Salary, benefits, and clear expectations are important, but employees also want to feel connected to something meaningful. That connection starts with branding. While companies usually focus on branding that’s visible to customers, internal branding — how your team sees your company represented — matters too. With the rise in remote work across many industries according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, now is the time to focus on building a brand that speaks to your remote workforce. Here’s what you can expect.
Define Core Values
Many companies talk about branding, but don’t follow through consistently. That’s especially true for remote or hybrid teams. If your employees don’t know what your core values are, they’ll make decisions based on guesses. Making branding a regular part of your internal processes gives you the chance to define what matters most in a way your team can understand and use day to day. Values like transparency, accountability, collaboration, philanthropy, and continuous learning can serve as anchors in a distributed environment. These principles guide behavior, shape culture, and help remote employees feel grounded, even when they’re working from different locations and time zones.
Streamline Internal and External Marketing
Employees can tell when your branding for customers doesn’t line up with how you treat your staff. If you promote quality and care to clients but cut corners when it comes to supporting your remote team, it sends mixed messages. That disconnect can hurt morale and push people to leave, especially if they joined your company because they believed in your brand. Aligning your internal and external branding helps you build trust and loyalty both inside and outside the organization.
Build Cohesive Teams that live your brand
It can be hard to extend your brand culture and build strong connections in remote teams. People don’t see each other in person and might not feel like part of a group. If you think of your remote workers as separate or temporary, you lose the opportunity to empower them as ambassadors of your brand and risk isolating them. Instead, treat them as part of the team and help them live the brand by using tools —regular virtual hangouts, company-wide shoutouts, casual chats, team-building games, shared interest groups — to build a sense of community and belonging.
Foster a Collaborative Work Culture
Remote teams work best when communication and collaboration are prioritized. But without clear guidance, remote work can feel disconnected from the brand purpose. The negativity of a bad attitude or a poor experience can spread quickly and drag down the whole team. A brand strategy that lines up with company goals fosters a more positive and productive work environment — employees feel they are an important part of the company, contributing to its purpose.
Enhance Employee Engagement
Keeping employees engaged is a challenge across the board, and remote workplaces often have an even harder time. Gallup reported that employee engagement hit a 10-year low in 2024. When only about a third of your team feels connected to their work — and a good chunk feels actively disengaged — it’s time to seek answers and redirect toward change. Many remote workers say they don’t feel like anyone cares about their performance or growth. That’s often a sign of poor management. A consistent internal brand helps set expectations, gives people a sense of direction, and reminds them that their work matters.
Reinforce Positive Behaviors
Not every manager knows how to lead a remote team. That lack of guidance can lead to big differences in how teams operate. With consistent branding, you create clear expectations not just for employees, but also for managers. It builds a framework that’s easier to follow and helps set a consistent tone across the organization. Managers and their direct reports across all departments are working toward unified goals.
Attract Top Talent
To entice top talent, your brand needs to resonate with both customers and potential employees. Job seekers are often drawn to organizations that share their personal values and beliefs. That sense of connection should grow after they’re hired — not disappear. Highly skilled candidates often look for remote work, but they still expect a coordinated work culture whether they’re remote, hybrid, or in-office. If the experience you offer matches the brand you promote, you’ll be in a much better position to keep top talent.
Increase Employee Retention
Remote work is attractive to many professionals, so you’d expect retention to be higher in those roles. But that’s not always the case. Fully remote teams may struggle with identity, while companies with just a few remote workers sometimes overlook them altogether. If engagement has been left out of your brand strategy, remote employees might feel excluded. The high cost of turnover shows just how valuable a consistent, inclusive brand really is.
Improve Brand Advocacy
Your employees can be your biggest advocates. A LinkedIn survey found that 75% of job seekers look at a company’s brand before applying. People want to be proud of where they work, and branding can effectively shape that experience. Brand consulting firms can help you determine strategies. When your internal and external brand reflect the same core values, your team is more likely to feel connected — and to talk positively about your organization to others.
Effective branding isn’t just for your customers. If you want a remote workforce that’s engaged, collaborative, and motivated, branding should be a key focus. When your brand consistently reflects what you offer to both clients and employees, you’re building a better place to work — and that benefits everyone.
