Diversity In Remote Workforce

Is your leadership's management philosophy stuck in the 1960s? Let's redefine it: Leadership by Being Engaged. The concept of "management by walking around" came from Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard (HP founders) in the 1960s, popularized by Tom Peters in 1982, and gets used today to describe what's missing in #remote work. "The expected benefit: by random sampling of events or employee discussions, managers are more likely to facilitate improvements to the morale, sense of purpose, productivity and and quality... compared to remaining in a specific office area, or the delivery of status reports." The literal concept doesn't work if your managers have people who are working in multiple locations, now the majority case. 60 to 80% of all "enterprise" company managers now have #distributed teams. 100% of Fortune 500 Execs have teams that are #distributed today, according to Atlassian (kudos Molly Sands, PhD). #RTO mandates rooted in this philosophy are trying to return to a world that no longer exists. Leaders need a both/and approach. Get employees together to jump-start #belonging, and build better #culture and #performance by being involved in the digital #collaboration tools that your teams use every day. Let's redefine a philosophy rooted in co-location into one for the #digital age. Four starting points for leaders looking to get digitally engaged: 🔸 Increase transparency. Internal transparency around clear goals and realistic progress against them drives focus on outcomes, and builds trust. 🔸 Get engaged in the work. Execs need to stop saying "Teams/Slack etc are for the kids; you'll find me in email" and get into the tools people use every day to work through account issues, project updates, and problem solving. 🔸 Participate in digital communities. Social forums at work build belonging. That cuts across everything from an Abilities ERG to Sneakerheads. Finding community at work boosts retention; even leaders need to find that. 🔸 Get a reverse mentor. Being available and engaged digitally can feel foreign as a leader, and initially scary to a team. Find a digital native in your organization who can coach you! What's your take? Retire the phrase, or revive an important concept?

In 2026, 1 in 3 companies will kill remote work. They’ll say it’s about culture and collaboration. But most of the time, it’s about control. Same 12 hours. Different priorities. Different life. This visual says it all. I saw it firsthand at NCR. We thrive remotely before the new Atlanta HQ. Until leadership called everyone back For “connection” and “culture.” We adjusted. We commuted. And slowly, we traded focus for fatigue and traffic. Then COVID hit. Overnight, we were remote again. Productivity rose. Morale improved. The data confirmed what we already knew, People didn’t need micromanagement. They needed trust. 💫 Productivity rose with remote work every time. 💫 Not from longer longer hours. Because from space to think, create, and deliver. What we risked losing wasn’t effort. It was connection. The whiteboard sparks. The hallway wins. Great leaders didn’t mourn that loss, They rebuilt it. They turned distance into design. They learned that trust scales faster than walls. Built trust, not control. Defined outcomes, not presence. Measured impact, not hours. Here’s what that looks like in action... ⚡️ 5 WAYS GREAT LEADERS MAKE REMOTE WORK ACTUALLY WORK ⚡️ 💡 1. Lead With Clarity, Not Proximity → Replace “checking in” with goals and outcomes. → Clarity creates alignment. Micromanagement destroys it. 💡 2. Build Connection by Design → Be intentional with touchpoints that drive belonging. → Fewer meetings, stronger bonds. 💡 3. Protect Deep Work → Model focus and protect time like a resource. → Quiet hours can produce the loudest breakthroughs. → Protecting focus is the modern leader’s superpower. 💡 4. Communicate Purpose, Not Process → Explain why work matters. → Purpose fuels ownership long after policies fade. 💡 5. Reward Outcomes, Not Optics → Celebrate measurable results, not visible effort. → The best work speaks for itself. The future of work isn’t about where people sit. It’s about how leaders build trust when no one’s watching. Ready to lead with clarity, trust, and courage, the kind that inspires results, not compliance? Join my free Career Freedom Masterclass: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eM5kKXRc ♻ Repost to help another leader lead better 👋 Follow Stephanie Hills, Ph.D. for weekly insights on trust, leadership, and modern work

