Remote and hybrid work has delivered real benefits for businesses and employees alike, such as flexibility, reduced commuting time, lower overhead and, in many cases, higher productivity. But data is revealing a more complicated picture. According to Gallup’s 2025 research, fully remote employees report higher engagement at work, yet they are less likely to be thriving overall than most of their counterparts, citing greater levels of loneliness, anger, and sadness than their peers. High engagement and lower well-being existing side by side: Gallup calls it The Remote Work Paradox, and it’s something leaders can’t afford to overlook.
How can organizations keep remote and hybrid teams both engaged and thriving? The takeaway isn’t to roll back work flexibility but to be more intentional about the thing that flexible work can quietly erode: the connections between people.
Strong Connections Make for More Engaged Employees
When employees feel connected to their organization and to the people they work with, good things follow, such as higher engagement, stronger performance, and lower turnover. When that connection is missing, the opposite tends to be true.
A 2025 survey by Reward Gateway-Edenred found that nearly 40% of U.S. workers report feeling lonely at work, and more than 6 in 10 say that workplace friendships are a significant contributor to their job satisfaction. Gallup’s long-standing research reinforces this, finding that employees who have a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs. Not somewhat more likely. Seven times.
The challenge for remote and hybrid organizations is that the organic moments that build those connections like hallway conversations, impromptu lunches, and passing someone in the breakroom don’t happen by chance anymore. They have to be created deliberately.
Not Everyone Needs the Same Kind of Connection
Before jumping to solutions, it’s worth acknowledging something that often gets flattened in broad engagement strategies: people have genuinely different needs when it comes to connection and interaction at work.
Some employees are energized by frequent contact with colleagues. Regular check-ins, collaborative projects, and virtual social events feel natural and motivating to them. Others do their best work with more solitary focus time, and too many touchpoints can feel draining rather than supportive. For these individuals, connection matters, but it tends to be more meaningful in smaller, quieter moments like a one-on-one conversation, a focused collaboration with one or two colleagues, or a brief personal exchange before a meeting begins.
This isn’t about who’s a team player and who isn’t. It’s about understanding that behavioral tendencies vary, and a strategy that works beautifully for one person can feel like an imposition to another. Leaders who take the time to understand how each of their employees is naturally wired (what motivates them, how they prefer to communicate, what helps them feel valued) are far better positioned to engage their remote teams in ways that actually stick.
This is where a behavioral assessment becomes genuinely useful rather than just a hiring formality. Omnia’s Professional Development Profile includes a remote work environment option specifically designed for this purpose. The profile draws on an employee’s behavioral tendencies to identify how they’re likely to thrive in a remote setting, as well as where they may struggle, then offers targeted guidance for managers on how to support, motivate, and connect with that individual. It turns a general intent to “check in with your team” into something more specific and more effective.
Strategies for Building Connection Across Distance
Knowing that connection matters is one thing. Building it across a distributed team requires some practical structure. Here are several strategies that make a meaningful difference.
- Make communication intentional, not just frequent
Remote teams need clear communication norms, not just more meetings. Establish guidelines for when to use email, when to pick up the phone, and when a quick chat message is the right tool. Without these guardrails, teams default to their individual preferences, which can create friction and missed connections.
Keep in mind that communication style preferences vary. Some employees will want to talk things through in real time, while others need time to process and respond thoughtfully in writing. When possible, accommodate those differences. A little flexibility in how information is shared goes a long way toward making everyone feel heard.
- Protect time for connection that isn’t about work
The watercooler conversations that people miss most from in-office work weren’t really about work; they were about knowing each other as people. That kind of informal connection doesn’t disappear just because a team goes remote, but it does have to find a new form.
Some organizations schedule optional virtual meetups, offering thirty minutes of conversation where no work topics are allowed. Others create channels in their messaging platforms just for sharing personal interests, wins, or weekend recaps. These low-pressure touchpoints might seem small, but they accumulate into something meaningful over time.
The key word is optional. Employees who need more solitude shouldn’t feel obligated to participate in every social initiative, and those who are more socially driven shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting more of it. Offering the opportunity is what matters.
- Be intentional about in-person time
Even for fully remote organizations, periodic in-person gatherings carry a weight that video calls simply can’t replicate. An annual all-hands meeting, a team volunteer day, or a small group gathering gives people the chance to connect in ways that carry over into the virtual work that follows.
These events don’t have to be elaborate or expensive. What matters is that they’re purposeful and designed to give people time to interact without an agenda driving the conversation.
- Let employees help build the culture
Some of the most effective connection initiatives in remote organizations don’t come from leadership; they come from employees themselves. When leaders create a culture that encourages people to take initiative, good things tend to emerge organically: a colleague starts a monthly virtual coffee break, someone launches an informal book club, or a team creates a ritual around celebrating small wins.
This kind of peer-driven connection is particularly meaningful because it’s voluntary and self-sustaining. It signals that people actually want to be connected to each other and are not just fulfilling a company mandate.
Connection Is a Leadership Decision
Remote and hybrid work isn’t going away. And research has shown that most people consider remote work to be a positive experience. But the flexibility that makes remote work attractive can also create invisible distance between people. And leaders who ignore that distance do so at a cost.
Keeping remote and hybrid employees genuinely engaged requires more than the right technology or a well-structured communications plan. It requires understanding your people as individuals — what they need, what motivates them, and how they stay connected to their work and to each other — and then creating the conditions for those needs to be met. That’s not a one-time initiative. It’s an ongoing commitment to the people who make your organization work.
Omnia can help you understand your remote and hybrid employees on a deeper level, giving you the behavioral insight to lead them more effectively. Contact our team to learn how we can help you build a more connected, engaged workforce, wherever your people are working.
