If remote work is going to "work," we have to find a way to recreate these too. Distrust, disengagement, and isolation are well-documented outcomes of remote work – they've skyrocketed since the pandemic and they won't come down unless we create a new digital home for building relationships.

Why can't we just use tools like Slack or Teams?

Because the key to driving non-work interactions is creating separation from work – much easier to find in the physical office than the 10 hours per day on average knowledge workers are spending inside of Slack and Teams.

That's part of why, while video conferencing can play a role in remote team building, it's not without some limitations.

First, Zoom fatigue is a real problem. Employees are already spending so much time in front of the webcam for meetings, the last thing most want is another hour on camera, even for a happy hour.

Second, video conferences aren't inherently designed for culture and relationship building. Because 90% of information we convey is non-verbal, context often gets lost in translation. It's also hard for larger groups to interact and nearly impossible for spontaneous connections to be made like they would during casual conversations.

Lastly, employees associate Zoom and other productivity-related tools with work, not team building, so channeling relationship-building activities through these platforms may limit the impact on belonging and trust. Add in the fatigue issue, and companies might even be exacerbating the problem when they turn primarily to Zoom to build culture.

With much less in-person communication, employers must take a more purposeful approach to developing connections and fostering relationships with a strategy that puts team building and culture at its core.

Here are 5 suggestions to get there:

1. Offer a digital platform specifically for workplace culture. For remote work to "work," companies must create a dedicated digital space to house the casual non-work interactions we used to routinely have at the office.

This separate space replicates what makes the breakroom or the office softball team so valuable for relationship-building: they take place outside of and separate from work, creating some much needed "gravity" for informal conversations among coworkers to occur.

Moreover, by offering an inclusive platform for all employees to participate in, you'll send an important signal that culture and relationships are a priority.

2. Emphasize rich media. Using digital channels designed for photo and video sharing allows employees to express more of their personality. This creates a deeper level of connection that's hard to replicate in Zoom, where nuance and personality aren't easily conveyed.

For example, sharing a favorite photo from a recent family camping trip conveys more context and emotion than just talking about the event briefly while waiting for others to join the Zoom call.

3. Use a second screen to amplify engagement in live meetings. Pairing Zoom with a digital culture channel can add some much needed depth and impact to that recurring staff meeting.

For example, dedicate 10 minutes at the start of each weekly meeting to share and discuss photos from our personal lives or have a quick trivia contest. The smiles and reactions from these kinds of simple "second screen" exercises help reinforce connection and trust among the team.

4. Provide asynchronous team building activities to spark conversation. Sometimes you have to plant a seed to get the conversation started. Post a "question of the week," a photo contest or other prompt that sparks participation asynchronously throughout the work week so every employee can participate on their own time.

For example, ask employees to share their favorite teacher from growing up or post a photo that shows how they spent their weekend.

Use timely conversation starters around current events or pop culture to entice the team to share thoughts, images or videos that provide insight into their personality or interests.

5. Make personal recognition a central component. You're probably already using an employee recognition solution that allows coworkers to celebrate a job well done on a big project or an important sales proposal.

But what about their personal accomplishments—fitness milestones, family additions, volunteer projects, etc-that we used to share around the water cooler?

In a dedicated culture hub, it's a more natural setting for employees to share their personal achievements – and even receive badges that more formally recognize the efforts. This not only allows employees to get the recognition they deserve but also extends the commonality that's so valuable for forging connection.

Providing a dedicated workplace culture platform, separate from the productivity tools we use to get our work done, gives employees the digital space they need to find commonality and build relationships.

And by creating the environment for casual conversations and sharing, organizations can overcome the culture challenges tied to remote work – and ultimately drive better business performance.

Mark Sawyier is the co-founder and CEO of Bonfyre, a workplace culture platform designed to build human connections. Mark leads the Bonfyre team from their offices in St Louis and founded the company in 2012.