Remote work has become a permanent fixture for many New Zealand businesses. What started as a pandemic-era workaround in 2020 has become far more routine for many businesses. Where industry allows, hybrid and fully remote roles are commonplace, giving employees and businesses more flexibility than ever before.
However, with these new team structures comes the easily overlooked challenge of evolving team culture traditions too. Keeping a hybrid team connected takes more than strong Wi-Fi; it requires a more deliberate effort than most businesses expect. Small habits and routines that are commonplace for staff in-office can inadvertently stack up over months, leaving remote staff feeling a step removed from the rest of the team, even when nobody intended it that way.
When bonding activities, quick catchups and casual updates all happen in person, employees working from home can end up out of the loop simply because they are not there. It rarely comes from a lack of care. It comes from culture being built around whoever happens to be in the room. If nobody thought to include them, remote staff miss out on important team bonding opportunities.
As remote and hybrid arrangements become more common, and as teams increasingly span different regions or countries, closing that gap deserves real attention. Here are six simple ways to help remote employees feel like part of the team, despite the distance.
1. Change your approach to match your team
The simplest fix is often the most effective: consider how inclusion looks different in a hybrid team and build a habit of asking “how do we include remote staff in this?” Apply it everywhere, from meeting invites and company announcements to social events and recognition. If part of your team isn’t in the office, you need to be actively thinking about how they will stay connected to what’s happening.
In practice, this might mean making space for remote voices in meetings. Remote workers may struggle to know when to jump into a conversation unfolding in the room when they’re joining online. Addressing a remote team member directly goes a long way toward making sure they’re heard, not just present in the background. It’s an easy thing to do, and just as easy to overlook.
Longer term, consider running company-wide competitions or initiatives that don’t rely on everyone being in the same room, such as step count competitions or sports sweepstakes. These give remote employees genuine opportunities to take part in workplace culture, even from a distance.
2. Don’t underestimate the small things
An office round of coffees or a shared morning tea can seem minor, but over time it widens the divide. It can unintentionally send the message that in-office staff are more valued. When remote staff are routinely excluded from team recognition and celebration, discontent can creep in, and these small but noticeable moments add to the divide already created by distance and circumstance. Left unchecked, this can take a toll on communication and team dynamics.
Look for ways to extend those small perks and recognitions to fully remote staff too, whether that’s a coffee voucher, a small care package or another gesture that shows they were thought of. It isn’t really about the coffee. It’s about not being the person left out while everyone else grabs one together. It ensures all staff feel recognised as part of the team and appreciated for their contributions.
3. Involve remote staff beyond their role
Remote employees are often trusted to manage their own time and work independently, which is a great asset for the business. However, it can also put them at risk of being left out of broader business involvement. Inviting them to contribute to training, projects or discussions outside their usual responsibilities reminds them their knowledge is still valued and central to the business, not something happening on the side. It can also provide a welcome change to routine and how they interact with the business, which is always beneficial for employee growth and development within the organisation.
4. Prioritise group interaction, not just one-on-ones
Manager check-ins matter, but they don’t replace the value of hearing different perspectives and being part of a wider conversation. Make sure remote employees have real opportunities to connect with people outside their direct manager and immediate team. It keeps them in the loop, gives them more people to turn to, and helps replace the everyday interaction that in-office staff often take for granted. In turn, people may feel more comfortable reaching out directly across teams as communication barriers are reduced.
5. Share what happens in the room
Plenty of useful updates happen in passing office conversations that remote staff never hear. Without office corridors, kitchens or quick chats between desks, remote staff will fall behind unless communication is built in deliberately. Get in the habit of sharing key updates through channels everyone can access, so information isn’t inadvertently limited to whoever happened to be nearby. Pair this with regular, structured check-ins to keep remote staff in the loop.
Furthermore, with many teams having hybrid roles and different days in and out of the office, this divide can happen even in a more traditional setup. If you find communication between or within teams is breaking down, with office days and WFH creating gaps, consider strategies like an internal newsletter or monthly email blast. This ensures that no matter where people are or what they’re doing, they can feel connected and up to date across the business as a whole.
Internal communication plays a vital role in aligning employees with company goals and building a unified culture, and research supports the link between effective internal communication and employee engagement.
6. Create opportunities to reconnect in person
Where it’s feasible, look for chances to bring the team together. Even occasional in-person time, whether that’s an event, a workshop or a training session, helps refresh the connection and keeps remote staff plugged into what’s happening across the business. It can be a great way to invest in employee development while simultaneously building team culture. Online interaction isn’t quite the same as being in the room, and making the effort pays off over time, contributing to stronger dynamics and fewer communication breakdowns.
Final takeaway
None of this requires a major overhaul. The businesses that get this right usually aren’t going over the top. They’re making small, consistent choices that help remote employees feel remembered in everyday moments.
This applies just as much to hybrid teams. Even when staff are only partly remote, the same gaps can build up over time. Hence, deploying communication and connection strategies that span all role types helps ensure that, whatever the team structure, everyone stays included and connected to the wider business.
At its core, this is about closing the gap between working remotely and working in the office. The less noticeable that gap feels, the closer you are to getting the balance right.
Looking for more ways to strengthen team culture and employee experience? Explore more workplace insights on the Boost blog, like our piece on why cultivating strong teams matters now more than ever.