Remote work is changing everything — how we connect, how we collaborate, and how we feel about our teams. While there are many benefits to remote work, it is also challenging the way we build team culture and relationships. In this article, we will walk you through 30 key survey stats that reveal how remote work is impacting team bonding and culture, and what you can do about it.
1. 70% of remote workers say they feel left out of the workplace
Feeling left out is more common than you might think in remote teams. When you are not physically present, you miss out on casual conversations, office jokes, and quick updates. Over time, these small moments add up, creating a sense of distance.
How this impacts your team
When employees feel left out, their connection to the team weakens. They may hesitate to speak up in meetings. They may feel like outsiders, especially if part of the team still works from an office. This reduces trust and collaboration.
Actionable advice
- Schedule regular one-on-one check-ins. Managers should have casual, non-work-related chats with team members weekly.
- Create virtual open-door hours. Allow employees to hop onto a video call just to chat.
- Celebrate small wins publicly. Mention birthdays, promotions, and project milestones during team meetings.
- Rotate meeting leaders. Let different team members run meetings to ensure everyone feels involved.
- Ask for feedback. Run quick surveys asking if employees feel included and act on the feedback.
2. 60% of managers believe remote work negatively impacts team cohesion
Managers are seeing a change in how teams interact. Without in-person connections, it is harder to build deep trust and easy collaboration.
How this impacts your team
Team members may start working in silos. Collaboration becomes slower and less natural. Misunderstandings can increase because tone and body language are missing from most communication.
Actionable advice
- Invest in better communication tools. Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Asana can help keep everyone on the same page.
- Hold weekly team syncs. Make sure these are video calls where everyone can see each other.
- Mix work and play. Introduce 10-minute fun activities before or after serious meetings.
- Organize virtual team projects. Assign group tasks that require multiple team members to collaborate.
- Provide training on remote communication. Teach people how to clearly express tone and emotion through written messages.
3. 65% of employees report a weaker connection with coworkers when working remotely
Feeling connected to coworkers is essential for building trust and loyalty. But remote work tends to make relationships transactional rather than personal.
How this impacts your team
Without shared lunches or casual chats, coworkers can start seeing each other purely as job functions. This weakens emotional bonds and can increase turnover.
Actionable advice
- Encourage non-work interactions. Set up “coffee chats” where employees are randomly paired to chat about anything but work.
- Create interest-based groups. Whether it is for book lovers, gamers, or runners, these can spark real friendships.
- Host monthly virtual events. Try trivia nights, cooking classes, or book discussions.
- Highlight personal stories. Start meetings with short “life updates” so everyone gets to know each other better.
- Promote mentorship programs. Senior team members should mentor juniors not just professionally, but also on company culture.
4. 50% of remote workers feel isolated from their teams at least once a week
Isolation is one of the biggest mental health challenges of remote work. Even when teams are productive, individuals can feel lonely.
How this impacts your team
Isolation leads to disengagement. Disengaged employees are less productive, less creative, and more likely to leave the company.
Actionable advice
- Promote mental health awareness. Offer mental health days and access to counseling.
- Assign remote buddies. Pair newer employees with someone they can talk to informally.
- Use video, not just text. Encourage turning cameras on to feel more present.
- Respect work-life balance. Avoid unnecessary meetings outside working hours to prevent burnout.
- Ask managers to check emotional well-being. Not just work performance, but emotional health too.
5. 57% of leaders cite maintaining corporate culture as their biggest remote work challenge
Culture is what keeps a company unique. In remote settings, leaders are struggling to maintain the shared values, behaviors, and spirit that define their teams.
How this impacts your team
Without clear cultural reinforcement, teams may drift apart. New hires may never experience the company’s real spirit, leading to lower loyalty and higher churn.
Actionable advice
- Document your culture clearly. Have a short but powerful culture guide accessible to everyone.
- Live your values openly. Leaders should demonstrate values like transparency, kindness, and excellence daily.
