*This article updated September 2025
When Slack first launched into the market my company was still quite small. Just 10 or 15 people. So small we all fit around the conference room table to stay in sync. If we weren’t huddled in the conference room, we’d send messages over Skype.
Our first sales hire walked into my office one day and told me we needed Slack. He was right.
The company would start growing, crossing team thresholds of 100, 200, 300, 400+ people. Some folks were in headquarters, but we quickly had 100+ people in our Austin office, 100+ people in Cairo, a small squad in India, and 25-50+ other team members, fractional workers, contractors, partners, and others sprinkled across the world.˙˙
Slack was a critical tool. In many ways, as Carol Paddison (Head of People at GivePanel) explained in our interview with her “Building A Remote Culture,” Slack was the office! When I eventually left my company – Levelset (acquired by PCOR) – I missed going into our Slack.
I missed going into Slack because all of our people were there, and our Slack installation was busting out of the seams with energy, celebration, genuine connection, and love!
The Slack platform offers what a team needs to communicate and get work done. It can be so much more.
Just like a physical workspace is what the company makes of it, the same is true for the digital workspace. This article explores strategies to make the best of your digital workspace to create a dynamic team culture that is built to scale and perform, and — when applicable — gives specific Slack app recommendations to help.
Table of Contents
Celebrate Your Company’s Moments
Moments really matter.
Small, “in real life” organically celebrate moments all the time. If you’re among a few friends or in a small workplace, folks will certainly tell you “happy birthday.” And within small groups of friends or colleagues, you’ll raise a glass together to celebrate life, work, or relationship milestones. But as groups grow larger and get more dispersed, it becomes more complicated to remember and celebrate those moments. Even worse, the moments may not even been noticed.
This quote from Chip & Dan Heath’s “Power of Moments” says it all:
Moments matter. And what an opportunity we miss when we leave them to chance. Teachers can inspire, caregivers can comfort, service workers can delight, politicians can unite, and managers can motivate. All it takes is a bit of insight and foresight.
Examples of Moment or Celebration Opportunities
Organizations should build moment-identifying flows and moment-celebrating functions into their digital workspaces. Organizations have tons of “moment opportunities,” such as these ten examples:
- Team Members’ Birthday
- Team Members’ Anniversary
- Holidays or meaningful awareness days
- The company’s anniversary
- The “first ___ dollars” or “first ___ users” milestone
- Nailing a monthly or quarterly sales goal
- When sales team member breaks a new record
- A team member gets promoted
- The company wins a workplace award
- A customer hits a milestone with a company’s help
Many organizations are just too big to sit around a conference room table and celebrate moments like these together. Instead, teams are spread across multiple offices, or they’re remote, or hybrid, or maybe they aren’t even all a single employee base but instead a team of contractors, fractional workers, advisors, offshore team members, and more.
Apps To Celebrate Moments in Digital Workspaces
Digital Workspaces like Slack or MS Teams are the “office” for these teams. And so this is a key place where these moments need to be noticed and celebrated. There are many Slack, Teams, or digital workspace apps that can help.
| Tool | In Slack? | In Teams? | Birthdays | Anniversaries | Custom/Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CultureBot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BirthdayBot | Yes | No | Yes | Extra | No |
| Billy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Extra | No |
| Celebrations (Dalikoo) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| AnnounceBot | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Asante | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dates Collector | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Doozy | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sparking Connections and Team Building
With a significant percentage of the workforce working remotely, it can be tricky to get teammates connected to one another. And this is no small matter. People working together on projects and goals, and who have some degree of shared fate together, should have some connections. These connections happen more naturally among small teams or teams who are joined together on a campus. But even in those situations, so much of work still gets done online, and digital workspaces like Slack or Microsoft Teams is a big, big part of where the team connects with one another.
So, how can leaders spark more connections within teams?
Team Building Ideas and Examples in Digital Workspaces (like Slack)
Team building can be as basic as encouraging conversations between employees and as complex as running a coffee buddy system weekly. Some apps in the market allow for employee shoutouts, promoting uplifting office culture instead of an overly competitive atmosphere. Depending on your team’s needs, there are plenty of different team-building ideas. Here are some common idea:
- Pair People To Meet: There are many different methodologies, pick some, and get people pairing up;
- Use Conversation Starters: Kick off conversations (including non-work convos) in channels to get folks talking
- Create interest channels: Create channels for people to join who have shared interests (pets, parents, books, travel, etc.)
