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?
As with most things at Envato, what started organically has become a little more formal now that the Envato team is around 280. Formally acknowledging…
I would say remote work for us is more about the culture (the values and norms), rather than the process. Even though I know that…
Initially, we had formal guidelines and documents on the “how to’s” of working remotely. As we have adapted to this virtual/remote office model, the policies…
Can a remote-friendly company have a healthy culture?
Absolutely, but it takes a little more work and doesn’t happen as organically as it would in an office. We have a #water-cooler channel in…
Yes. While our employees work in different states and alone from home, no one feels like they are working alone because they see each other…
Sure, by following a similar transparent process and a welcoming environment nurturing remote teams and rewarding proactiveness, feedback, and criticism. Our CEO and our top…
How do you nurture your company’s culture in a remote work environment?
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…
We try to infuse fun into our remote work environment to nurture our culture. We do things online together like get festive for birthdays and…
We talk about our company culture frequently and make sure everyone knows that their voice is valued in each discussion about continuing to create culture.…
What advice would you give to a team considering to go remote?
I’d say it’s the best opportunity a company can have to work with talented people from all over the world—you’re not limited to post and…
Plan ahead. Get the right communication tools in place. Also consider that working from home might not be right for everyone. For that reason I’ve…
Some companies view a remote workforce as a means of reducing operating cost. We view it as an investment in finding the very best talent…
What challenges have you encountered building a remote team?
Finding and vetting qualified editors from around the world to meet the volume demand during busy periods has been one of our main challenges. Because…
Finding the right talent – people that flourish in remote environments. Communicating goals and objectives and ensuring those flow through the organization. Coordinating complex projects…
Probably the biggest challenge was hiring extraordinary people…but who had no remote experience yet. This requires you to invest a lot of time, mentoring and…
What are the most effective tools for remote team communication?
We love Google for Work! Google Hangouts are a great way to connect face to face with teammates on a video call or to quickly reach…
Regularly scheduled meetings, not just to accomplish goals but to brainstorm and create new ideas.
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?
The biggest change for me is that I’ve gone from directing what everyone does to having teams that operate independently and set their own agendas.…
We’ve grown at such a rapid pace that adapting and scaling has become second nature. Because we are now spread so widely across the globe,…
Automation. As the company has grown we have discovered and created new automation processes so our GobySavvy UX experts can stick to designing, and we…
How does your team address different time zone challenges?
Mostly that’s a challenge for our teachers. Class schedules have to revolve around Chinese kids’ lives. In New York time, class slots are open starting…
Everyone is respectful of everyone else’s time and situation. However, if there is an important meeting scheduled at a normal time in EST, but very…
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…
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