Remote work was an afterthought. In the UK, only 4.7% of employees worked mainly from home, according to the Office for National Statistics—roughly 1.7 million out of a workforce of over 32 million.

By April 2020, 46.6% of UK employees were working from home at least part of the time. Remote work, once a perk or contingency, had become a necessity. Office culture, long defined by being in person, had to be rethought.

Entering 2025, the trend towards flexible working arrangements has continued. As of April 2025, 40% of UK workers,  approximately 22 million people, work from home at least some of the time. This includes 14% who work exclusively from home and 26% who engage in hybrid working.

This evolution underscores a significant shift in work culture, with remote and hybrid models becoming integral components of the UK’s employment practices.

What Employees Want

Employee sentiment has increasingly favoured flexible work arrangements. A global survey found that 63% of employees would accept a pay cut for the freedom offered by hybrid work models. In Australia, 92% of knowledge workers expressed willingness to forgo higher pay for better work-life balance.

This preference comes with caveats. Employees still want mentorship, belonging, and a shared sense of purpose. And herein lies the challenge: how can organisations replicate cultural belonging without physical presence?

The Culture Gap in Remote-First Workplaces

For remote-first organisations, where employees rarely, if ever, meet in person, culture cannot be left to chance. It must be designed.

Yet the data suggests many are still adjusting.

• Leadership gaps: Only 30% of employees believe their managers are equipped to lead remote or hybrid teams effectively
• Engagement deficit: 33% of fully remote workers report high engagement, compared to 59% among in-office peers
• Communication voids: Many remote workers report a lack of regular one-on-one check-ins, leading to disconnection

These issues signal the lack of design when embracing remote working. Culture must be designed, not inherited from legacy thinking.

Strategies for Cultivating Culture in Remote-First Organisations

To thrive, remote-first organisations must shift from accidental to intentional culture-building. This means embedding values in the way people communicate, work, and make decisions.

“Remote-first culture does not have the advantages of water cooler moments. It must be codified in design of talent experience. At Curzon PR, we’ve seen that culture is the fuel of a high functioning team when there is a heightened awareness of the importance of building connection for teams working remotely or hybrid. It is not business as usual. Multiple touchpoints for connection should be designed for remote and hybrid talent”
— Adel Steyn, Operations Director, Curzon PR

To address these challenges, remote-first organisations can implement the following strategies:

Celebrate in Person Where Possible: Even in remote-first organisations, arranging in-person moments, whether for strategy days, team-building activities, festive lunches, or afternoons dedicated to culture, helps deepen connections and celebrate collective wins. These shared experiences reinforce belonging and create lasting bonds that virtual meetings alone can’t replicate.

Match Work to the Right Setting: A thoughtful remote-first culture recognises that not all work benefits equally from a digital environment. Organisations that thrive will be those that deliberately define what tasks are best done remotely, such as deep individual work, and what benefits from in-person collaboration, such as creative problem-solving, strategic planning, or relationship-building. Embedding these distinctions into policies helps teams work smarter and stay aligned.

• Structured Communication: Establishing regular check-ins and clear communication channels helps maintain alignment and trust.
• Intentional Onboarding: A comprehensive onboarding process that introduces new hires to the company’s values and culture is crucial.
• Virtual Social Interactions: Organising virtual events and informal gatherings can foster camaraderie among remote teams.
• Recognition and Feedback: Implementing systems for regular feedback and recognition can boost morale and engagement.
• Leadership Development: Training managers to lead remote teams effectively ensures better support and guidance for employees.

Successful Remote-First Cultures

Several organisations have successfully built thriving cultures in remote-first settings:

• GitLab: Operating entirely remotely, GitLab has developed a comprehensive handbook detailing its values, communication protocols, and operational guidelines, serving as a central resource for employees.
• TheyDo: This journey management platform has embraced a remote-first model, assembling a diverse team across 25 countries, emphasising inclusivity and structured communication.
• The Matt Ward Group: By implementing rituals such as “Monday wins” and “Friday shoutouts,” the organisation maintains team cohesion and morale in a fully remote environment.

What the Future Holds for Remote-First Culture

As the workplace continues to evolve, remote-first culture will no longer be seen as an experiment, it will be an expectation. The most successful organisations will be those that treat culture as a product: designed, tested, and continuously refined. We can expect to see AI-powered collaboration tools enhancing asynchronous working, shorter workweeks that prioritise output over hours, and digital-first leadership as the standard.

The next generation of leaders will be measured not by their presence in the room, but by their ability to create clarity, connection, and purpose across distributed teams.

In this new world, culture will live not in office walls, but in decisions, communication styles, and shared rituals,  all deliberately shaped to unite people, wherever they are.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team bd@curzonpr.com