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Make it easy for peers to shoutout others, reward others, and engage with others
Apps To Spark Connections and Make Team Building Easier
Now that we’ve covered why Slack apps are great for team building, let’s get into our top picks. We’ve considered widespread use, multitasking, team size, and more to bring you the best Slack apps for team building. Since every workplace is different, you may find that some of these apps work better for your needs than others. With that in mind, here are the top apps for connection and team building.
| Tool | In Slack | In Teams | Intros | Convo Starters | Peer-To-Peer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CultureBot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Donut | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Coffee & Chat | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Lunch Train | Yes | No | No | No | No |
Make Your Messages Stick!
Leaders want their messages to get through and to stick.
The best advice I ever got about messaging and communicating is that communication is not an activity, it’s a result. So you can send all the emails and slack messages you want, and repeat yourself until the end of time in meetings…if your message doesn’t stick in someone’s head, it’s not “communicated.”
So, how do you truly communicate your message? Get it to stick? And be the voice that lives inside your teams’ heads when they are working? Here are some apps that try to help.
Tools to Communicate Clearly, Consistently, And To Get Message Across
Here are some tools that help leaders communicate clearly:
| Tool | In Slack | In Teams | Why We Like It |
|---|---|---|---|
| CultureBot | Yes | Yes | Weave all of your messages into every part of your digital workplace’s activities. |
| Slack | Yes | Love this guide from Slack: 7 Ways To Improve Company-Wide Communication |
Tools That Help Keep The Message Front & Center
| Tool | In Slack | In Teams | Why We Like It |
|---|---|---|---|
| CultureBot | Yes | Yes | CultureBot enables leaders to weave their messages into all culture elements — combining values, goals, or messages into core messages, recognition and shoutouts, conversation starters, intros, games, and more. |
| WorkVivo | No | Yes | WorkVivo is an interesting platform that can be seen as a communications tool for leaders. |
| PollEverywhere | No | No | You can make your messages stick by getting your team to say them, ask questions about them, and engage with the message. That’s exactly what PollEverywhere is great at. While you’re presenting to a small team, or doing a huge all hands meeting, collect feedback and message and use your team’s words to reiterate your message. |
| Standuply | Yes | Yes | Another thing about communication is making sure your message is top of mind all the time, and that people are aligning around the most important things each day. While Standuply doesn’t help you communicate itself…it does help your team stay on-point to the most important stuff. |
| Align | No | No | Align is a great tool that makes it easier for owners and executives to run their company. This is a great example of a tool that helps keep the leader’s message simple and sticky at the top of everyone’s mind, and aligns everyone’s work toward the important work. |
Recognize, Thank, and Praise The Team
Employee recognition matters, and it will always matter.
Again, just like celebrations, this goes back to basic human interactions. Just think about the simplest iteration of this. When someone opens the door for you at your local coffee shop, you probably look them in the eye and say “thank you.” It’s absurd to think that leaders, organizations, and teams will let people dedicate so much of their life to work projects and never hear the same “thank you” that they get holding open someone’s door.
People like to know that their contributions matter, and peer recognition (i.e. teammates recognizing one another) is the most powerful way of all for people to know that what they do matters, and that they are helping other people working toward to the same ends.
Still, recognition is easier said than done.
This is especially true with hybrid, remote, and “hodgepodge” teams, and true for leaders who have tens, hundreds, or thousands of different people contributing to the broader project.
Different Types of Recognition
Recognition can and should be done in many different ways. Just like your team members have unique personalities and talents, they also appreciate different types of recognition. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. Here’s a breakdown of the main types of recognition:
- Verbal Recognition: Sometimes, a simple “thank you” or a public shout-out in a meeting can make someone’s day. It’s personal, immediate, and reinforces positive behaviors. Platforms like CultureBot make this super easy with quick shout-out features right within Slack.
- Tangible Rewards: Let’s be honest, everyone loves a little something extra. Tangible rewards like gift cards, company swag, extra time off, or even a handwritten note can add a personal touch and make the recognition more memorable.
- Peer-to-Peer Recognition: Empower your team to recognize each other’s contributions. Create a culture of shared success, where appreciation flows freely between colleagues. CultureBot rocks this with its peer-to-peer rewards and social recognition features.
- Monetary Rewards: Bonuses, salary increases, or profit-sharing show your team that their hard work directly contributes to the company’s success. Giving money is a powerful way to incentivize performance and demonstrate your appreciation.
- Experiential Rewards: These are all about creating lasting memories. Think concert tickets, weekend getaways, cooking classes – anything that provides a unique and enriching experience. Experiential rewards show your team that you value their well-being and personal interests.
Examples of Recognition Opportunities
Organizations should build recognition-identifying flows and recognition functions into their digital workspaces. Organizations have tons of “recognition opportunities,” such as these five examples:
- Enabling peers to easily give peer-to-peer “Shoutouts” (also called kudos, praise, etc.)
