Five practical ways to bring remote and office-based teams together

Hybrid working is here to stay, but cultural drift and isolation are real risks. 

Teams split across locations can unintentionally fragment, trust can erode, and shared purpose can fade. 

Companies need to design with intent to ensure that communication between remote and office-based teams works properly. 

This post gives you five ways to keep your hybrid team aligned, engaged, and connected, no matter where they’re working.

We’ll look at why culture must be deliberately engineered in hybrid setups, and share some key tactics companies can put into practice. 

Why hybrid culture needs design

Hybrid work is now the norm. In March 2025, 16% of employees worked on a fully remote basis, and 28% hybrid. 

In addition, 83% of employees globally say they prefer hybrid setups, with flexibility now valued more than salary. .

But without inclusive routines or shared moments, hybrid structures can erode cohesion.

Hybrid teams can flourish, but only when culture is intentionally embedded through shared routines and experiences.

“You can’t just run once-weekly meetings and expect people to feel connected in a hybrid world.” - Ryan Ashley, Head of People Insights at Deel

1. Run inclusive team rituals

Rituals create belonging. In hybrid teams, rituals must be built for everyone, not retrofitted for remote workers.

Harvard study findings show that simple rituals can make work feel more meaningful, increasing discretionary effort .

For example. GitLab's Coffee Chats are informal video meet-ups that mimic office small talk, promoting connection across distances. 

Make participation effortless and equal. If remote attendance feels optional, your rituals aren’t inclusive.

2. Design meetings for everyone

Hybrid meetings often default to office bias, with poor audio, sidelined remote voices, and low engagement.

Be proactive by:

• Having everyone dial in individually, even those in the conference room.
• Assigning a facilitator to ensure remote voices are heard.
• Sharing agendas in advance and recording sessions.

Companies like Dropbox use a Virtual First approach, designing all meetings for remote access as a baseline, not a compromise.

If remote inclusion is baked into your processes, the rest fall in place. If not, it will always feel second-class.

3. Level the playing field for recognition

Visibility bias favors on-site staff. Without deliberate effort, remote workers miss out on recognition and opportunities.

Best practices:

• Use public channels like Slack for company-wide recognition.
• Announce wins in all-hands meetings, giving equal airtime.
• Require documentation of promotions and achievements.

Tools like Buffer’s peer-recognition channels ensure praise travels across geography. 

Recognition isn't an optional culture. Make it transparent and fair for everyone.

Recognition isn’t just about public praise.  it can be built into how you reward contribution long-term. Hybrid teams can particularly benefit from employee share schemes, as they give both remote and office-based staff a tangible stake in the company’s success. 

4. Use digital tools to create shared space

When some team members are in the office and others remote, digital spaces become the common ground for collaboration and connection.

Proven tools include:

• Donut (Slack plugin). This randomly pairs teammates for virtual coffee chats.
• Miro boards. To enable visual, real-time collaboration across locations.
• Loom videos. Allow sharing updates asynchronously with a human touch.

Invest in shared digital places, not just chat tools, so your culture can span location.

5. Create moments for human connection

Beyond work, human connection builds resilience, trust, and belonging.

• HubSpot runs culture clubs, such as virtual cooking sessions or book clubs, that help mixed teams bond across time zones 
• HBR research shows that symbolic rituals, no matter how small, can significantly increase employees’ sense of meaning.

Culture can be created and enhanced through real, human moments that transcend screens.

“Remote doesn’t mean accidental or ad hoc, it means thoughtfully designed.” - Jason Fried, co-founder of Basecamp

Summary: Culture is engineered, not accidental

Hybrid teams thrive when culture is brought to life intentionally.

Tools, rituals, recognition, and meetings designed with equity in mind keep teams aligned across distance.

Start with one change. Design your next ritual or meeting to include remote voices as the default, not an exception.

And if you want to make sure your hybrid team stays engaged for the long haul, consider aligning them through shared ownership.

Vestd’s platform makes it easy to set up and manage employee share schemes that keep your whole team invested in the same mission, wherever they work from.

Book a call today to find out how.