The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted life as we know it, ushering in a period of stay-at-home mandates, physical distancing guidelines and remote work. And while we’ve largely returned to normal, some things – like remote work – are here to stay, at least to some extent. According to a 2024 Gallup poll, more than half of all remote-capable workers currently operate in a hybrid environment, while about 30 percent are exclusively remote.
A hybrid work environment has its benefits, both for the worker and for the employer. But it also has its challenges, and maintaining a vibrant company culture is one such challenge. So how do you keep culture alive when workers are not always in the office? Read on to learn more:
Keeping Company Culture Alive in a Hybrid Workspace: Practical Tips
One of the biggest advantages that a company can boast over its competition when it comes to attracting top talent is a positive culture. Studies show that a positive work culture fosters a sense of belonging, encourages growth and development, and inspires new ways of thinking while enhancing productivity. So how do you maintain or build culture in today’s flexible, hybrid work environment? Here’s a look at some strategies to explore:
Host Digital Meet-Ups/Peer Sessions
Chances are your business has already invested in Microsoft Teams, Zoom or another virtual conferencing software during the pandemic for employees to come together more personally and collaborate. Don’t be afraid to utilize these platforms for building culture. While virtual conferencing is great for meetings, it can be just as good for hosting meet-ups or peer sessions to help build camaraderie, help employees connect with others they may not know as well and network building.
Human Resources or Learning and Development departments should consider hosting these digital meetups regularly to help team members come together and bond, while not necessarily discussing topics that are related to the work your company does.
Ensure In-Person Work Days are Universal for Departments
A hybrid work environment is one where employees work some days remotely and other days in the office. If you can, try to have everyone in person on the same day. Studies show that in-person work that brings people together can help foster deeper connections, boost productivity and spur innovative thinking.
It can also give employees an opportunity to build a rapport with one another in situations that aren’t possible when working remotely. Think of chatter around the water cooler or in break rooms. Think of in-person conversations rather than emails or instant messaging. Think of team lunches. These are all things that you can’t do from home – and they can all be big morale boosters and relationship builders.
Host Annual or Bi-Annual In-Person Summits
While designated in-person days can be great for culture building, the reality of today’s environment is that remote work makes it possible to hire employees anywhere. That being said, an employee based out of Omaha, Nebraska, can’t be expected to be in-person regularly for a company that has its physical office in Jacksonville, Florida. So how do you make remote-based employees feel like a part of the company? One way is to plan annual or bi-annual summits where all team members – or team members from certain departments – all come together for several days of learning and development, team building activities and more.
In-person work summits help inspire and enthuse, and they can also help align strategies and objectives. What’s more, these summits provide an ideal opportunity for networking and team building. For remote employees, summits can help create a sense of belonging by knowing that employers see value in such events and bringing everyone together regularly.
Assess and Adapt
While the aforementioned strategies in this section can all help build and maintain company culture, it’s also important for a firm to change to meet the evolving needs of its team members. On this note, companies should be regularly taking the pulse of their workers via anonymous surveys to see what they can do better to facilitate a positive environment for all of their employees. Adjustments can then be made based on the feedback that is gathered. Regular assessments can be helpful for companies in many ways. For instance, it can verify that a hybrid work environment is still operating effectively. It can sniff out any issues and make way for corrective measures before problems snowball. And it can gather valuable insight and ideas from workers on other ways to help improve culture in today’s hybrid work environment.
Consider Working With Corporate Culture Consultants
Need help building or maintaining a good company culture? There are corporate culture consultants who can help. A good corporate culture consultant helps companies build a culture that helps them meet any financial or strategic goals. Some of the key tasks a consultant can help with include employee engagement, culture coaching and alignment, change management and more. If you feel like you need an assist in building company culture in today’s fast-paced, hybrid environment, working with the right corporate culture consultants can be a big asset.
