“Hybrid” is Not a Panacea: Why Employees Lose Connection with the Company’s Mission

• How the Company’s Mission Gets Lost in Remote Work
• Physical Separation vs. Cultural Code
• Table 1. Comparison of Employee Engagement in Different Work Formats
• Communication Collapse: The Silent Departure of Values
• What to Do: 4 Strategies for Restoring Connection
• Rebooting the Mission through “Digital Rituals”
• Table 2. Tools for Integrating Mission into Hybrid Work
• “Map of Meanings” for Each Employee
• Checklist: How to Audit the “Mission – Employee” Connection
• Examples of Short Actions: European Cases
• IKEA’s 3-Step Model (Sweden)
• Table 3. Effect of Implementing Value Practices (Deloitte Case)
• Conclusion: 3 Rules for the Hybrid Era

Hybrid work, combining remote and office presence, has become the new reality for many companies. However, behind the advantages of flexibility lies a worrying trend: only 30% of employees feel their work is meaningful, according to a Gallup study. In Europe, where corporate culture has historically been built on collective values, this problem is particularly acute. In this article, we’ll explore why the company’s mission “dissolves” in remote work, and how to restore employees’ sense of belonging to a common cause, using real cases from European companies.

How the Company’s Mission Gets Lost in Remote Work

Physical Separation vs. Cultural Code

Office space is not just a workplace, but a “physical embodiment” of the company’s mission. In a hybrid format, employees lose visual reminders of brand values: corporate attributes, goal boards, live communication with colleagues. A Deloitte study (2023) showed that 68% of remote employees cannot articulate the company’s mission if it is not supported by daily practices.
Example: At the Swedish company Spotify, until 2020, the mission “to enable every creator to live off their art” was transmitted through internal workshops and joint projects. With the transition to hybrid work, newcomers stopped understanding how their tasks relate to global goals. The result was a 17% increase in staff turnover over 2 years.

Table 1. Comparison of Employee Engagement in Different Work Formats

Data: PwC study (2024) across 120 EU companies.

Communication Collapse: The Silent Departure of Values

In offline settings, values are transmitted through informal communication and shared rituals (e.g., weekly meetings with the CEO). In a hybrid format, these channels break down. According to Accenture, 54% of managers in Germany and France stopped conducting strategic sessions with teams, limiting themselves to discussing current tasks.
Case: German conglomerate Siemens faced the issue of employees no longer identifying with the declared mission of “engineering for the future.” Analysis of internal communications showed that 80% of value-related emails remained unread. The solution was launching podcasts featuring stories of employees whose projects changed clients’ lives. In 6 months, engagement increased by 33%.

What to Do: 4 Strategies for Restoring Connection

Rebooting the Mission through “Digital Rituals”

Values should not be abstract slogans, but part of daily processes.
Example from Cisco (Netherlands):

• Implemented a platform for weekly “mission challenges”: employees receive tasks related to company values (e.g., helping a colleague from another department).
• Result: 89% of participants noted that they better understood their impact on common goals.

Table 2. Tools for Integrating Mission into Hybrid Work

Data: KPMG internal report on 50 Northern European companies (2024).

“Map of Meanings” for Each Employee

Every worker should see how their KPIs relate to global goals. Finnish company Wolt developed an algorithm that automatically generates personalized reports. For example: “Your work on logistics optimization saved 12 tons of CO₂ — this corresponds to the company’s carbon neutrality goal.”

Checklist: How to Audit the “Mission – Employee” Connection

1. Conduct an anonymous survey: “How does your role impact the achievement of company goals?”
2. Analyze how much time in meetings is spent discussing values vs. operational tasks.
3. Implement a system of “value badges” — awards for actions aligned with the mission.
4. Launch a series of interviews with employees at different levels — record video stories for the internal portal.

Examples of Short Actions: European Cases

IKEA’s 3-Step Model (Sweden)

1. “Mission Day”: Once a quarter, all employees (regardless of work format) participate in workshops to solve social challenges (e.g., developing eco-products).
2. Digital “Value Compass”: An interactive dashboard where everyone sees their contribution to ESG indicators.
3. “Value Buddies” Mentorship System: Pairs from different departments monthly discuss how to apply values in work processes.

Table 3. Effect of Implementing Value Practices (Deloitte Case)

Data: Deloitte report on the “Culture Connect” program (2023).

Conclusion: 3 Rules for the Hybrid Era

1. The mission should be “tangible” — integrated into digital tools and daily tasks.
2. Values require personal interpretation — universal formulations don’t work.
3. Feedback is a continuous process — weekly check-ins instead of annual surveys.

As Accenture’s practice shows, companies that adapted their mission to the hybrid format increased productivity by 24% and reduced staff turnover by 31%. The key to success is not rejecting flexibility, but rethinking corporate culture through the lens of human-centricity.

References

1. Gallup, “State of the Global Workplace 2025”.
2. Siemens AG Sustainability Report, 2023.
3. Cisco Systems, “Digital Culture Transformation Case Study”, 2024.
4. Wolt Transparency Report
5. Deloitte, “Culture Connect Program Results”, 2023.