How to Culture

by | 09. Oct 2025 | Communication, Culture & Strategy, Digital Workplace, Digitale Transformation, Latest, New Work & Space Design, Our Company, Unternehmenskultur

How to cultivate team spirit from home – Keeping team spirit alive even when working remotely

--
Working from home is great—no traffic jams, no commuting, coffee from your own kitchen. Sounds perfect, right? But wait: what happens to corporate culture when you only see each other virtually? Spoiler alert: it doesn’t just disappear on its own. But you have to put a little energy into it. We’ll show you how to keep culture alive despite working from home—in a practical way, with humor and real-life examples.

Making values visible – not just on paper

When everyone is working remotely, culture can’t just be on the website. It has to be tangible. HubSpot does this really well: their Culture Code is publicly available and explains what they stand for – for everyone, at any time.

 

Practical tip: Display your values visibly in the virtual office. Slack channel, Teams pin, or Notion dashboard. That way, everyone will stumble across your culture without you having to mention it specifically.

 

Extra: Create little challenges around your values. For example, whoever collects the most examples of the values in action during the week gets a little surprise. This way, culture is actively experienced and not just read about.

 

 

Trust is everything

Working from home only works if everyone trusts each other. Micromanagement? Forget it. Instead: clear expectations, regular feedback, celebrating successes—even digitally.

 

Example: At 3kubik, we meet regularly, once a quarter, for our BDev days.

 

The result? Working remotely and feeling team spirit. Here is one of our blog posts.

 

Practical tip: Use tools such as Asana or Trello not only for tasks, but also to make progress visible. This way, everyone feels that they are being seen, even without physical contact.

Generating social vibes digitally

Spontaneous chats at the coffee machine are no longer possible. So we have to get creative:

 

Virtual coffee: 15 minutes of chatting, not about projects, just personal stuff.
Online games/quizzes: Laughing helps people get to know each other.
Slack channels for fun: Cat pictures, memes, or shared Spotify playlists.
Practical example: GitLab relies on hybrid meetings to mix digital connection with real encounters. The result: the team knows each other better, even though they work 100% remotely. Read more at Wired.

 

Extra: Try unusual formats: digital lunch dates, remote escape rooms, or “show & tell” meetings where everyone shares something personal. Small rituals like these keep the connection alive.

Rocking Remote Onboarding

Training new people without them getting to know the team? No way. So:

 

  • Welcome packages: Small gifts + personal message.
  • Mentoring program: A designated contact person for the first few weeks.
  • Interactive training: Zoom, Miro, Notion—anything that’s fun and educational.

 

Practical tip: Consciously plan social elements for the first two weeks. A digital coffee a day, small tasks to get to know the team, and short check-ins prevent new colleagues from feeling isolated.

 

Find out more at Upgreat.

Taking work-life balance seriously

When working from home, the lines between work and private life can quickly become blurred. That’s why:

 

  • Flexible hours: Not everyone is productive at 8 a.m.
  • Promote health: Offer fitness programs, mental health support, and make sure to schedule breaks.
  • Make working hours visible: So that no one has to be available all the time.

 

Practical example: Personio offers flexible working hours, sabbaticals, and fitness subsidies. Result: Employees remain motivated, balanced, and feel respected. Further information is available from Urban Sports Club.

 

Extra: Introduce regular “digital detox days” on which no meetings are scheduled. This signals that work-life balance is not just lip service.

Use tools wisely

The right tools are key:

 

  • Communication: Slack, Teams – for quick exchanges and fun channels.
  • Projects: Asana, Trello – for transparency in tasks and progress.
  • Documents: Notion, Google Workspace – for knowledge management and collaboration.
  • Meetings: Zoom, Meet – for exchange and closeness.

 

Tip: Tools alone do not create culture. Use them consciously to strengthen rituals, transparency, and social bonds.

Conclusion

--
Culture in the home office needs love, attention, and the right tools. Those who make values visible, place trust in others, promote social bonding digitally, and support work-life balance will also have a vibrant team remotely.

 

Note: Culture does not happen automatically. But it can also rock from the home office—if you bring in a little fun, cultivate rituals, and use tools cleverly.