Yesterday, I came across a term that I believe every Chief People Officer needs to know: Fourth Spaces™. The phrase comes from a new study commissioned by Eventbrite in partnership with Andrew Roth, and it captures a shift happening in the lives of your workforce, especially your Gen Z employees. These digital natives grew up not just in classrooms or offices, but in Twitch streams, gaming rooms, Discord servers, Reddit threads, and online fandoms. These communities aren’t just side hobbies. They’re where these youngsters' identity was shaped, friendships built, and passions were nurtured. Traditionally, when we’ve thought about fostering connection, we’ve leaned on “third spaces”, coffee shops, lounges, and other gathering spots that spark serendipitous encounters. Those still matter (even though they dying off in America). But they may not be enough for the generation entering and shaping your workforce today. Fourth Spaces are where online communities manifest in the physical world. An online book club gathering for the first time in person. A remote team leader creating a pop-up event instead of an office lease. A fandom turning cosplay and streaming culture into a live festival. For HR leaders, the implications are profound. When you’re designing your employee benefits stack, don’t stop at physical wellness (gym memberships) or mental wellness (EAP programs). Start thinking about social wellness (Kasley Killam, MPH). Imagine sponsoring your employees to buy a ticket to their favorite digital community’s live event. The data is clear: 84% of young adults who attend these kinds of gatherings meet a close friend, and nearly half say it deepens their sense of self. When you sponsor that type of life-affirming moment for them...That is retention. That is engagement. That is belonging in action. The future of work isn’t just hybrid policies or wellness stipends. It’s recognizing that your employees’ strongest sense of identity may start online, and asking how you can help bring it into the real world. I believe a natural evolution of employee benefits will be about investing in Fourth Spaces. So that your people can then show back up to work as their full selves. The question for every HR is simple: will you be the one to build it into your culture before someone else does? Link in the comments below to the study. It's fascinating.

I’ve onboarded remote hires across time zones, continents, and cultures. And here’s what I’ve learned: Remote onboarding doesn’t ⭐fail⭐ because of location. It fails because of assumptions. Assuming someone will “just speak up.” Assuming they’ll know what success looks like. Assuming they feel like they belong. Without hallway chats or shadowing, remote employees miss all the informal context that makes onboarding feel human—not just functional. Here’s how I’ve made it work: 💬 Over-communicate expectations and priorities 🎥 Use video, even for 15-minute check-ins 📅 Create a rhythm of connection—1:1s, team intros, buddy syncs ☕ Encourage informal conversations (yes, even virtual coffee chats) Remote doesn’t have to mean disconnected. In fact, with the right systems, it can feel even more inclusive. It took me many years of learning the hard way to build this out. And I’d like to share it with you, no strings attached. (see link in comments) That’s why I built these practices right in our Manager Onboarding Kit—to help leaders support their teams with intention, no matter where they are.

Loneliness doesn’t show up in HR reports. But it’s draining your culture. The office disappeared.  So did spontaneous connection. Now, 65% of remote employees feel more isolated than ever (Microsoft, 2024). And lonely employees aren’t just sad, they’re: ↳ 45% less productive ↳ 3x more likely to disengage ↳ 7x more likely to be actively job hunting Let’s call this what it is: a hidden retention crisis. HR is about more than policies. It’s about engineering meaningful connection into daily workflows. Because Zoom happy hours rarely spark real belonging. Here are 4 rituals of Connection Engineering that build high-trust, high-impact teams: ✔ Story Circles: 15-min team check-ins to share challenges and wins ✔ Impact Spotlights:  Weekly shoutouts linking individual work to team goals ✔ Co-Working Blocks:  No agenda, just focused virtual presence ✔ Skill Swaps: Monthly peer-led learning moments that build mutual value These rituals form the cultural scaffolding that holds remote teams together. P.S. What’s one small connection ritual you could pilot this week? ♻️ Repost if you believe real belonging should be designed, not left to chance.

