How to Keep Remote Teams Engaged

Strategies for building a connected culture

DEAR STAGE 2: We founded our company in late 2021 and are committed to building a remote team, but we found that it’s harder to maintain that ‘connected’ feeling we all shared in the early days. We’re now a team of 25 people and growing. Do you have any examples of remote companies we could learn from? What’s working to build remote culture today? ~Building a Remote Team

DEAR BUILDING A REMOTE TEAM: Alright, let's talk about the remote culture conundrum. First off, kudos to you for sticking to your remote-first guns. Our team at Stage 2 is fully remote and we are constantly reflecting on our working rhythms. It's not always easy but there are great companies out there thriving in a remote world. 

I recently chatted with Kirsten Newbold-Knipp, who's all-in on remote culture at AskNicely. They've got about 65 employees spread across three countries and have experienced the highs (and lows) that remote culture offers. Read on to learn what's working for them and snag some ideas you can use as you craft your remote culture playbook.

What's working in remote-first work environments

There’s an old marketing adage known as the “rule of seven,” which suggests that a message needs to be encountered multiple times for it to stick. While this idea may be somewhat dated, it holds true when building a strong remote culture—frequent communication is key. Kirsten agrees with this principle, sharing how their team has established a reliable cadence of virtual gatherings that employees have come to expect and rely on.

"We have weekly All Hands – 30 minutes of programmed materials from across the company and ad hoc topics, and a Monthly Town Hall which is one hour of more structured programmed materials and awards," Kirsten shared.

They're also big on using Notion and Slack as their primary communication tools. One piece of advice? Don't let Slack become a dumping ground for information. Use it for quick hits and save the in-depth stuff for Notion or Google Docs.

Kicking up employee engagement

Here’s where it gets interesting. This year, AskNicely reinvented the traditional kickoff and mid-year meeting with two innovative approaches: the Company Kickoff (CKO) and the Back Half Boost (BHB). These events blended virtual programming with local, in-person elements, offering a unique way to bring employees together across different locations.

“This year, we introduced two exciting initiatives: CKO—our first-ever company kickoff with six hours of virtual programming, complemented by local happy hours or lunches in any location with more than two employees—and BHB (Back Half Boost), which included four hours of programming and local events in major hubs like Portland and Auckland, with our CEO traveling to host from each. These events combined the best of both worlds: the reach of virtual engagement with the connection of in-person interactions.”

I love the idea of mixing virtual events with a local element. It gives everyone a shared experience while still allowing for that face-to-face connection where possible.

Now, let’s talk about travel. AskNicely isn’t trying to recreate the office experience, but they still recognize the value of in-person time. Kirsten shared their strategy for getting face time without overspending on travel: “We’re encouraging certain roles to visit our hubs twice a year to ensure alignment, and we’ve budgeted for all employees in each country to go to their hub twice a year for events and meetings combined. These times together are manna for the soul.”

This approach gives you the best of both worlds - the flexibility of remote work with the relationship-building of in-person meetups.

But culture isn’t just about big events; it’s the small, daily interactions that truly make a difference. AskNicely has some creative ways to keep the team connected:

• HeyTaco (Slack app): The app gives every team member virtual tacos daily to share with colleagues who deserve recognition. It could be a simple thank you like re-sharing a document or a big milestone, like winning a new customer. As employees collect tacos, they grow their empire and work toward becoming a revered Taco Legend (sounds fun right?) Soon, Kirsten plans to align the recognition with company values, making each recognition even more meaningful.

• Shout-outs in weekly all-hands meetings: Each week, team members get the chance to publicly recognize their peers’ hard work and achievements. These shout-outs not only boost morale but also help to build a culture of appreciation and support.

• ‘Living in the Purple’ award: This peer-nominated award celebrates those who embody AskNicely’s values and the company’s signature purple color.

• BWAMP: A quirky and fun tradition during Zoom meetings, BWAMP is a tool that was created by FullStory and allows employees to cheer their teammate on (and provide feedback) during remote meetings so everyone feels connected. 

These little touches can go a long way in making people feel seen and appreciated, even from thousands of miles away.

But it’s not all sunshine and roses: remote struggles 

All companies face challenges, and Kirsten acknowledged that AskNicely is no exception. She highlighted a few issues they’re still working on:

“We still have team members who state in our employee pulse surveys that they want more opportunities to collaborate across geographies - we are looking for them to take initiative and be part of the solution by contributing new ideas on how to do just that.”

Sound familiar? It’s easy for remote workers to fall into silos. Consider setting up cross-functional projects or mentorship programs to encourage those connections.

Communication… overload? 

Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Sometimes, yes. But it’s more nuanced than that. Kirsten emphasized that while frequent communication is essential, it’s not enough on its own—you need to be strategic about your approach. It’s not just about repeating a message; it’s about how and where you deliver it. According to Kirsten, "I strongly believe that repetition doesn’t spoil the prayer, but you have to consider your different audiences and the wide array of learning styles that make up your team. Some of our team members still think that saying something once in a meeting is enough, without recognizing that most information, especially if it requires behavior change, needs repetition and must be presented in different formats—verbal, video, written, and so on."

The takeaway? Mix up your communication methods. Some people are visual learners, others prefer reading, and some need to hear things multiple times. Cater to all styles to make sure your message sticks.

Building a strong remote culture is an ongoing process. It requires intentionality, creativity, and a willingness to experiment. Take what's working for AskNicely, adapt it to your company's unique vibe, and don't be afraid to try new things. Your team - and your company culture - will thank you for it.

Until next week!