Company Culture: The Glue That Holds Your Remote Team Together

In today’s world of distributed teams and flexible working hours, creating a strong company culture is more important and more challenging than ever. When employees aren’t gathering around the same water cooler, how do you make sure they still feel connected, aligned, and invested in your company’s mission? The answer lies in intentionally building a culture that transcends physical space. Company culture isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the invisible thread that binds your remote team together, drives engagement, and powers long-term success.

What is company culture?

Company culture is the collective personality of your organisation. It encompasses your mission, values, traditions, communication style, and overall approach to work. It’s not just what you say in your mission statement—it’s how people treat one another, how decisions are made, how problems are solved, and how success is celebrated. In the physical workplace, culture is often reflected in rituals, workspace design, and daily interactions. But in a remote-first environment, it shows up in how often teams communicate, how inclusive meetings are, and how leaders show up for their teams.

Culture is what shapes the employee experience from day one. It’s the reason someone stays with a company—or decides to leave. It influences everything from productivity and collaboration to innovation and long-term loyalty.

Why is company culture important in remote teams?

When employees aren’t sharing the same workspace, the absence of natural, in-person interactions can make it easy for people to feel disconnected or out of sync. That’s why having a clearly defined and well-nurtured company culture is critical for remote teams. Here’s how it makes a difference:

Combats isolation

Working from home can offer flexibility, but it can also lead to feelings of loneliness and detachment. A strong culture ensures that employees feel part of a larger mission and connected to their teammates, even if they don’t see each other in person daily.

Enhances communication

In remote environments, you can’t rely on hallway conversations to fill in communication gaps. A well-defined culture encourages clear, consistent, and purposeful communication, which keeps everyone informed and aligned.

Boosts collaboration

When people understand how to work together and what is expected of them, they’re more likely to cooperate effectively. A culture rooted in trust and mutual respect removes friction and creates more productive, enjoyable collaboration.

Increases employee engagement

Culture plays a significant role in how invested employees feel in their work. A remote culture that reflects purpose, recognition, and growth opportunities can drive higher engagement levels, even from afar.

Improves retention

People don’t just leave jobs—they leave toxic or uninspiring cultures. Employees who feel valued, seen, and connected to the company's values are more likely to stay and grow with the business.

Reinforces company values

In a distributed team, culture becomes the primary way to keep everyone aligned with your core values. These values guide decision-making, behaviour, and business priorities, acting as a compass across time zones.

Builds trust

Without trust, remote work simply doesn’t work. Researchers find that a strong company culture creates psychological safety, allowing employees to speak up, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear of blame.

Encourages accountability

When your team understands your culture and values, they know what’s expected. A culture of ownership and mutual accountability makes it easier to get things done without micromanagement.

Supports inclusivity and diversity

Remote work opens the door to more diverse hiring. A thoughtful culture ensures that every team member, regardless of location, background, or identity, feels welcome, respected, and heard.

Read from our CEO: Jack Thorogood: Why company culture is important for Native Teams

Strategies for building a strong remote company culture

Creating a strong remote culture isn’t about virtual happy hours alone—it’s about building an ecosystem that supports communication, trust, and shared purpose. Here are actionable strategies to cultivate culture intentionally:

Establish clear communication channels

Decide what tools are used for which type of communication. Use Slack or Microsoft Teams for daily chatter, Zoom or Google Meet for meetings, and project management platforms like Asana or Trello for task tracking. Set expectations around responsiveness and preferred formats.

Foster a sense of community

Remote teams need intentional spaces to bond outside of work. Encourage watercooler conversations through designated channels, host virtual events, and celebrate milestones like birthdays or work anniversaries.

Promote transparency and openness

Be open with company updates, strategy shifts, and challenges. Regular all-hands meetings, transparent leadership, and access to decision-making processes foster trust and prevent silos.

Define core values

Make sure your values aren’t just stated—they’re lived. Integrate them into your hiring process, onboarding materials, and daily operations. Refer back to them during feedback sessions and decision-making.

