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?
We implemented our remote work policy formally from the start. We never had the intent of starting with a fixed team sitting in an office!
Formally, from the hiring process onward.
It started very organically; we tried lots of different things and would discuss what we liked and disliked the most. From there, we were able…
Can a remote-friendly company have a healthy culture?
Of course. Culture isn’t only a product of proximity, it’s a product of how you treat your staff. We know from studies that remote companies…
Absolutely! But as with any culture, you have to put a lot of effort into building it in order to have a strong one. Since…
Remote companies can have a healthy culture. In one sense, you don’t have the constant interpersonal contact that can sometimes damage relationships which might inadvertently…
How do you nurture your company’s culture in a remote work environment?
We train our new employees on our company culture, which is based on Accountability, Visibility and Respect. We have weekly onboarding meetings for all new…
We have an incredible Director of Culture and Development who is focused on developing a strong culture in a remote work environment. Examples of some…
Our online forum is an important part of our company, a place where everyone can share ideas and chat—a virtual water cooler, if you will.
What advice would you give to a team considering to go remote?
The remote environment is not for everyone. If a company wants to implement a 100% remote environment, I would highly recommend speaking to an operations…
Be accommodating and flexible. You will receive their dedication in return.
Working remotely can be isolating, especially for new hires that are used to traditional office settings. Companies should encourage employees to participate in local activities,…
What challenges have you encountered building a remote team?
There were several challenges we encountered that led us to make accommodations early on in the development of the program: Overall adoption of the practice…
The biggest challenge we’ve found is when we encounter verticals that aren’t able to handle an “officeless” company. One of our team members worked for…
Finding the right talent – people that flourish in remote environments. Communicating goals and objectives and ensuring those flow through the organization. Coordinating complex projects…
What are the most effective tools for remote team communication?
We use a number of technologies and platforms that allow for constant communication such as Office 365, Yammer, Skype for Business, Confluence and good, old-fashioned…
We use HipChat for our day-to-day communication in addition to Asana for project management. HipChat has several designated channels where the whole team is involved:…
Our team uses Skype, Jing, Trello and Pivotal Tracker to communicate. We try not to use email, because information tends to get lost and inboxes…
What has changed about how your remote team operates?
The communication has gotten better between the team. We are a very tight-knit “travel family” and our goal is to service our clients in the…
As the Internet has changed, we have opened more and more channels for communication with our teachers and between teachers. As we expand globally, our…
The team is constantly growing, so communication changed. We need to make sure to stay as transparent as possible, for example by sharing meeting notes…
How does your team address different time zone challenges?
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…
First, establishing ahead of time when team members will be available. Second, hiring individuals who are willing to be flexible when necessary to coordinate with team members…
Everyone adds their working hours to company calendar, then each team leader knows very well when everyone is on working time. This allows us to…
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