How To Create Better Remote + Hybrid Company Culture
"Best practices" on increasing employee engagement, retention, and alignment (featuring Jenny Sauer-Klein, Dr. Adam R. Cebulski, and Jake White)
Do you assist with managing your company’s culture?
Do you work for a remote-first or hybrid team? If “yes” to both…
Take some time today to watch the replay of our webinar on "best practices" on increasing employee engagement, retention, and alignment (especially if you're part of a remote or hybrid company).
This all-value, no-fluff conversation featured:
Jenny Sauer-Klein, a serial entrepreneur who has helped hundreds of companies build better culture (including the likes of Airbnb, Google, and Dropbox).
Dr. Adam R. Cebulski, a former Chief of Staff at Southern Methodist University and Director of Research & Strategic Initiatives at Anthology, a high growth edtech startup.
And of course, our very own Jake White, a former Chief of Staff himself to a nuclear tech startup and employee #4 at Offsite (the "go-to" resource for planning in-person team retreats for hundreds of VC-backed and high-growth companies (such as Reforge, Buffer, and Remote).
I’ve added some notes below, but click the video to watch or head to YouTube.
As always, some friendly reminders:
1. Our curated marketplace can save you up to 40% on room blocks, meeting space, F&B, and more at over 1000 premier offsite venues globally. Click here to make a free account and begin submitting booking requests ASAP if you're planning any offsites for the end of 2024 and even into 2025.
2. We can also help you source other offsite vendors like swag, speakers, facilitators, day-of coordination / event production, travel, visas, on the ground shuttles and transportation, and more. Click here to submit your booking requests and we'll follow up with our recommendations.
3. We also offer end-to-end offsite planning services, and have helped hundreds of companies plan team retreats, customer conferences, and more.
This is perfect for those who want guidance on how to run the highest ROI offsites, while saving as much time as possible in planning because you're outsourcing everything to us. We pay for ourselves in discounts with vendors, plus save you countless planning hours while thinking through how to help you give your team the most transformational experience possible. Book time with us to learn more here.
Thanks as always, and subscribe to The Offsite Blog if you haven’t already.
Jared
Main takeaways from this webinar:
We explored the crucial role of intentionally cultivating company culture within remote and hybrid work settings.
The discussion underscored the need for defining core values, setting clear expectations, and fostering open conversations to build a cohesive and high-performing team, especially if your company is remote-first or hybrid.
Key Points:
Defining Core Values and Expectations:
Importance of intentional efforts in outlining company values.
Setting clear expectations to guide remote and hybrid teams.
Psychological Safety:
Creating a foundation for high-performing teams through trust and openness.
Jenny shared how Alphabet accomplished this with Google’s Project Aristotle.
Fostering Connections:
Emphasis on early and frequent interactions.
Gradual increase in vulnerability to strengthen team bonds.
Everyone shared icebreakers they love that you can use today in virtual and in-person settings, as well as a Personal Operating System framework you can use in onboarding new team members.
Strategic Relationship-Building:
Overcoming the lack of spontaneous in-person interactions in remote settings.
Advocating for radical candor and feedback, especially during onboarding.
Tailored Onboarding Processes:
Customizing onboarding to fit organizational dynamics.
Continuous adjustment to accommodate staff turnover or growth.
Practical Strategies for Connection:
Daily check-ins, themed Spotify playlists, and interaction guides.
Leveraging virtual platforms for human connection exercises.
We shared the example of how Offsite uses fun slack channels to help people bond outside of their work.
Integrating Remote and In-Office Work:
Adapting to a post-Covid workplace culture.
Utilizing a robust tech stack and a co-creation model prioritizing employee input.
Attracting diverse talent and moving away from traditional social events.
Redesigning Office Spaces:
Focusing on collaboration and in-person interactions.
Importance of offsite meetings for remote-first companies.
Effective offsites should target team bonding, skill development, and addressing key challenges.
Engaging In-Person Meetings:
Boosting engagement through immersive experiences and minimizing distractions.
Utilizing team expertise with clear session goals and structured breaks.
Planning Offsite Events:
Essential for fully remote companies to build trust and relationships.
Recommendations for budgeting, accommodations, travel, and early planning.
Conclusion:
The webinar provides a comprehensive guide to cultivating a strong company culture in remote and hybrid work environments, emphasizing the need for intentional strategies, practical connection-building techniques, and continuous adaptation to evolving workplace dynamics.
About The Panel:
Jenny Sauer-Klein is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about designing transformational experiences that prioritize connection over content. She is the founder and CEO of The Primary Shift, a workplace experience design studio that helps companies engage their employees and bring their culture to life through dynamic learning experiences. She has consulted with and run programs for leading organizations like Airbnb, Google, Dropbox, the Haas School of Business and Stanford. She is also the founder and CEO of The Culture Conference, an invite-only event for organizational leaders who are committed to building a positive culture from the inside out.
In her previous career as the co-founder of AcroYoga, she successfully scaled an international brand and community with millions of practitioners. She is a frequent presenter at international conferences such as Summit Series, Culture Summit, and Wisdom 2.0 and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc., as well as Tim Ferriss’ book Tools of Titans.
Dr. Adam R. Cebulski is the Founder and CEO of transform.forward. He is an innovative, data-driven strategic executive focused on continual improvement to accelerate personal and organizational growth. He is an experienced organizational leader with over 20 years of experience in change management, strategic planning, people management, team development, organizational growth, operational improvement, and storytelling.
He has consistently made an impact through leadership, relationship-building, and strategy for organizations of all types – from large educational institutions with established processes to high-growth technology startups. He has worked in people leadership through most of his career and has developed innovative ways of building team synergy.
Jake White is employee #4 and Head of Sales at Offsite. Prior to Offsite, he was the Chief of Staff at a nuclear tech startup. Previous experiences also include time with the W Hotel, program director for a foundation, and site director for the Sierra Service Project. In addition to helping hundreds of companies plan offsites, he has occasionally performed at team retreats and weddings alike as part of a samba band.