# Building remote company culture (beyond happy hours)?

Author Isabelle MoreauCategory[Finance & Business](https://jobicy.com/question-category/finance-and-business.md)Rating 👍 214 / 👎 85Asked on10 May 2025Last active24 Apr 2026Answers13 [Answer](#answer-form-container)

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## Description:

Beyond the often awkward virtual happy hours (lol 😂), what tangible things have companies done that *genuinely* helped maintain or even build company culture when everyone’s distributed long-term? Looking for real-world successes.

### 13 Answers

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![CultureChamp](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=CultureChamp&background=random&size=42)
CultureChamp [11 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-445.md)

Copy answer link Report answerShared rituals! We have 'Wins of the Week' shoutouts in our team meeting, a #pets channel that's super active, and we started virtual 'clubs' based on hobbies (books, gaming, etc.). Small things add up.

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Isabelle Moreau: Thanks for these ideas! How do you keep participation high in the virtual clubs over time? Report
CultureChamp: Great question, Isabelle! We keep participation high by rotating club hosts who bring fresh ideas and activities. Also, giving club members autonomy to choose topics makes everyone feel invested. Plus, highlighting club highlights during team meetings helps keep them visible and valued. Small nudges go a long way! Report

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![Noah Brown](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Noah+Brown&background=random&size=42)
Noah Brown [15 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-449.md)    Copy answer link Report answerAllowing genuine flexibility. Not just remote work, but trusting people to manage their schedules (within reason).

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![Ava Wilson](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Ava+Wilson&background=random&size=42)
Ava Wilson [13 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-447.md)    Copy answer link Report answerNothing beats in-person meetups tbh.. we try to do a full team retreat once or twice a year. expensive? yes. worth it for bonding? absolutely. builds connections you cant replicate online.

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Anonymous: In-person retreats do help build strong bonds, but how do you maintain that culture consistently throughout the year when remote? Are there specific practices you use to keep connections alive between meetups? Report
Ava Wilson: Between retreats, we focus on intentional, smaller group interactions—like project-based pods or interest-based clubs—to keep relationships fresh. We also prioritize regular check-ins and encourage casual video chats, not just work calls. The key is creating spaces where people connect beyond tasks, so bonds don’t fade until the next in-person meetup. Report

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![Mia Miller](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Mia+Miller&background=random&size=42)
Mia Miller [16 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-450.md)    Copy answer link Report answerrecognition programs are good. peer-to-peer recognition specifically. using tools like bonusly or just having a slack channel for shoutouts makes people feel seen even when remote its easy to feel invisible otherwise you know?

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![HRGuru](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=HRGuru&background=random&size=42)
HRGuru [14 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-448.md)    Copy answer link Report answerWe implemented a 'buddy system' for new hires pairing them with a veteran employee not in their direct team. It helps them navigate the social stuff and ask 'dumb' questions they might not ask their manager.

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Anonymous: That buddy system sounds like a brilliant way to ease new hires in and build genuine connections beyond formal structures. I wonder, how do you keep those relationships evolving long-term so it doesn’t feel like just a surface-level check-in? It’s such an exciting approach to deepen remote culture! Report
HRGuru: Hi, To keep those relationships meaningful, we encourage buddies to check in regularly, not just during onboarding but ongoing—whether it’s sharing work wins, remote coffee chats, or even collaborating on projects where possible. We also rotate buddy pairings every 6-12 months to expand networks and keep connections fresh. It’s all about creating a culture of continuous, informal support rather than a one-off setup. Report

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![Joseph Gonzalez](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Joseph+Gonzalez&background=random&size=42)
Joseph Gonzalez [24 Jul 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-1499.md)    Copy answer link Report answerLong term is hyphenated as an adjective, but here it's adverbial so write "long term" without the hyphen. Try short cross-functional residencies where someone embeds in another team for one to two weeks to deliver a narrowly scoped project. It creates real working relationships, forces paired problem solving, spreads context, and leaves a visible artifact

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![Liam Smith](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Liam+Smith&background=random&size=42)
Liam Smith [12 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-446.md)    Copy answer link Report answerInvesting in proper home office setups for everyone made a huge difference. Showed the company cared about our well-being and enviroment. Also, clear communication from leadership about vision and values, repeated often.

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![Adrian Hayes](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Adrian+Hayes&background=random&size=42)
Adrian Hayes [15 Jun 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-1347.md)    Copy answer link Report answerI once mailed every new hire a mixtape cassette because I thought retro swag would force a smile. It backfired when half the people under 30 asked if it was a USB drive and one engineer called it "a charming artifact" while sending me a 12 minute voice memo of him explaining how to actually use it. Too much? Probably. But that goofy experiment taught me culture sticks when it's tangible and tells a story.

A thing that actually worked at another place I helped with was an employee-produced audio series plus a searchable "why we decided" log. Teams record 5 minute stories about a product choice or an embarrassing mistake. We transcribe and link them to decisions so context travels with work. New hires get a small welcome crate with a printed zine of top stories and a handwritten note. We also fund tiny "culture salons" where people host short, paid sessions about anything. It's cheap, scalable, and builds real memory and belonging. Try swapping one virtual happy hour for one recorded story a month and see what happens.

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![Anonymous](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Anonymous&background=random&size=42)
Anonymous [22 May 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-1110.md)    Copy answer link Report answerTry a skill-barter marketplace. People teach 30 min sessions on coding, cooking, languages, whatever. You earn credits to spend on mentorship, 1:1s, or team mini-budgets. It creates cross-team bonds and real value. We piloted it and non-engineers actually started asking devs for help more. Low cost. Big cultural win imo 😄

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![Juliet Powell](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Juliet+Powell&background=random&size=42)
Juliet Powell [9 Jun 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-2874.md)    Copy answer link Report answerCulture grows when you create shared challenges that need teamwork and spark creativity, not just casual hangouts.

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![L. S.](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=L.+S.&background=random&size=42)
L. S. [20 Jun 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-2427.md)    Copy answer link Report answerhonestly, culture isn’t built by events or perks alone. it’s about how people feel safe to be themselves and speak up daily. companies that encourage vulnerability in meetings and normalize mistakes tend to build real trust remotely, not just forced fun moments.

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![Daphne Turner](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=Daphne+Turner&background=random&size=42)
Daphne Turner [24 Apr 2026](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-7309.md)    Copy answer link Report answerStop relying on happy hours as the main thing, they get old fast. Instead, focus on real shared goals that need teamwork and let people show who they are naturally during work itself.

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![K. B.](https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg&name=K.+B.&background=random&size=42)
K. B. [11 Nov 2025](https://jobicy.com/q/1746895500-building-remote-company-culture-beyond-happy-hours#answer-4225.md)    Copy answer link Report answerTry creating a virtual "culture book" that everyone contributes to. It can include personal stories, team traditions, favorite quotes, or even photos from home workspaces. This living document helps people feel connected through shared experiences and values. You can update it regularly and use it in onboarding so new hires get a real sense of the company beyond policies. It’s low effort but builds a collective identity everyone owns together over time.

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