- Incorporate recognition (Thanks / Shoutouts) in every meeting
- Create recognition rituals for monthly, quarterly, annual awards
- Tie Recognition to Core Values, OKRs, or Goals to reinforce messages
- Roll recognition to the top so the CEO can chime in on people making key contributions
Apps to Make Recognition Pop in Digital Workspaces
The good news is that plenty of tools companies can use to facilitate more recognition. Incorporating recognition into tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams makes the most sense because that is the “digital office” where teams collaborate. Here are some example apps that can help implement employee recognition practices from both the top-down and peer-to-peer.
| Tool | In Slack? | In Teams? | Shoutouts | Peer Rewards | Tag To Values |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CultureBot | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guusto | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| HeyTaco | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bonusly | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Kudos | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Karma | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Peer Fives | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Achievers | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Awardco | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Assembly | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Get The Team To Have Fun Together
Fun is one of those concepts that was traditionally frowned upon at work. Then, when companies realized the boosts to productivity that an enjoyable environment creates, they quickly set to work forcibly mandating fun to improve their bottom lines. This resulted in uncomfortable scenarios where many workers would have just been allowed to get on with their work.
Thankfully now there are more effective ways to allow teams to enjoy themselves in the ways they want to, creating a healthier existence for employees and bringing those same boosts to productivity to employers. But why is fun so crucial in the first place? And how do you go about facilitating it with remote teams?
Why It’s important For Remote & Hybrid Teams To Have Fun
Remote work doesn’t have to be a lesser substitute for the physical office. There are plenty of ways to recreate that environment virtually and even ways to improve upon the traditional approach. With the right apps, it’s easy to break up the monotony of work throughout the day and bring people together from a distance.
This creates a healthier and more productive workplace for remote teams, which offers boosts to several critical elements of a conducive work environment:
- Engagement: Introducing games into your working environment punctuates the day with moments that happily break up the raw effort of work. Regardless of how much someone loves their job, there will always be tedious, laborious, complex, or otherwise draining tasks. Taking time to stimulate the playful side helps you stay engaged with your work and creates a kind of stamina that’s important for getting through these moments. While it’s an opportunity to reconnect with your work, it’s also a chance to connect with the people in the larger organization.
- Team Culture: Since fun at work usually manifests as a social event, this creates a collaborative environment between people who may not be working together directly. For those who already are, it’s a chance to strengthen bonds and team up on things that aren’t work-related and have less pressure attached to them. Competitions, shoutouts, quizzes, and other enjoyable little moments at work can be a great way to promote team culture and spread the positive energy the company wants to instill in its teams.
- Productivity: Engagement and team culture lead to more well-rounded individuals who work better and are more comfortable doing what they do. This translates to a boost in the quality of the work completed. But achieving this in the new remote environment is a new skill. Slack is commonly used to consolidate all communications and task management across remote teams, but it’s also a great place to stimulate culture and have fun.
- Avoid Burnout: We’ve all been there – sprint, sprint, sprint…. and… you burn out. You’ve worked yourself to the bone. It’s all too easy in this day and age of remote work that we all live in to wake up, go right to your screens (Slack included) and start scrolling, scrolling, scrolling through work messages. It’s not sustainable, and you should be aware of not only the signs of burnout for you, but for your team too. More importantly, once you recognize that burnout is happening, what are you going to do to combat it? Well, having fun is a great counter-balance to burnout.
We’ve got a handful of cool apps you can add to slack for this purpose. Between them, you can accomplish everything you need in terms of the above perks and start seeing the benefits immediately.
