Transparency, working asynchronously and keeping a simple company rhythm – this is how to build a powerful remote work culture that boosts performance and attracts talent.

Looking to build a strong remote work culture?

By nature of our industry (software development) and the fact that delivering the best work often requires bringing in experts in tech from a much wider geographical spread than one would in some other industries, we at Kohde have learnt a thing or two about remote work through the years.

The Hardest Part Of Building a Remote-First Culture For Owners

For tech companies, the first hurdle is building trust without a shared office.

“As with any relationship, trust, connection and clear communication are the building blocks of working together,” says Neil van der Walt, Senior Marketing Manager at Kohde. “The challenge for a remote-first company is how to build that trust and connection when the team is scattered.” 

That is why remote work culture has to make your values visible in daily work, not in a slide no one reads. Joe van der Walt, Kohde’s Founding Director, calls out four execution traps that owners underestimate:

"Recruitment loses nuance on video, meet senior candidates in person when you can. Culture requires intentional design since daily micro-interactions disappear. Quality of service demands disciplined systems and transparent information. And conflict? Some things just need to be resolved face-to-face."

That’s the real work: design a remote work culture so trust, clarity and pace don’t depend on a shared office.

Behaviours And Habits That Make Remote Work Culture A Success

1. Protect Deep Work, Then Inspect Outcomes

Remote is a gift for engineers because it protects four-hour focus blocks. “It’s on their schedule instead of the manager’s schedule,” Joe says. “And there’s no hovering.” Lesson? Build your week around focus, then measure outcomes, not hours. When remote work culture reduces context switching, quality and speed go up.

2. Go Async By Default, Live On Purpose

Async means people read, think and respond in writing. It gives space for better decisions and cuts meeting load. Use live sessions on purpose for three cases only: conflict, ambiguity or high-stakes calls. Joe’s warning matters here: “Many arguments can be solved in person that are almost impossible to resolve online only.” 

Make the call, resolve it fast, then go back to async. This is where remote work culture keeps alignment without micromanagement.

3. Show The Work, Every Week

Run a 10-minute daily standup with cameras on to surface blockers, and have frequent demos that show working software or process outcomes. When teams demo real work, the remote work culture stays honest and momentum builds.

4. Write It Down Where Everyone Can See It

Create one shared wiki — at Kohde it’s called the “Kohde Book” — that holds processes, decisions and norms. Every project carries a one-line weekly goal anyone can repeat. When information is public by default, remote work culture stops knowledge hoarding and makes onboarding faster.

5. Keep A Simple Company Rhythm & Meet In-Person Quarterly

Beyond delivery, we keep people in the loop with monthly Kohde reviews: New projects, partnerships, team changes, upcoming birthdays and short “show and tells” from different teams. 

Once a quarter, you can drive online engagement. Kohde does “Kohde Talks” — anyone can present a topic that helps others. Adding light social glue that travels well online (emojis, sticker sheets, quick team events). 

Kohde also schedules quarterly in-person get-togethers (we call them “Kohde-o’clocks”) to help people reconnect and recharge. These small rituals make remote work culture feel human and keep pride in the work alive.

How To Keep People Engaged Long-Distance

Disengagement shows up in silence first, then in missed handoffs. We counter that with small, visible habits.

“Our daily standups and bi-weekly retros are super important exactly for this reason,” says Neil. “You can quickly notice burnout or disengagement and escalate early.” 

Cameras-on helps you read the room. Kohde also keeps an open policy where anyone can join any standup via a shared events account. That transparency spreads context and lowers the barrier to asking for help. This is engagement hygiene for a remote work culture.

Bringing new people in needs just as much intent. On day one, a new joiner at Kohde gets a real task plus a short onboarding list anchored in the Kohde Book. They update their profile, learn how we work and contribute to the wiki so they start as givers, not just receivers. 

Teams are a mix of levels and we rotate people across projects to accelerate learning, add fresh thinking and spread know-how. Seniors and leads then match tasks to each person’s growth path. This is how remote work culture keeps juniors supported and moving forward without a manager pacing behind them.

The Most Important Part of Remote Work

“People need human interaction,” Joe reminds us. “Your co-workers are not necessarily your friends, but they are important in your professional life. They help you achieve your goals and they share a unique part of your life that is outside of your social circle.”

The takeaway isn’t to abandon remote work culture. It’s to run it with intent: Protect deep work, write decisions down, resolve conflicts live when needed, and schedule periodic in-person days for momentum. Do that, and remote work culture becomes a superpower instead of a management headache.

Want a Second Opinion on Your Remote Setup?

We've been running distributed teams at Kohde for nearly a decade, the lessons here come from real experience building software across South Africa. Remote work culture either accelerates delivery or creates drag, depending on how it's designed.

If you're refining your remote operations, need help with team rhythm and clarity, or want guidance on what actually works, let's talk.