How to Build a Stronger Team Culture for Your Remote Workers

In a 2024 article, Forbes reported that about 16% of US companies have gone fully remote, with that number only expected to rise in the coming years. It’s no wonder that businesses everywhere are asking: how can we maintain a strong team culture, across locations? While there’s no single answer, thoughtful strategies like virtual team building activities, regular check-ins, and shared rituals can all play a part. 

Without an office to bump into colleagues or chat over the water cooler, fostering intentional connection becomes essential. Team building for remote workers isn’t just a “nice-to-have”, it promotes psychological safety, trust, and shared purpose, all key ingredients for long-term productivity and retention.

At the end of the day, the most successful remote companies are the ones investing in authentic, human connection. Sounds great, right? Here’s how you can build a stronger team culture for your remote workers.

1. Why team culture matters even more for remote teams

Remote work has opened up incredible flexibility, but it has also highlighted the challenges of staying connected. As a study by Gallup in 2024 found, fully remote employees express higher levels of sadness and stress than their hybrid or on-site peers, despite showing more engagement in their work.

Team culture in a remote environment isn’t just about output, it’s about creating a sense of belonging, trust, and shared purpose. Without deliberate efforts such as remote team building to foster these qualities, teams can become fragmented, communication can break down, and even top talent may struggle to thrive.

So, how do companies renowned for building strong remote work culture keep their teams feeling connected and part of something bigger?

2. How to keep remote teams connected

Gitlab, Automattic, and Atlassian stand out as leaders in remote-first work not just because of their flexible policies or distributed teams, but because they deliberately cultivate strong team culture and shared values. These companies prioritize connection, collaboration, and a sense of belonging through their team building for remote workers. 

Here’s a breakdown of what these companies have in common: 

• Shared purpose and clear values: Every team member understands how their work contributes to larger goals, creating alignment and motivation.
• Intentional rituals and interactions: From structured check-ins to virtual coffee chats, these companies build opportunities for informal connection and camaraderie.
• Supportive leadership and autonomy: Employees are empowered to work independently while having access to guidance, feedback, and recognition.

3. Remote team building is about building a shared identity

So why do these strategies work? A study by the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, offers a clear answer: it’s all about identity leadership.

The study found that as organizations shifted to remote and hybrid work, employees faced a critical challenge: feeling connected to their team and organization despite fewer face-to-face interactions. Supervisors who actively practice identity leadership, behaviors that reinforce a shared sense of “we”, help employees feel like valued members of the group.

Team building for remote workers can be achieved through the following: 

• Collective goal-setting reinforces shared purpose.
• Virtual celebrations, such as remote office parties or afternoon teas, foster cohesion.
• Regular check-ins enable leaders to listen, support wellbeing, and reduce stress.

When implemented thoughtfully, these remote team building practices can significantly improve connectedness, collaboration, and overall wellbeing, explaining why companies like GitLab, Automattic, and Atlassian consistently succeed in remote-first work environments.

4. Top tips for implementing team building for remote workers

Building a strong remote team culture doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some actionable tips to help you bring connection, collaboration, and fun into your distributed team:

• Schedule regular, short check-ins: Weekly or biweekly meetings focused on connection (not just project updates) give team members space to share challenges, wins, or personal highlights. Keep them brief and engaging to avoid “Zoom fatigue.”
• Mix work and play: Combine collaborative goal-setting or brainstorming with fun remote team building activities like online cooking classes, craft workshops, or art sessions. Blending work and social connection helps teams feel engaged while fostering creativity.
• Be mindful of time zones: Schedule activities at times that are inclusive of all team members, or rotate times to share the load fairly. For global teams, consider asynchronous options like shared creative challenges or discussion boards.
• Celebrate wins and milestones: Recognize achievements publicly in team channels or during virtual gatherings. Small gestures of recognition reinforce shared purpose, trust, and belonging.
• Ask and incorporate feedback: Ask remote employees what types of online team building activities they enjoy and how often they want them. Adjust the approach based on input, this ensures participation stays high and activities remain meaningful.
• Keep it consistent: Culture is built over time, not in one-off sessions. Regular, thoughtful activities, from coffee catch-ups to larger remote team building events, help maintain connection and strengthen your team’s shared identity.

By following these tips, you can create remote team building experiences that are fun, inclusive, and impactful, helping your team feel connected, motivated, and appreciated, no matter where they’re working from.

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5. The benefits of building a strong remote team culture

Investing in team culture isn’t just about making employees feel good, it has tangible impacts on both people and performance. When remote teams feel connected, supported, and part of a shared identity, organizations can expect benefits across multiple areas:

Higher engagement and productivity

• Employees who feel included and aligned with team goals are more motivated to contribute their best work.
• Regular interactions, shared rituals, and collaborative goal-setting reinforce focus and commitment.

Improved wellbeing and reduced stress

• Identity-focused leadership and intentional social activities help combat the loneliness, stress, and burnout common in fully remote teams.
• Feeling valued and connected directly supports mental health and overall job satisfaction.

Stronger collaboration and innovation

• Teams that trust each other and feel psychologically safe are more likely to share ideas, provide feedback, and solve problems creatively.
• Cohesion built through structured rituals and informal bonding encourages cross-functional collaboration.

Higher retention and talent attraction

• Employees are more likely to stay with organizations where they feel a sense of purpose, belonging, and support.
• A strong remote culture signals to prospective hires that the company invests in people, not just output.

Resilience during change

• Connected teams adapt more easily to new tools, processes, or disruptions because trust and shared purpose act as a stabilizing force.

Creative team building activities for remote workers

At ClassBento, we’ve seen how creative team building activities with remote employees can act as a bridge between work and well-being. Whether it’s a virtual cooking class, pottery session, or art workshop, these experiences give teams a chance to learn, laugh, and create together, reintroducing the spontaneity that remote work often lacks. They’re not just “activities,” but shared stories that strengthen culture long after the session ends.

ClassBento makes remote and hybrid team building effortless. With hundreds of online experiences led by local makers and instructors, it’s easy to find activities that fit your team’s size, goals, and energy. Here’s what we can offer:

• Tailored creative experiences: From virtual cooking classes and pottery workshops to art and craft sessions, there’s an activity to suit every team dynamic and occasion.
• Connection-first design: Every experience is structured to encourage collaboration, conversation, and shared stories, helping your team bond even when apart.
• Flexible formats: Activities can be hosted fully online, hybrid, or in-person, making them accessible no matter where your team is based.
• Engagement and wellbeing: Interactive workshops give teams a chance to relax, have fun, and build relationships outside the usual work tasks.
• Positive impact: Every booking supports local makers, artisans, and instructors, meaning your team’s connection-building also benefits the broader creative community.

By combining fun, creativity, and intentional connection, ClassBento experiences turn remote team building from a checkbox into a meaningful, culture-strengthening activity.

Invest in connection and transform your remote team

Team building for remote employees isn’t a quick fix, it’s an investment in belonging. Strong remote cultures don’t just happen; they’re built through care, creativity, and consistent connection.

As the world of work continues to evolve, leaders need to look beyond productivity and focus on what truly drives engagement: belonging. Team building for remote employees isn’t about one-off events, it’s about creating shared experiences that help people feel valued, supported, and part of something bigger.