Working Remotely
140 companies answer 6 questions
Working remotely comes with unique day-to-day challenges. From the initial step of implementing remote policy to nurturing company culture while operating remotely, we ask leading remote companies to share how they approach running their distributed teams from an operational level.
How did you implement a remote work policy?
Some of both. Many people wanted some remote work. We formalized it. A recent acquisition only worked well because the acquired colleagues all went remote.
Totally organically. We did what felt right, we learned from our mistakes, and we continue to evolve by listening to what our staff needs.
The idea came with the growth of our team. Once we decided to go remote, we implemented the formal processes. And we never looked back!
Can a remote-friendly company have a healthy culture?
Absolutely! A company culture is embedded throughout everything the company does, not a result of all employees being in the same physical location. We also…
Absolutely. The keys for us have been maintaining ongoing, open communication as a group, whether by Whatsapp, instant chat, email, Skype and phone, and ensuring…
Absolutely, but it probably takes more time. The “watercooler” conversations might have to happen in a chat room, and company-related extracurricular discussions and the like…
How do you nurture your company’s culture in a remote work environment?
No gossip policy Empower employees who know they are trusted Servant leadership—invest in our people (holistically, not just professionally) Live out our core values and…
Broadly speaking, our culture is based on the Relationship Care approach to servicing, an ethos that says service is a people business driven by the…
We embrace working remotely rather than shying away from it. All of our crew get a Timely robe on their one year anniversary. We celebrate…
What advice would you give to a team considering to go remote?
If you are thinking of adopting a remote workforce I would advise you to first do your research – see if a remote work environment…
Go all in, if you’re going to make the leap. In order to select and build the tools, systems, habits, and culture that really enable…
Remote work isn’t right for every company, but we think it could work for more companies than many people think. Online tools and in-person meetings…
What challenges have you encountered building a remote team?
Not being able to fully rely on people holding themselves responsible for their work goals and deadlines. Micro-management is always a pending threat with new…
Developing a high level of trust and collaboration with people who are half-around the world. It’s a challenge, but it’s possible, and as the various…
As the Melbourne office grew initially it was ensuring we had a culture that supports people working remotely. We didn’t want people to feel as…
What are the most effective tools for remote team communication?
Everyone’s on Slack, and we have a lot of channels set up, both work-related and just for fun. There’s a channel for just about everything,…
We use several tools to maintain constant communication throughout the day. Sqwiggle is our on-demand video platform, Attentiv.com offers us a constant stream to communicate…
These seem to come and go a little. Slack has been a game changer for us especially with the addition of video chat on demand.…
What has changed about how your remote team operates?
Advances in technology have made communication between team members – and with our clients – faster, easier, and more reliable.
As we grow, we build out more processes and planning. Done wrong, this could equal bureaucracy. Done right, these systems help us function despite not…
For a long time, we operated with a very flat team structure. As you can imagine, it’s much easier to maintain that structure at 15…
How does your team address different time zone challenges?
This is likely the largest challenge we face as a remote company. I don’t like making people stay up late or get up super early…
We make sure everyone coming on board understands the different time zones. We work together to identify when the majority of workers are available and…
Time zone differences can cause confusion within a remote team. Luckily, while the overall workflow has to be coordinated, the specific tasks for providing our…
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