- Celebrate cultural wins. When someone acts in line with your values, acknowledge it publicly.
- Onboard with culture in mind. Spend as much time onboarding new employees into your culture as you do teaching them processes.
- Conduct regular culture surveys. Find out how employees perceive your culture and adjust accordingly.
6. 45% of remote employees struggle to build strong relationships with team members
Building real relationships takes effort, and in a remote setting, it becomes even more challenging. Without casual daily interactions, relationships stay surface-level unless teams intentionally create opportunities to connect.
How this impacts your team
Weak relationships mean weaker teamwork. It leads to more misunderstandings, less collaboration, and overall reduced team performance. When employees don’t have strong bonds with teammates, they are less likely to go the extra mile for each other or solve conflicts constructively.
Actionable advice
- Create structured opportunities for interaction. Virtual lunches, team games, or peer-to-peer interviews can help employees bond.
- Promote collaboration beyond projects. Encourage cross-departmental meetups or idea-sharing sessions.
- Facilitate deeper conversations. Include optional prompts like “What’s a personal goal you’re working on?” in meetings.
- Give shoutouts. Publicly recognize teamwork, not just individual accomplishments.
- Train managers to foster relationships. Good leaders actively build connections between team members.
7. 62% of companies say team collaboration has decreased since moving to remote work
Remote work often makes collaboration slower and more complicated. People miss those quick desk-side conversations where problems were solved in minutes.
How this impacts your team
Projects can become delayed. Innovation suffers when there’s no spontaneous brainstorming. Employees might feel frustrated by the constant back-and-forth in chats and emails.
Actionable advice
- Adopt agile methods. Short daily standups can keep projects moving fast.
- Encourage overcommunication. In remote settings, it’s better to share too much information than too little.
- Set clear collaboration norms. Define expectations on when and how to communicate.
- Use shared workspaces. Platforms like Google Docs or Notion allow real-time collaboration.
- Celebrate collaborative wins. Highlight teams that worked exceptionally well together.
8. 41% of employees find it harder to trust remote colleagues compared to in-office peers
Trust is harder to build remotely. Without face-to-face interactions, it’s easy to misinterpret actions, intentions, or even work quality.
How this impacts your team
When trust is missing, collaboration slows down. People double-check each other’s work, second-guess intentions, and withhold honest feedback, leading to a toxic environment.
Actionable advice
- Promote radical transparency. Share information openly and frequently.
- Model trust at the leadership level. Leaders should openly trust their teams.
- Encourage vulnerability. Let employees share challenges and struggles.
- Create accountability systems. Clear roles, deadlines, and deliverables make trust easier.
- Celebrate reliability. Recognize team members who consistently deliver.
9. 55% of remote employees feel less engaged with the company’s mission and values
When you work remotely, it’s easy for the bigger picture to fade. Day-to-day tasks take over, and the mission or purpose of the company can feel distant.
How this impacts your team
When employees lose connection to the mission, motivation drops. Innovation slows because employees stop thinking beyond their immediate tasks.
Actionable advice
- Reinforce the mission regularly. Start meetings by linking the agenda to broader goals.
- Show impact stories. Share how the company’s work is helping customers or the community.
- Include mission in recognition. Reward behavior that supports company values.
- Offer strategic clarity. Help employees see how their tasks fit into the big picture.
- Encourage leadership storytelling. Founders and leaders should share why the mission matters.
10. 48% of workers believe remote work makes it harder to resolve workplace conflicts
Conflicts are natural in any workplace. But remotely, conflict can easily escalate because written messages lack tone and face-to-face conversations feel heavier to arrange.
How this impacts your team
Unresolved conflicts fester and erode team morale. Employees might avoid each other rather than solve problems, leading to deeper divisions over time.
Actionable advice
- Create a clear conflict resolution process. Make sure employees know how to address issues.
