Strong team culture can be the fine line between success and failure. But in an age of remote and hybrid teams and remote workers, cultural cohesion can seem like a bigger challenge than ever. Fortunately, you’ve got one secret weapon on your side: your HR team.

The past year has been what many, including myself, are describing as a relentless crisis. Some businesses have passed this test thanks to the hard work and dedication of their employees. But a year of sustained stress could be the catalyst for another crisis: a tidal wave of employee burnout.

Change has been the only constant in recent months, as everyone tries to adapt to remote work, Zoom meetings, and social distancing practices. It’s been an unprecedented strain, and most people feel like they’ve had enough change to last a lifetime.

A couple years ago, Merriam-Webster announced “Culture” as the top word of the year as shown by the increase in look ups over the prior year. Not surprising as it seems to appear in regular conversations I have with clients and colleagues daily.

In an ideal world, performance reviews would be 100% objective. Every employee would face the same yardstick and you would get a consistent assessment of their contribution.

Remote working has been a massive success in the past year. But now that the vaccine is rolling out, employers are looking at ways to ditch Zoom calls and return to the office. There’s just one problem: not everyone wants to go back. And it’s causing tension at some companies.