Slack
Microsoft Teams.
Virtual Happy Hours Fizzle
Scheduled fun feels forced. Attendance drops after the first few. People have Zoom fatigue, not FOMO.
Build Remote Culture Through Recognition
Remote teams miss the hallway high-fives and spontaneous thank-yous. HeyTaco brings those moments back—right inside Slack and Microsoft Teams.
What Is Remote Culture?
Remote culture is the shared sense of connection, values, and belonging that distributed teams build without a physical office. Strong remote culture makes people feel seen, valued, and part of something larger.
What Causes Remote Teams to Feel Disconnected?
Distance doesn't have to mean disconnection. Understanding why remote teams struggle
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Time zone gaps
When teams span continents, real-time interactions become rare. Appreciation gets delayed—or never happens.
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Invisible contributions
Great work happens, but no one sees it. Without visibility, effort goes unacknowledged.
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No shared space
Without an office, there's no watercooler, no hallway conversations, no spontaneous moments of connection.
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Isolation by default
Remote work can feel lonely. Without intentional connection, people drift apart.
Signs Your Remote Team Has a Connection Problem
25% of remote employees[1] feel lonely at work—compared to 16% on-site. Only 28%[1] feel strongly connected to their company's mission.
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Cameras Always Off
People hide behind profile pictures. Video calls feel impersonal. No one wants to be seen.
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Silent Channels
Slack or Teams feels like a ghost town. No banter, no celebrations, just work requests.
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Quiet Departures
Good people leave without warning. Exit interviews mention feeling "disconnected" or "invisible."
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Siloed Teams
People only talk to their immediate team. Cross-functional collaboration disappears.
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Low Energy Meetings
All-hands feel flat. No questions, no reactions, just people waiting for it to end.
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Wins Go Unnoticed
Big achievements happen with no fanfare. Launches, promotions, milestones—all quiet.
Case Study
How Immunefi Built Recognition Into Their Remote Culture
Immunefi is a leading security platform for the onchain economy, protecting over $190B in value. Their fully remote Web2 engineering team faced a common challenge: their previous recognition tool felt too formal for everyday appreciation.
Team members hesitated to use it for anything less than major milestones—so the small moments of gratitude never happened. They needed something that felt natural, not like HR overhead.
The results after adopting HeyTaco:
- Daily recognition received: 0% → 50%
- Daily recognition offered: 33% → 88.9%
"With HeyTaco, there are so many small things to be grateful for." — Steven Boutcher, QA Automation Engineer
The team created a dedicated #random-tacos channel for casual recognition and bonding. Leaderboards added friendly competition. And they didn't even need the rewards store—intrinsic motivation was enough.
"We all want to be cool. And tacos made it cool to show appreciation." — Klavdija Janc, Technical Project Manager
Recognition evolved from occasional to habitual. HeyTaco became how a distributed team stays connected—without adding process or overhead.
Why Traditional Remote Culture Fixes Don't Work
Most remote culture efforts fail because they try to recreate the office instead of building something new.
Offsites Are Too Rare
Annual retreats build connection, but it fades fast. Culture needs daily moments, not yearly events.
Perks Don't Travel
Office snacks and ping pong don't work when everyone's at home. Remote teams need different solutions.
How Recognition Builds Remote Culture
Recognition works because it creates visible, shared moments of appreciation—the foundation of any strong culture, remote or not.
Makes Work Visible
Great contributions get noticed, even across time zones.
Works Async
Send appreciation anytime. No coordination required.
Creates Shared Moments
Public recognition builds "watercooler" moments everyone can celebrate.
Compounds Daily
Small moments of appreciation add up to lasting culture.
What Remote Teams See When Recognition Works
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Stronger Sense of Belonging
Remote workers feel seen and valued, not just like a profile picture in a meeting.
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Better Cross-Team Connection
People in different locations and time zones feel like one team.
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More Engagement, Less Isolation
Daily recognition creates touchpoints that combat remote work loneliness.
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Culture That Scales
As you hire globally, recognition habits travel with the team.
Why Remote Teams Choose HeyTaco
Because it works without adding process or overhead.
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Fast to Start
Install in minutes. No training required. Teams see participation in the first week.
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Global Rewards
Gift cards work in 200+ countries. No more US-only perks for distributed teams.
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Peer-to-Peer
Everyone can recognize great work, not just managers. More voices, more connection.
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Culture Visibility
See connection trends across your distributed team without sending another survey.
4.8 on G2 • Trusted by 3k+ teams worldwide
Build a Remote Culture Where People Feel Connected
Try HeyTaco free for 30 days. No credit card required.
Start for free Get a demoFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about remote work culture, connection, and distributed team recognition.
Why do remote employees feel disconnected?
25% of fully remote employees feel lonely at work[1]—compared to 16% of on-site workers. Only 28% feel strongly connected to their company's mission. Without shared physical space, the small moments of appreciation that build culture often disappear.
How do you reduce remote employee turnover?
Companies that allow remote work see 25% lower employee turnover[3]. The key is maintaining connection and making people feel valued. Regular peer recognition helps remote workers feel seen, reducing isolation and improving retention.
How do you build culture with a remote team?
Remote culture is built through consistent, visible moments of connection. Recognition helps by making appreciation public and frequent—creating shared experiences even when people aren't in the same room.
Does recognition work for async teams?
Yes. HeyTaco is designed for async teams. Recognition happens in Slack or Teams whenever someone has a moment—no need to coordinate schedules or be online at the same time.
How does HeyTaco help remote teams feel connected?
HeyTaco creates visibility. When recognition happens in public channels, everyone sees who's helping, collaborating, and going above and beyond—even across time zones.
Can this replace in-person team bonding?
It's not a replacement—it's a complement. Recognition keeps connection alive between offsites, all-hands, and other synchronous moments.
How do you onboard remote employees effectively?
Remote onboarding works best when new hires feel welcomed and visible from day one. Recognition helps by encouraging teammates to celebrate small wins, answer questions, and acknowledge contributions—making new employees feel part of the team faster.
What tools help remote teams stay connected?
The best remote culture tools integrate with where work already happens. HeyTaco lives inside Slack and Microsoft Teams, so recognition becomes part of the daily workflow—not another app to check.
Sources
- Gallup – 1 in 5 Employees Worldwide Feel Lonely (25% remote vs 16% on-site, 28% mission connection)
- Remote Work Statistics 2025 – 67% of remote workers feel less connected to colleagues
- Remote.com – Companies allowing remote work have 25% lower turnover