- Train managers in remote conflict management. They need different tools and skills than they would use in person.
- Encourage direct, timely communication. Don’t let problems simmer.
- Use video for sensitive discussions. Video calls are better than chats for resolving serious issues.
- Build a culture of feedback. Normalize giving and receiving constructive feedback across the team.
11. 66% of hybrid workers report better social connections than fully remote workers
Hybrid workers have the advantage of meeting in person occasionally, which helps maintain stronger social bonds compared to those who are fully remote.
How this impacts your team
Better social connections mean better collaboration, more trust, and a stronger sense of loyalty. Fully remote workers can sometimes feel like outsiders, especially when hybrid colleagues form stronger in-office relationships.
Actionable advice
- Offer optional in-person meetups. Even once a quarter can make a huge difference.
- Create inclusive events. Ensure remote employees are equally involved when planning social activities.
- Balance hybrid benefits. Do not let hybrid teams get all the attention and leave remote workers behind.
- Use asynchronous team-building activities. These can help fully remote employees feel connected despite time zones.
- Recognize the different needs. Understand that remote workers might need more intentional bonding efforts.
12. 58% of employees say informal “water cooler” conversations are vital for culture but missing remotely
Casual conversations in the office are where trust, culture, and innovation often begin. Without a virtual equivalent, remote teams lose a major cultural driver.
How this impacts your team
Without informal chats, everything becomes transactional. You lose the small, daily interactions that build understanding and loyalty.
Actionable advice
- Create virtual water cooler spaces. Slack channels like #random or #offtopic help recreate casual chats.
- Schedule optional social calls. Allow space for non-work discussions once a week.
- Use apps that promote casual interaction. Tools like Donut pair employees for casual chats automatically.
- Encourage leaders to participate informally. This shows it’s acceptable to be human and casual at work.
- Share personal wins. Create space for people to share life updates beyond work.
13. 43% of remote employees miss spontaneous brainstorming and idea sharing
In an office, ideas are born naturally through casual discussions. Remotely, brainstorming often needs to be scheduled, which can kill spontaneity.
How this impacts your team
Fewer ideas mean slower innovation. Teams can become stuck in old ways of thinking because fresh ideas aren’t being casually thrown around.
Actionable advice
- Host frequent casual brainstorming sessions. Not every meeting needs a strict agenda.
- Create idea-sharing channels. Allow employees to drop thoughts or ideas anytime.
- Use collaborative whiteboards. Tools like Miro can replicate spontaneous collaboration.
- Reward creativity. Recognize employees who contribute ideas, even if they are not used.
- Allow thinking time. Asynchronous brainstorming gives introverts time to formulate ideas.
14. 59% of organizations reported difficulty onboarding new hires into the company culture remotely
Onboarding sets the tone for an employee’s experience. If it feels disconnected, it can hurt engagement and retention before the real work even begins.
How this impacts your team
Bad onboarding leads to confusion, loneliness, and early turnover. New hires who don’t feel culturally connected may struggle to perform at their best.
Actionable advice
- Design a structured remote onboarding program. Plan day-by-day activities for the first two weeks.
- Assign mentors or buddies. A trusted peer can help new hires navigate culture and work.
- Include culture in onboarding. Talk about values, stories, and traditions — not just processes.
- Create an onboarding community. Connect all new hires so they have peers to bond with.
- Gather feedback quickly. Ask how the onboarding process feels and make improvements in real-time.
15. 52% of remote workers find it harder to participate in team-building activities
Team-building often relies on physical presence. Without creative adjustments, remote team-building can feel awkward or ineffective.
How this impacts your team
Weak participation in team-building activities leads to fewer real bonds. It also risks reinforcing the feeling that remote workers are “second class” citizens.
Actionable advice
- Design virtual-friendly activities. Trivia, escape rooms, and virtual cooking classes work well remotely.
- Focus on authenticity. Activities should feel genuine, not forced or overly scripted.
