Maintaining a Strong Culture in a Remote/Hybrid Work Environment

No two organizations are the same, especially when it comes to forging a unique yet rewarding culture. In light of the pandemic, the exodus to hybrid and remote work environments has presented a myriad of daunting challenges for leaders across the globe irrespective of industry. 

With over 65% of companies struggling to sustain employee happiness, morale, and company culture because of this shift, not adapting to these new challenges is asking for trouble. Good company cultures always lead to better performance and profits after all! 

In our article below, you’ll discover five things Brighttail has done to maintain our unique culture over the past years.

Five Things Companies Can Do To Maintain a Strong Remote/Hybrid Culture

The transition to remote and hybrid work environments promises to usher in a range of benefits for companies. From happier employees to reduced costs for everyone, the potential rewards are rife so long as companies maintain a positive culture.

Here are some ways you can do this:

Virtual Activities

Spending time together, even virtually, is a great method to facilitate cohesion. In lieu of physical interactions, organizing frequent virtual activities like team lunches, movie viewings, and casual chats is a solid way to help your team bond. A lack of social interaction (besides work-related communications) can cause a disconnect between employees and their organization, something to be avoided for the sake of happiness and productivity.

We organize a range of virtual events all year round at Brighttail. From Secret Santa to holiday-themed meetings, there’s always a bit of fun to be had even during the busiest times of the year! 

In-Person Events (e.g., Christmas, CNY)

Just because remote and hybrid environments dominate the landscape, it doesn’t mean you should forgo in-person events entirely. Monthly and even quarterly meetups are essential to foster deeper connections between employees. They’re a fun way to wind down, relax, and remember that your colleagues are more than pixels on a screen! 

At Brighttail, we make it a point to meet together at least a handful of times per year, especially during major holidays. Who could say no to having a good time along with food, drinks, and games?

Regular Feedback 

Keeping close tabs on how everyone is performing and feeling in remote and hybrid settings is tricky. Unlike non-remote work settings, because you aren’t directly interacting with your colleagues on a daily basis, subtle changes in attitudes and performance can fly under the radar. Leadership must weave in a feedback system to regularly check in on employees to better understand how they’re feeling, performing, and what they have to say.

Brighttail maintains an open-door policy at all times to foster an environment of healthy communication. We’ve also implemented regular one-to-one feedback sessions for everybody to ensure nobody is kept out of the loop! 

Focus on Employee Wellbeing

With work following employees home thanks to the new environment, employees may find themselves unable to fully enjoy their free time. Work may seep into lunch breaks and vacations in the form of surprise emails and rogue notifications. Because of this, respecting boundaries and guaranteeing everyone fully enjoys their time off for vacations, hobbies, and even therapy is crucial if you’re keen on preventing burnout.

At Brighttail, we put people first. That means we strive to emphasize the importance of work/life balance. Because we subscribe to agile methodology, we’re able to ensure everyone is able to work to live, not live to work, and can take full control of their work and life. To support this, in-office attendance is totally voluntary and everyone can choose when and if they come to the office. Though this means 99% of work is remote, we have the right cultural practices and technology to make this work.

Strong Leadership 

Organizations thrive when they stand united, working towards a common goal. Accordingly, it falls upon the shoulders of leadership to clearly communicate and define core values, goals, and expectations. That said, this shouldn’t be blindly prescribed top-down. It’s important to account for the vision of not just leadership, but everyone within the organization, and only through synthesizing these views can values be firmly molded.

Leadership at Brighttail is spearheaded by a group of talented individuals. Though they come from all walks of life with wholly different backgrounds, they’re committed to providing a productive and supportive environment for both employees and clients.

Culture Begins With Support

Just a few years ago nobody could have seen this shift coming. Today, over 30% of leaders now fear that this brave new world will upend corporate cultures permanently. Whether or not this is the case, we personally believe that this change is an opportunity for organizations to adapt their cultures to promote a healthier environment for everyone, and we’re serious when we say happy employees create happy customers.

At Brighttail we strive to create a place that’s not just about creeping deadlines but about supporting the long-term growth of our team. Whether that means forging friendships, learning new skills, or pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, we’ll support you every step of the way. If you’re interested, apply today to see whether we’re a fit for your journey!