DuckDuckGo Culture: How We Work," Oct. 2023).

GitLab: Asynchronous collaboration and documentation
GitLab’s "handbook-first" approach documents every process and decision, ensuring clarity for its globally distributed team. This documentation-driven culture allows asynchronous communication to flourish, reducing dependency on meetings. Virtual coffee chats and in-person team gatherings enhance personal connections, complementing their highly structured workflows ("All remote from day one: How GitLab thrives," McKinsey.com, Apr. 2023)

Zapier: Simplicity and fun
Zapier focuses on making remote work both productive and enjoyable. Slack is a "virtual office" for casual chats and collaboration, while GIFs, memes, and themed Slack channels inject humor and camaraderie into daily interactions. Zapier also prioritizes clarity in communication, ensuring everyone knows when and how to connect, promoting efficiency and a sense of team cohesion (Foster, "How to build culture in a remote team," Zapier.com, Mar. 2020)

Buffer: Freedom and flexibility
Buffer’s remote culture is built on freedom and transparency, ensuring employees can work from anywhere while feeling connected. The company’s emphasis on global inclusivity, transparent decision-making, and personal autonomy supports a strong sense of trust. Team retreats and virtual bonding sessions help employees build meaningful connections despite geographic distances (Wickersham, "The blueprint for Buffer's thriving remote culture, with Joel Cascoigne," Remote.com, Nov. 2023).

Marco Polo: Shared values and asynchronous collaboration
Marco Polo’s company values aren’t just words on their job page; they are part of the day-to-day work of every individual at the company. Those values are discussed during retreats, are part of employee reviews, and have helped create a shared culture for a team that’s been remote from the start. Marco Polo also uses its own app to connect for work and fun. Smaller project teams use the app to collaborate and brainstorm, and the company hosts several hobby group chats, from the most popular—a lawncare group—to a true crime documentary group. 

Measureable results: How to access the success of your culture

Evaluating workplace culture requires more than intuition; actionable data is essential to measuring employee satisfaction, performance, and alignment with company goals. Focusing on engagement, retention, and productivity metrics can help you see whether your culture supports employee satisfaction and business goals. The right tools can transform feedback and performance data into meaningful insights, guiding you toward a stronger, more effective remote culture.

Employee engagement
Regular engagement surveys help you measure employee satisfaction, sense of belonging, and overall enthusiasm for their work. Questions can cover communication, recognition, and work-life balance, providing actionable insights into your culture’s strengths and weaknesses. There are lots of enterprise-sized tools to help measure these metrics, but these are right-sized for small teams like yours:

• TINYpulse: Gathers anonymous feedback and engagement trends.

• Officevibe: Provides surveys and tools to track morale and one-on-one meetings.

• Workhuman: Tracks recognition and its impact on morale.

Retention rates
High turnover can be a warning sign of cultural misalignment or dissatisfaction. Tracking retention rates and exit interview feedback can reveal whether your culture supports employee loyalty and long-term commitment.

Tools to keep your remote culture thriving

Technology is the backbone of a successful remote culture. By leveraging technology, organizations can create an environment where communication is clear, and team members feel connected—even from miles away.

Marco Polo and video-first collaboration
Asynchronous communication tools like Marco Polo bring a human touch to remote collaboration. Unlike traditional text-based messaging, video-first communication enables teams to build trust and understanding through tone, body language, and facial expressions. Teams can use video messaging for updates, brainstorming, or even team-building activities, allowing members to respond on schedule while maintaining a sense of connection. Here are some of our favorite practical use cases for Marco Polo:

• Trust-building: Use video messages for personal check-ins or to celebrate milestones, strengthening relationships.

• Clear communication: Record explanations for complex topics to ensure clarity and reduce back-and-forth.

• Team morale and bonding: Share “Wins of the Week” via video to foster positivity and recognize contributions. Create hobby groups or chats: Book or record club, podcast listening parties, recipe exchanges—activities your team enjoys and allow them to show their colleagues a new part of their personalities.

• Respect time: Not all meetings need to be live. Marco Polo can help cut down cluttered calendars by keeping you connected, removing unnecessary meetings or meetings that often take too long, and replacing them with group chats.

Top tools for remote teams
A thriving remote culture depends on tools that support collaboration, communication, and engagement. Here are some top small-team solutions to consider:

Collaboration and communication tools

• Slack: Great for quick chats, announcements, and creating themed channels for team bonding.

• Trello or Asana: Ideal for project management and tracking workflows to align teams.

• Zoom: Essential for live meetings, virtual brainstorming sessions, and team events.

Video messaging tools

• Marco Polo: For asynchronous, face-to-face communication that accommodates different time zones.

• Loom: Great for creating quick tutorials or walkthroughs to share with teams.

Culture management software

• Officevibe: Tracks employee engagement through pulse surveys and one-on-one feedback tools.

• Donut: Facilitates virtual coffee chats and casual connections between colleagues.

• 15Five: Combines continuous feedback with tools for goal setting and recognition.

Building your own thriving remote culture

A strong remote culture isn’t just a workplace perk—it’s the key to thriving in today’s global, dynamic work environment. Leaders can create productive, deeply connected, engaged teams by embracing clear communication, fostering inclusivity, and investing in the right tools.

Isolation, communication gaps, and misaligned goals are natural parts of growing your remote team but also present opportunities. You can turn these obstacles into pathways for innovation, growth, and team success by implementing asynchronous tools, recognition programs, and structured onboarding.

Where and how to start
See how these successes from top remote pioneers can be used with your remote team:

• Transparency as a foundation: Companies like DuckDuckGo and Buffer show how open communication builds team trust and alignment.

• Empowered teams thrive: GitLab and DuckDuckGo demonstrate the value of workflows and autonomy that empower individuals to deliver their best.

• Camaraderie drives success: Zapier’s humor-infused practices and GitLab’s commitment to human connection highlight the power of personal engagement.

• Flexibility fuels inclusion: Buffer’s emphasis on work-life harmony ensures employees can meet their personal and professional goals with equal vigor.

• Shared values: Marco Polo’s company values and purpose give every team member something they share, creating a strong bond and culture.

Now, it’s your turn to evaluate your current culture! Where is your team, and where do you want them to be? Maybe it’s time to try out a few of these strategies and refine them with input from your team. But remember, building a thriving remote culture is not a one-time initiative—it’s an ongoing journey that evolves alongside your team’s needs. So don’t stop here. Join our growing community of remote leaders to find out more.