- Make participation easy. Avoid complex games that require lots of setup or rules.
- Involve employees in planning. Let them suggest activities they would actually enjoy.
- Rotate activities. Try different formats to keep things fresh and engaging.
16. 67% of HR professionals believe remote work dilutes workplace culture over time
Culture needs consistent reinforcement. Without in-person interaction, the subtle behaviors, traditions, and rituals that define a company can slowly fade away.
How this impacts your team
As culture weakens, employees may start feeling detached. Values might lose their meaning, and teams could become fragmented. A diluted culture makes it harder to inspire loyalty, passion, and a sense of belonging.
Actionable advice
- Document traditions and values clearly. Make sure everyone knows what makes your culture unique.
- Host regular culture-focused events. Share stories, values, and team rituals in creative ways.
- Highlight culture champions. Recognize employees who exemplify company values.
- Integrate culture into daily activities. From onboarding to meetings, weave cultural reminders into everything.
- Adapt culture activities to remote. Find digital versions of in-person rituals rather than abandoning them.
17. 46% of remote workers feel less motivated due to a lack of team bonding
Motivation thrives on energy from the team. When employees feel isolated, their drive to go above and beyond can diminish.
How this impacts your team
Low motivation impacts productivity, creativity, and morale. It can create a cycle where disconnected employees drag overall team performance down.
Actionable advice
- Set inspiring team goals. Make sure everyone sees the bigger purpose behind their work.
- Celebrate wins often. Recognition should be regular and sincere.
- Encourage peer recognition. Let employees nominate each other for great work.
- Create excitement through challenges. Fun contests or gamified milestones can boost energy.
- Check in on personal goals. Help employees link their personal aspirations to team goals.
18. 39% of managers say it’s harder to recognize employee achievements remotely
In an office, you might casually congratulate someone after a great meeting. Remotely, those moments can slip by unnoticed if you are not intentional.
How this impacts your team
Without recognition, employees feel invisible. Recognition is a powerful driver of engagement, and when it’s missing, motivation and retention suffer.
Actionable advice
- Make recognition part of meetings. Start meetings by highlighting recent achievements.
- Use dedicated platforms. Tools like Bonusly or Kudos make remote recognition simple.
- Encourage written praise. A heartfelt message or email can mean a lot.
- Share wins company-wide. Amplify praise beyond just the immediate team.
- Recognize small and big wins. Effort matters as much as outcomes.
19. 61% of employees believe team loyalty decreases without in-person interaction
Physical proximity builds bonds. Without it, loyalty can start to erode, especially when employees feel like just another face on a screen.
How this impacts your team
Low loyalty increases turnover risk. It also impacts teamwork, as employees are less willing to invest emotionally in colleagues they barely know.
Actionable advice
- Invest in personal relationships. Managers should get to know their team members beyond work tasks.
- Build rituals of connection. Birthday shoutouts, team storytelling, or fun traditions help.
- Be transparent. Open communication builds trust and loyalty.
- Encourage long-term thinking. Help employees visualize a future within the company.
- Offer meaningful career development. Show employees they can grow with the company.
20. 53% of remote workers think virtual team-building efforts feel forced or ineffective
Not all virtual team-building works. When activities feel awkward, they do more harm than good by making employees disengage even further.
How this impacts your team
Forced fun can be draining. Employees start dreading team events instead of looking forward to them, which defeats the whole purpose of team bonding.
Actionable advice
- Ask employees what they want. Survey the team before planning activities.
- Keep it casual and optional. Forced attendance kills enjoyment.
- Make it authentic. Avoid overly corporate or cheesy activities.
- Mix formats. Try informal happy hours, collaborative art projects, or fun knowledge-sharing sessions.
- Measure and adjust. Get feedback after events to continuously improve.
21. 44% of employees feel video conferencing is insufficient for maintaining meaningful team relationships
Video calls have become the default tool for remote communication, but they often feel transactional and can’t fully replace the human warmth of in-person interactions.
