Many business leaders worry about their company culture “evaporating” since it has become difficult to get the staff back in the office after the Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, an international Gartner survey shows that only 25% of salaried personnel who work remotely feel connected to their company culture. Yet, those who feel connected enjoy a significantly higher performance and have 36% more chances to remain loyal to their company.

How then to foster the adhesion to the culture when the personnels are rarely present on site and have less time for informal exchanges? The study shows that it is not as much the physical proximity as the emotional one that matters. It is less about being in touch with others than about the feeling that we are important to them.

This involves placing particular attention to each of the interactions—since they are less numerous. In particular, you should only invite to meetings those whose presence is necessary: they thus feel that their contributions are valued. It is also imperative to be in a position to spot these staff who undermine the feeling of belonging through “toxic” interactions. Questioning the emotional proximity built by each interaction thus becomes essential.

Sources: Evolve Culture & Leadership for the Hybrid Workplace, Gartner, 2022; Revitalizing Culture inthe World of Hybrid Work, Harvard Business Review, November-December 2022.