| Tool | In Slack? | In Teams? | Why We Like It |
|---|---|---|---|
| CultureBot | Yes | Yes | CultureBot brings games and fun right into your Digital Workspace. Teams can quickly trigger and play games async, or live…but more interestingly for leaders, teams can play games that matter to the company, like custom trivia about the company’s mission, goals, values, or history. |
| Tic-Tac-Toe | Yes | No | This is one of the simplest and most popular bots on Slack. Quickly populate a game board automatically from within a channel or DM of your choice and play the classic game of TTT in your own time. One of the cool things about this game for remote teams is that there’s no time limit, so players can play asynchronously from wherever they are whenever they get the chance. This bot allows new employees to engage with current members or any of your team’s individuals to take a moment away to reset. Games can be short or drawn out, and you can run multiple concurrent games on different channels |
| ChessBot | Yes | No | For something a little more involved, consider this little bot for Slack. Chess is a challenging game that’s easy enough to learn and near-impossible to master. It can be played across any culture or time zone, and it’s great for longer games that sometimes take days. As a game involving much more thought than TTT, it’s not usually something that can be played fast but does lend itself very well to asynchronous playing. Engagement is a vital benefit of this Slack bot since employees can play against management in a battle of skill, leveling the playing field and creating a more equitable space and culture in the remote workspace. |
| Word of The Hour | Yes | No | This nifty little app lets you learn words in more than ten different languages. Each hour, a new word arrives and often creates fun talking points among your remote teams. If you’ve got employees from different backgrounds, it’s an excellent way to compare languages and show an interest in their language. You can use this one in conjunction with other elements of your fun slack app arsenal. For example, combine the word of the hour with some of your water cooler topics from CultureBot to get people engaged or provide points or rewards for phrases that your team members have predicted. |
| GameMonk | Yes | No | GameMonk is a beautiful little app that allows you to play a few quick games inside Slack in 90 seconds or less to get your mind off of work before a meeting, after a meeting, or during your afternoon coffee or lunch break. |
| Bored | Yes | No | Eliminate boredom and allow people to take a break and get re-energized with a collection of games. Bored seems to be one of the most advanced gaming platforms on Slack. The games are unique creative and fun. They also release a steady stream of updates and are constantly gathering feedback from their users. Whether it’s seeing who can caption a meme the best, or who chooses the funniest way to roast a player this app will surely get your team laughing |
Best Apps For Remote Teams In General
One secret ingredient for good cultures isn’t about engagement, recognition, surveys, celebrations, communications, or anything like that…it’s much more simple. Good cultures don’t let themselves get suffocated by irrelevancy. They are productive. And they have great tools in-hand to make everything at work go smoothly.
And so this last category of tools for good culture is a bit of an adjacency. It’s not “Culture Software” per say. It’s just plain ‘ol good software. And this review specifically looks at remote and hybrid teams, because remote and hybrid teams have very specific collaboration challenges.
Working remotely has many benefits, from sourcing talent from afar to collaborating with several offices simultaneously. Thanks to the versatility of Slack, building the ideal virtual workspace is easier than ever. Using the right Slack apps, you can launch your remote team to new heights of productivity and collaboration.
Here are seven best Slack apps for remote teams. Overall. We’ve ranked these apps based on versatility, collaboration, ease of use, and overall usefulness, so you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the best app for your workspace.
| Tool | Why We Like It |
|---|---|
| Google Drive | You’re missing out if you’re not using Google Drive. This Slack integration is necessary for any business sharing documents, spreadsheets, pictures, etc. With Google Drive integrated into your Slack channels, you can easily add new collaborators to sheets, provide updates, leave comments, and more. This Slack integration may have fewer social implications than others on our list. Still, if you want to streamline your document sharing and make collaborating between departments a breeze, you need Google Drive integration. |
| Google Calendar | Much like Google Drive, Google Calendar is a foundational app for any business Slack channel. Sharing events, meetings, and itineraries with the click of a button can streamline office communications in a snap. Google Calendar can update your weekly meeting time to invite a team member to virtual lunch. While Google Calendar is a one-trick Slack app, there’s something to be said for how seamlessly it works to keep all your office events in one convenient place. |
| CultureBot | CultureBot is one of the top picks for remote teams because it makes it easy to celebrate, connect, and communicate. From peer-to-peer acknowledgments that celebrate wins, to virtual water cooler prompts that connect teammates through automated icebreakers, to anonymous surveys that open up honest communication, CultureBot brings everything into Slack to strengthen workplace culture. With features like employee wellness initiatives to prevent burnout and socialization starters that keep channels lively, CultureBot helps distributed teams build a positive, collaborative environment where people feel engaged, supported, and part of something bigger. |
| Trello | Trello is a great way to organize office tasks into simple cards. These cards, in turn, move through work stages as an easy way to track progress. Trello is a great way to stay on track if you work in a business that floats several projects simultaneously. From keeping track of customer follow-up messages to bringing content pieces through every stage of creation, Trello can simplify and streamline your production pipeline. One of the best parts of the Trello Slack integration is how easy adding someone to a card becomes. Pinging individuals can happen through any Slack channel, and you can add or remove contributors instantly, cutting down on unnecessary notifications and streamlining the process. Contributors can add comments, move projects forward, or even create new projects without leaving Slack, making this an ideal collaboration app for those in production-heavy departments. |
| ClickUp | Another project-management platform, ClickUp, merges the best parts of Google Calendar with Trello, allowing you to track a project in terms of time and steps completed. Team members can easily join or leave a project, leave comments, and even add new to-do steps, all from the convenience of a Slack channel. |
| Polly | Have you ever wondered how a meeting went? Want to poll team members for insights without putting someone on the spot? If the answer is yes, Polly is the Slack app for you. This Slack integration uses the power of AI to track employee engagement during meetings, allowing you to track how successful your latest meeting was. You can also run employee engagement surveys and question-and-answer segments from the comfort of your office’s Slack channel. |
| MoodBit | Similarly to Polly, MoodBit helps track workplace engagement without putting team members on the spot. The automated insight tracking works through your office’s Slack channel to track overall engagement and boost team satisfaction. With MoodBit, you can say goodbye to yearly satisfaction surveys and hello to actionable insights perfect for preventing burnout and promoting team engagement. If you’re looking for metrics tracking on a new level, MoodBit may be a good fit for your team. |
And for more on Slack specifically as a powerful tool for Remote and Hybrid Teams, check out these our “Slack Best Practices” article, as well as this helpful 4-Part Interview Series on Slack Best Practices.
