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?
Organically. It was a part of the vision from the inception. Yes, there would be a headquarters, but there was a clear understanding that most…
The remote work policy was implemented when we started the company, on day zero. Almost all the people at TOK.tv have previously worked remotely or…
We did not implement a remote work policy. Building a distributed company was our intention from the start. Dr. Chris Waters (my co-founder) and I…
Can a remote-friendly company have a healthy culture?
Yes! At Parse.ly, we believe that a distributed team is an asset, not a problem to be managed. It allows for radical transparency about how…
Absolutely. But you have to work hard to garner it by using internal company jokes, slangs, and other fun stuff. A chat tool is essential,…
Yes! Communication is key for building a healthy company culture. An open-door policy through the entire organization flow chart plays an important role for remote…
How do you nurture your company’s culture in a remote work environment?
Our head of community in the U.S., Kevyn Klein, is critical for this process. She understands our teachers so well because she talks to them…
There are a number of events and all staff communications that strengthen relationships and ensure we have an engaged, high performing organisations. At any point…
Our culture is the product of everybody involved, so we try to reflect if the culture we have is the culture we want to have.…
What advice would you give to a team considering to go remote?
Jump in, but don’t lose your lifeline. You need to start somewhere, and many of the skills that remote workers need to succeed can only…
Go for it! Do audio calls instead of draining video calls. Do daily all-hands meetings of no more than 15 minutes. Make your schedule conform…
Making the transition from office to remote work can be tough. Set-up some clear processes around communication, planning and constantly iterate. Don’t give up on…
What challenges have you encountered building a remote team?
Getting everyone on the same page! Since we don’t “see” each other on a consistent basis every day, we have to constantly be thinking about…
We focus very hard on hiring the right individuals and then training them to a high standard. This leads to a large investment of time…
Working cross-time zones can occasionally be tough with the development crew. Sometimes if we have a problem on our end, we may have to wait…
What are the most effective tools for remote team communication?
We have different levels of communication. For anything that needs to be written at length, we use standard email or we ping each other on…
Regularly scheduled meetings, not just to accomplish goals but to brainstorm and create new ideas.
There are several modes that the team uses: instant messaging, online meetings, team meetings, project collaboration, or email.
What has changed about how your remote team operates?
Being remote, we spent a lot of time perfecting the best way to convey information so that content remained clear and intact. Our current tools…
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…
We introduced using a wiki to keep all internal processes and documentation organized. We used to use Google Drive and Google sites, but it was…
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…
Most of our team members are located within a four-hour time difference, which can easily be dealt with within the teams themselves. When team members…
Currently, all of our remote employees are in the same time zone. We are a 24/7 operation so we do encounter scheduling conflicts with our…
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