How to Create a Sense of Community in Remote and Hybrid Workplaces
Building a sense of community in remote and hybrid workplaces is essential for maintaining employee engagement, collaboration, and overall satisfaction. Leaders from diverse industries share their proven strategies for fostering connection and belonging in non-traditional work settings. From bi-weekly virtual co-working sessions and accountability-driven initiatives to cause-based socials and regular team check-ins, these examples illustrate how small, thoughtful actions can create a cohesive and supportive work culture. Discover actionable insights to ensure that your remote or hybrid team thrives as a connected, mission-driven community.
- Host Bi-Weekly Virtual Co-Working Sessions
- Instill Passion for Accountability
- Organize Cause-Based Socials
- Hold Regular Team Check-In Meetings
Host Bi-Weekly Virtual Co-Working Sessions
Creating a sense of community at work is key to success for every business! Employees must feel that they belong and that they are part of something bigger than themselves—especially when working in a hybrid or fully remote workplace. Our strategy for cultivating community at HRAnswers.org, a fully remote consulting firm, is multi-faceted. We focus on providing opportunities to simply be together while working in our bi-weekly virtual co-working sessions via MS Teams, as well as hosting a Team Huddle on Mondays to check in, say hello, and discuss weekly priorities and goals. Employees have regular one-on-ones with their supervisors, and employees are encouraged to meet one-on-one with one another often to collaborate and support one another's success. In addition to the ways we connect by way of visiting and working together, cultivating community at work also requires a strong focus on the organization's mission and values. Having a sense of shared values is central to every strong community. For example, we have a Slack channel dedicated to #OurValues. In this channel, we regularly discuss how our values are "showing up" at work. We also highlight a value in our monthly team meeting, taking time to share what it means to us and how we will demonstrate our commitment to that value in the next month. Finally, at our annual team retreat, we spend time diving into how our personal values and workplace values intersect, which deepens both connection and commitment. Successful community building at work is a long-term effort that is successful based on many small steps and activities.
Instill Passion for Accountability
The company that I founded, College Recruiter job-search site, has been fully remote since 1997. Back then, almost no companies were fully remote. Many became fully remote in 2020 and 2021, but even those have mostly gone back to being at least hybrid and some fully in-person.
A reason for forcing employees to return to the office that I often hear is that it isn't possible to build a strong sense of community within the workplace if everyone is working remotely. That's simply not true. It is harder, and the community will be different, but it is well within the reach of every good manager. And that's the crux of the problem: managing people is really hard and a grossly undervalued skill. Somehow, we all believe that everyone good at their job, if promoted, will also be good at managing. But being on the front line building software, selling widgets, or serving existing customers is very, very different than helping three, five, or even 10 of your coworkers successfully do the same.
An initiative that College Recruiter has successfully used to create a sense of belonging is instilling throughout our organization a strong passion for accountability. Accountability, to some, is a four-letter word. They believe that it is all stick, but we use it almost entirely as carrot. Every manager needs to communicate their expectations to every direct report clearly, concisely, objectively, and in a measurable manner. We don't want language like "as soon as possible" or "work hard to X, Y, or Z." Instead, we want language like "by the end of Q3, reduce the onboarding time for customers buying product X by Y percent."
When employees know what is expected of them, they tend to perform to that level. When they perform to expectations, they're rewarded. When they don't, managers see that those employees need more resources, including perhaps coaching or training. And all of that builds trust between managers, direct reports, and other employees. And that's where we get our strong sense of community from.
Organize Cause-Based Socials
One strategy that's been incredibly effective for fostering a sense of belonging within our team is organizing cause-based socials. Whether it's participating in a beach clean-up or spending a day volunteering at a dog shelter, these activities bring us together around something bigger than ourselves.
These events are more than just team-building; they give us a chance to step out of our usual roles, connect on a personal level, and contribute to meaningful causes. It's a great way to break down barriers and strengthen relationships in a setting that feels collaborative and rewarding. Even in a remote or hybrid setup, we plan these in-person socials periodically, ensuring that everyone feels part of the team and aligned with shared values.
The impact is twofold: Employees feel more connected to each other and proud to be part of a company that values giving back. It's a reminder that building community isn't just about work; it's about creating shared experiences that bring people together.
Hold Regular Team Check-In Meetings
Building Connection with Team Check-Ins to Foster a Strong Workplace Community
As the founder of a legal process outsourcing company, creating a sense of community in a remote or hybrid work environment is vital for maintaining engagement and collaboration. One particularly effective initiative is our regular "team check-in" meetings, which occur once a week for our remote team.
These meetings are not just for project updates, but also for casual conversations, where team members can share personal milestones, challenges, or simply how their week is going. I started this after noticing that some team members, especially those working from home full-time, began feeling disconnected.
During one of these check-ins, we celebrated a team member's personal achievement of completing a marathon, which helped others feel comfortable sharing their own stories.
This simple but consistent practice has fostered stronger relationships and a sense of belonging, making our remote team feel more connected and supported, despite the physical distance.