Remote work is here to stay. But with it comes a new challenge: how do we build a strong company 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 when the office is no longer the heartbeat of the business? 🏠 I’ve had many conversations with leaders recently about how to maintain a connected and inclusive culture when teams are spread across different time zones, countries, and home offices. It’s absolutely essential. Here’s how we can build a thriving culture from afar 👇 🔹𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶s𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 In a remote world, communication is everything. But it’s not just about having more meetings or messages. It’s about clear, consistent communication that builds trust. Share the vision, update on progress, and most importantly - listen. 🔹𝗕𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🤝 It’s easy to get lost in task lists and deadlines. But building a culture of connection takes intention. Regular check-ins, virtual team-building activities, and even casual “coffee chats” can create the informal spaces where relationships are built. 🔹𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 🎉 When you’re not physically together, it’s easy for accomplishments to get lost. Leaders need to actively celebrate wins and recognize effort. Share success stories on your team’s digital platforms to keep momentum and morale high. 🔹𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 When you don’t have eyes on everyone, trust becomes the foundation. Empower your team members to take ownership of their projects. A culture built on trust leads to greater collaboration, creativity, and accountability. 🔹𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆 When your team is working from various locations, diversity takes on a new meaning. Be mindful of different time zones, personal circumstances, and backgrounds. Make sure everyone has the chance to be heard, and create an environment where people feel they belong. The truth is - Remote work doesn’t weaken culture: it challenges us to evolve it. And if we can adapt with empathy, communication, and trust, we can build a culture that’s even stronger than before. How are you maintaining a strong company culture in the remote work era? #remoteworkleadership #teamculture #buildingculturefromafar

"Remote team building doesn't work." That's what a CEO told me last week after trying his fifth virtual happy hour that ended in awkward silences and forced conversation. After 5+ years of building and leading distributed teams across 50+ countries, I've discovered why most remote team building fails: It tries to replicate in-office experiences online. This fundamental mistake is why 67% of remote workers report feeling disconnected from their colleagues. But the problem isn't remote work itself. It's that we haven't evolved our approach to building belonging in a borderless world. The belonging paradox in distributed teams: 1. We're more connected than ever technologically 2. Yet feeling more isolated than ever emotionally When you can't share physical space, the conventional wisdom says you can't build deep connection. That conventional wisdom is wrong. Here's what actually works for creating genuine belonging in distributed teams: 1. Create intentional overlap Rather than forcing everyone to attend the same 60-minute social, create multiple smaller touchpoints throughout the week. 15-minute coffee chats, async coordination, or interest-based channels create natural connection points that respect time zones and personal preferences. 2. Build psychological safety before fun Fun activities fall flat when team members don't feel safe to be themselves. Establish regular non-work check-ins where sharing challenges is normalized before expecting people to be vulnerable in team-building activities. 3. Connect through contribution The strongest team bonds form through shared purpose, not shared activities. Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration where people solve meaningful problems together, which builds deeper connection than any game night. The truth is: that remote team building doesn't fail because it's remote. It fails because we're trying to solve a new challenge with outdated thinking. Real belonging in distributed teams comes from reimagining connections for a borderless world not from desperately trying to recreate the office online. What's the most meaningful connection experience you've had in a remote team? I'd love to hear what's actually working for you. #RemoteWorkCulture #DistributedTeams #BelongingAtWork #BorderlessWork #DigitalNomads