How this impacts your team
If employees only interact through formal video calls, relationships become purely professional. Emotional bonds weaken, trust takes longer to build, and collaboration becomes more mechanical than human.
Actionable advice
- Mix video meetings with casual formats. Host informal catch-up sessions where work talk is not allowed.
- Keep cameras on, but allow breaks. Encourage video presence while respecting screen fatigue.
- Host small group sessions. Smaller calls promote deeper conversations.
- Use audio-only catch-ups sometimes. It can feel more natural and less draining for casual updates.
- Create virtual open office hours. Offer times when team members can casually pop into a meeting room.
22. 73% of employees say remote work made team communication more formal and less personal
Remote work forces communication to be more structured. Spontaneous chats are rare, and most conversations are about tasks and deadlines.
How this impacts your team
Formality makes it harder to build trust and rapport. When conversations are strictly business, employees feel less comfortable bringing up challenges or asking for help.
Actionable advice
- Encourage informal communication channels. Create casual chat spaces separate from work discussions.
- Add personal touch to communications. A simple “How are you doing today?” at the start of messages makes a difference.
- Start meetings with a check-in. Give everyone a minute to share a non-work update.
- Celebrate personal milestones. Recognize birthdays, work anniversaries, or personal achievements.
- Model casual communication from leadership. Leaders should show it’s okay to be human and warm.
23. 38% of remote workers feel disconnected from their company’s leadership
Leadership visibility naturally drops in a remote setting. When employees rarely hear from or see leaders, they feel distant from decision-makers.
How this impacts your team
Feeling disconnected from leadership reduces trust, engagement, and the belief that employees’ voices matter. It can also cause confusion about the company’s direction.
Actionable advice
- Schedule regular leadership updates. Quarterly or monthly town halls help maintain visibility.
- Offer AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions. Let employees ask leaders questions directly.
- Share leadership stories. Give insight into leaders’ journeys, values, and personal experiences.
- Encourage leaders to join team meetings occasionally. Casual appearances humanize them.
- Provide clear and frequent strategic updates. Employees should always know where the company is headed.
24. 64% of employees wish for more virtual events that foster real personal connections
While work-focused meetings dominate remote calendars, employees crave events that let them connect on a human level without the pressure of deliverables.
How this impacts your team
Without opportunities for real connection, employees may feel isolated and miss out on the camaraderie that makes work enjoyable.
Actionable advice
- Host regular non-work events. Virtual game nights, shared movie watching, or talent shows can help.
- Focus on authenticity over production quality. It’s better for events to feel real than highly polished.
- Facilitate peer-led events. Let employees run cooking classes, workshops, or interest groups.
- Keep groups small when possible. Smaller groups allow deeper connections.
- Gather feedback after events. Find out what worked and what didn’t to make future events even better.
25. 47% of remote employees say their sense of belonging has decreased since working remotely
Belonging is essential for engagement, creativity, and retention. Without in-person rituals and shared experiences, employees can feel like outsiders.
How this impacts your team
Employees who do not feel like they belong are more likely to disengage, underperform, or leave the company entirely. It also weakens the broader culture.
Actionable advice
- Create belonging rituals. Regular shout-outs, shared playlists, or team traditions help.
- Offer employee resource groups. Groups focused on shared identities or interests foster belonging.
- Ensure diverse voices are heard. Amplify underrepresented voices in meetings and projects.
- Run regular pulse surveys. Ask employees about their sense of belonging and act on the findings.
- Promote inclusive leadership. Train leaders to spot and address exclusionary behaviors.
26. 51% of workers report higher collaboration difficulties in fully remote environments
Remote settings make collaboration trickier. Without quick clarifications or spontaneous brainstorming, simple tasks can take longer and misunderstandings can happen more often.