What To Look For in Culture Software
All of this discussion is about how to build a richer, more connected, and more productive culture, and I guess you can classify all the tools into a broad “Culture Software” category. And as you can see from a quick survey of this article, there are a lot of options out there (and we’re just scratching the surface!!).
So, what exactly should leaders be looking for here? Here are a few things for you and your team to consider:
- Pricing: Platforms range from free basic versions to enterprise-level solutions with hefty price tags. Figure out how much you’re willing to invest before you start shopping.
- Your company size and structure: Some platforms are better suited for small, tight-knit teams, while others are designed for large, complex organizations.
- Your company culture: Choose a platform that aligns with your company’s values, recognition, and work style. If your culture is informal and collaborative, a platform with strong social recognition features might be a good fit.
- Integration with your existing systems: Make sure the platform plays nicely with your other tools, like your HRIS, payroll system, and communication platforms.
- User experience (UX): The platform should be easy and intuitive for everyone to use, regardless of their tech skills. A clunky or complicated interface will just discourage people from participating.
- Customization options: Look for a platform that lets you tailor the program to your specific needs, including branding, reward options, and recognition categories.
- Reward options: Think about the types of rewards that would motivate your team. Some platforms offer a wider range of options than others, including gift cards, experiences, charitable donations, and custom rewards.
- Mobile accessibility: Make sure the platform is accessible on mobile devices so your team can send and receive recognition from anywhere.
- Analytics and reporting: Robust reporting features can give you valuable insights into how your program is performing and help you make improvements over time.
And you know what the most important thing is when evaluating culture software? Look for something that aligns with your cultural point of view.
This category will keep moving forward and there will be more and more software options, with more and more features. You want to partner with a company who is aligned on what culture means, and how to develop it out, so that both the software provider and your team’s culture can blossom together.
FAQs about Culture Software
What Slack apps improve employee engagement?
The best Slack apps for engagement include tools for recognition, surveys, and social connection. CultureBot is a top choice, combining peer shoutouts, celebrations, wellness tips, and watercooler prompts in one app. Others like Donut (intros), HeyTaco (rewards), and Polly (surveys) also help foster culture.
What is the best Slack app for birthdays and work anniversaries?
CultureBot automates birthdays and work anniversaries in Slack or Teams, ensuring no milestone goes unnoticed. It sends personalized messages, optional gift cards, and even collages for larger teams.
Are there free Slack apps for team culture?
Yes, many Slack apps offer free plans. CultureBot has a free tier for small teams, while apps like Donut, Simple Poll, and HeyTaco also provide basic free versions. However, advanced features like reporting, automation, and integrations often require a paid plan.
How do Slack apps help remote teams?
Slack apps help remote teams by creating consistent touchpoints for connection. From automated icebreakers and trivia games to anonymous surveys and peer recognition, these apps fill the gap left by in-person interactions.
What’s the difference between CultureBot and other Slack apps?
Most Slack apps specialize in one function—like polls, kudos, or virtual coffee chats. CultureBot stands out by combining multiple features into one platform: celebrate (birthdays, anniversaries, rewards), connect (watercooler, games, wellness), and communicate (surveys, nudges, comms center).
How do you install a Slack app like CultureBot?
Slack apps can be added from the Slack App Directory or directly from the provider’s website. For CultureBot, visit getculturebot.com, click “Add to Slack,” and follow the authorization steps.
Can Slack apps measure culture and engagement?
Yes. Tools like CultureBot include reporting dashboards that track shoutouts, rewards, survey responses, and even emoji reactions, helping leaders measure recognition and engagement across teams.