You can’t expect people to give their best if they feel like an outsider. Belonging isn’t a soft concept—it’s a structural one. And when you build it into your leadership approach, everything changes. At my last company, I stepped into a senior leadership role overseeing a fully remote team of about 75 people. Turnover was north of 22% annually. Morale was shaky. Connection was thin. And to be honest, nobody was surprised. Because in the absence of true belonging, people disengage. They protect themselves. They stop asking questions. And eventually—they leave. But instead of launching a new incentive program or sending out another survey, we tried something different: We showed up. My direct reports—many of them new people leaders—joined me on the road. We met our team members in their hometowns. We sat in coffee shops and talked about life, not just KPIs. We asked about their families, their goals, and their frustrations. We explained the why behind organizational changes and stuck around long enough to answer every question. Even the hard ones. We didn’t solve everything overnight, but something started to shift. Trust replaced skepticism. Ownership replaced apathy. And over time, connection turned into culture. Twelve months later, our team had doubled in size. Turnover dropped below 8%. And the customer experience? Stronger than ever—because the people behind it felt seen, supported, and understood. Here’s the truth:  Belonging isn’t fluff. It’s operational infrastructure. When people feel connected to the mission—and to each other—they stay longer, care more, and perform better. In a tight labor market, with stretched teams and rising resident expectations, that’s not a nice-to-have. That’s a differentiator. So if your turnover’s high, if morale feels low, if performance is lagging… Don’t just fix the outputs. Look at the foundation. Belonging might be the lever you haven’t pulled yet. 📣 What are you doing to build a culture of belonging on your team this year? #OperationalExcellence #BelongingAtWork #Leadership #PropertyManagement #SFR #Multifamily #TeamCulture #PeopleFirst #Retention #CareerLeadership #BusinessCaseForBelonging

🚩 Remote/Hybrid work gave employees flexibility, but for many, 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Leaders often assume that if people are getting their work done, they’re doing fine. But here’s the reality: 🔹 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. Fewer organic conversations are happening, leading to lower engagement and less innovation. And the biggest risk? High-performing people are quietly checking out because they don’t feel like they belong. 🔺 Loneliness at work isn’t just a personal issue, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. And it’s one that, if ignored, will cost companies their best talent. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝘁: ➙ If you want your team to be engaged, connected, and stay, you have to be intentional about fostering real connection in a hybrid structure. Here’s where to start: ✅ 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲. A public Slack shoutout is nice, but it doesn’t replace real, thoughtful appreciation. Check in directly with employees. Notice their efforts. Let them know their work matters. ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. One-on-ones and team meetings aren’t enough. People need spaces to casually interact, just like they would in an office. Whether it’s virtual co-working, small group meetups, or voice notes instead of emails, make room for organic conversations. ✅ 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. When’s the last time you asked someone how they’re really doing? Not just about the project they’re working on, but them. People don’t just want a leader, they want a human they can trust. ✅ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁. Not everyone wants constant social interaction, and that’s okay. But if someone is consistently disengaged, don’t assume it’s fine, ask. A simple, “How are you feeling about being remote/hybrid? Is there anything that would help you feel more connected?” opens the door. 🔸 If leaders don’t actively create connection, they won’t just lose employees, they’ll also lose engagement, trust, and the sense of belonging that keeps people invested. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱? Or are you unknowingly creating a culture where people feel invisible?

When I first started leading remote teams in gaming, I quickly realized that the key to keeping the team connected wasn’t about being in the same room. It was about creating a culture of belonging, no matter where we were. Here’s what’s worked for me: -Set the tone with culture. Even though we’re not together in an office, the values we stand by—creativity, collaboration, and innovation—need to show up in how we communicate and work together. It’s essential that everyone feels it in every interaction. -Communicate, communicate, communicate. Regular check-ins, open channels for feedback, and celebrating wins make a huge difference in staying connected. I’ve found that sharing both the small and big victories keeps the energy alive and the team engaged. -Make time for fun. Whether it’s a quick game night on Discord or a random trivia challenge, I always try to make room for play. These moments help the team bond and break the routine. -Give people ownership. Remote doesn’t mean disconnected. When team members have a say in decisions—whether it’s game features or testing strategies—they feel like they’re part of something bigger. -Growth goes beyond location. Remote work doesn’t mean career growth should be any less clear. I make sure to recognize achievements and provide the support needed to help everyone feel seen and appreciated. Belonging is what fuels creativity. It’s what helps turn ideas into the next big game. How do you keep your remote teams connected? #GameDevelopment #RemoteWork #TeamCulture