How this impacts your team
Collaboration problems cause frustration, delays, and lower quality work. When teamwork becomes harder, employees may start working in silos, weakening the overall team dynamic.
Actionable advice
- Clarify collaboration processes. Define how and where collaboration should happen, whether it’s Slack, Asana, or Zoom.
- Set expectations clearly. Make roles, responsibilities, and deadlines crystal clear from the start.
- Encourage asynchronous collaboration. Use tools that allow contributions across time zones, like shared docs or video recordings.
- Create real-time collaboration windows. Set shared time blocks where team members can work together live.
- Celebrate great collaboration. Recognize teams who work smoothly together and share their best practices.
27. 40% of companies are increasing investment in digital collaboration tools to boost culture
Companies recognize that technology can bridge some of the gaps caused by remote work. The right tools can support communication, creativity, and connection.
How this impacts your team
Investing in the right tools can make remote work feel less isolated and more seamless. Without good tools, frustrations mount and collaboration crumbles.
Actionable advice
- Choose tools based on team needs. Avoid buying trendy apps without understanding if they solve real problems.
- Provide proper training. Help employees use new tools effectively rather than assuming they will figure it out.
- Integrate tools into daily workflows. Make sure the tools become a natural part of work, not an extra chore.
- Regularly review tech stack. Eliminate tools that aren’t working and keep the ones that improve efficiency.
- Focus on user experience. Tools should make work easier, not more complicated.
28. 49% of employees report missing team lunches, casual gatherings, and social rituals
Food and shared experiences build strong bonds. Without them, teams lose an easy way to create positive memories and strong emotional connections.
How this impacts your team
Missing social rituals weakens team spirit. It can make work feel purely transactional and strip away the human side of collaboration.
Actionable advice
- Host virtual team lunches. Send food delivery vouchers and eat together over video.
- Create shared experiences. Virtual wine tastings, cooking classes, or wellness sessions can replicate social rituals.
- Honor important dates. Celebrate work anniversaries, birthdays, and team milestones, even virtually.
- Encourage employee-led traditions. Let the team create their own rituals that feel meaningful.
- Keep it light and optional. Casual social time should never feel mandatory.
29. 55% of employees believe a strong team culture is harder to maintain beyond 6 months of remote work
Short bursts of remote work may not harm culture too much, but long-term remote setups require deliberate culture-building efforts.
How this impacts your team
Without ongoing culture reinforcement, bonds weaken, misunderstandings rise, and employees may start feeling detached from the company’s identity.
Actionable advice
- Reinforce culture quarterly. Plan events, messages, and rituals that strengthen values every few months.
- Mix synchronous and asynchronous culture activities. Not everyone can attend live events, so create content they can enjoy on their own time.
- Use storytelling. Share stories that reflect company values in action.
- Involve employees in shaping culture. Let them suggest new traditions, activities, and improvements.
- Measure cultural health. Regularly survey employees about their connection to the culture and act on the findings.
30. 60% of workers say regular virtual check-ins improve their sense of connection
Simple, consistent check-ins can dramatically boost connection and prevent employees from feeling isolated.
How this impacts your team
Frequent, informal conversations help employees feel seen, heard, and valued. This builds loyalty, improves mental health, and strengthens overall team culture.
Actionable advice
- Schedule weekly one-on-ones. These should be casual and not always focused on work tasks.
- Use team-wide check-ins. Quick round-robin updates in team meetings keep everyone connected.
- Ask personal questions. Show interest in employees’ lives outside work.
- Train managers to listen actively. Listening is just as important as speaking during check-ins.
- Follow up consistently. Remember and reference past conversations to show genuine care.
Conclusion
Remote work is here to stay, but it comes with real challenges for team bonding and culture. The statistics we explored show how serious the impacts can be if not addressed thoughtfully. However, with intentional actions, the right tools, and a focus on human connection, teams can not only maintain strong cultures but build ones that are even more inclusive, flexible, and resilient.