Invest in virtual onboarding

A new hire’s experience sets the tone for their entire journey. Provide a detailed onboarding plan, introduce them to team members, assign a mentor or buddy, and make sure they understand your company’s tools, culture, and expectations.

Encourage asynchronous communication

One of the biggest advantages of remote work is flexibility. Embrace it by promoting asynchronous communication, so team members can contribute when they’re most productive, regardless of time zone.

Prioritise employee well-being

Offer mental health days, encourage regular breaks, and provide access to counselling or wellness platforms. Show empathy and remind employees that their health comes first.

Regular feedback and recognition

Feedback fuels growth, and recognition boosts morale. Make feedback an ongoing process, not just something reserved for annual reviews. Use tools like Bonusly or Lattice to publicly recognise team wins.

Invest in the right tools

Your tech stack is a foundational part of your culture. Make sure your team has the tools they need for communication, collaboration, and productivity—and that they’re trained to use them effectively.

Organise in-person events

Even one or two in-person meetups a year can deepen relationships significantly. Plan retreats, workshops, or meetups that blend fun with team development.

Provide opportunities for learning and growth

Career development should be part of your cultural DNA. Offer stipends for learning, access to online courses, mentorship programmes, or leadership training to support individual growth.

How to measure the success of your company culture

Culture may be intangible, but it’s not unmeasurable. Here are ways to track whether your remote culture efforts are hitting the mark:

Employee surveys

Use quarterly or biannual engagement surveys to gather insights on morale, satisfaction, and areas for improvement. Be sure to act on the findings to show employees their voices matter.

Performance metrics

Monitor productivity levels, project timelines, and team outputs. While numbers don’t tell the full story, they can indicate how aligned and motivated your team is.

Feedback sessions

Create regular feedback loops through 1:1s, retrospectives, and team reviews. These informal conversations can surface concerns or highlight areas of success that aren’t captured in surveys.

External recognition

If your company is earning industry awards or receiving positive reviews on platforms like Glassdoor or LinkedIn, it’s a strong indicator that your culture is resonating both internally and externally.

Retention and referral rates

High employee retention and a steady flow of internal referrals suggest a healthy culture that people want to join—and want their friends to join.

Participation rates

Track participation in non-mandatory activities like virtual events, training, and surveys. High engagement here often points to an emotionally invested team.

How we foster a remote company culture at Native Teams

At Native Teams, building a meaningful remote culture isn’t just part of our strategy—it’s part of our identity. We’ve embraced remote work from the start, which means we’ve learned how to keep our team connected, engaged, and aligned across multiple countries and time zones.

The most important – trust and transparency!

We believe that great work starts with trust. That means giving people autonomy and the space to own their work. We also believe in radical transparency—from company direction to team updates, everyone’s in the loop.

Flexibility

We give our team members the freedom to structure their workdays around their lives. Whether it’s picking up kids from school or working when they’re most energised, we trust our people to know what works best.

Regular input and feedback

We maintain open lines of communication across all levels. From weekly team check-ins to leadership Q&As, we value honest, constructive feedback and make it a two-way street.

Prioritising work-life balance

We actively encourage our team to log off on time, take holidays without guilt, and embrace healthy boundaries. A rested team is a productive team.

Virtual team-building activities

From monthly themed quizzes to spontaneous coffee chats, we’ve built a culture of fun and connection that goes beyond the workday.

In-person team retreats

Whenever possible, we organise retreats where teams can meet face-to-face, join marathons, build stronger bonds, and celebrate achievements together. These moments are some of the most energising and memorable. 

Celebrating diversity and inclusion

Our team spans different cultures, languages, and experiences. We honour that diversity through inclusive policies, cross-cultural celebrations, and a commitment to learning from one another.

Conclusion

Remote work offers a world of possibilities—but it also demands a new way of thinking about connection, collaboration, and community. A strong company culture isn’t optional—it’s the foundation that enables remote teams to thrive. By creating an environment built on trust, transparency, shared values, and intentional practices, your team can stay connected and aligned, no matter where they are in the world. And when culture is done right, it becomes the competitive advantage that propels your business forward.