The rise of remote work has led to a new breed of companies that have designed their operations to function wholly or mostly remotely: remote-first companies. These companies have created a culture, systems and processes required to promote effective remote work. The bulk of their staff work remotely, and they have structures to ensure accountability, communication and collaboration. In this blog post, we’re going to explore in-depth the key characteristics of remote-first companies and examine some of the most successful remote-first companies today.
The Advantages of Remote-First Companies
Remote work has become increasingly popular over the years due to several benefits. These benefits include:
Cost-effectiveness
Remote work reduces the overhead costs associated with traditional brick-and-mortar companies. Companies save on expenses such as rent, utilities, and equipment.
Access to a wider pool of talent
Companies are no longer limited to hiring employees from a specific geographic location. With remote work, they can hire the best talent from anywhere in the world, which is especially advantageous in a competitive job market.
Improved work-life balance
Remote work allows employees to have more control over their schedules, which improves their work-life balance. They can work from home or any location they prefer, eliminating the need for transportation and reducing commute times.
Increased productivity
Remote work reduces distractions in the workplace and increases autonomy, leading to improved productivity. In addition, remote work reduces the risk of staff burnout that sometimes results from long working hours in the office.
Characteristics of Remote-First Companies
Well-Developed Company Culture
Remote-first companies cultivate a shared sense of identity between the company and its employees that aligns both the purpose and values of the company. These companies’ values prioritize empathy, effective communication and encourage feedback and collaboration.
GitLab, an open-source version control system for developers, has focused on building a culture of collaboration, transparency and knowledge-sharing. Their company culture is centered around these values, enabling employees to work together efficiently, regardless of their geographic location. GitLab mandates a daily one-on-one video conference between employees to foster trust and accountability.
Technology-Driven Management
Remote-first companies heavily depend on technology to manage and monitor work processes. They embrace and invest in tools that allow collaborative communication, online file sharing, and time tracking. These technologies promote transparency, accountability, productivity and ease of work processes for remote workers.
Zapier, an integration software company, relies heavily on technology-driven management to ensure efficiency and productivity. They use a range of technologies to help their remote staff handle their workload and keep in touch with their colleagues. Zapier’s online communication tools include Slack, Trello, and video conferencing software like Zoom.
Flexibility and Work-Life Balance
Remote-first companies prioritize flexibility and work-life balance since their employees work from different locations with varying time zones. They give their employees the freedom to create a work schedule that supports their lifestyle and other commitments.
Buffer, a social media management company, embraces remote work because it aligns with its company culture of autonomy and work-life balance. They provide their employees with a unique perk: they can work from any location for as long as they want. Buffer also offers unlimited vacation time so employees can take time off for personal matters without any negative consequences on their work or career.
Results-Focused Performance Management
Remote-first companies primarily focus on the results of employees, rather than the number of hours worked. Management keeps track of set goals and objectives, regularly reviewing employees to ensure they are meeting their targets. This system ensures that workers are held accountable for their results instead of just clocking in and out.
GrooveHQ, a software company, uses objective key results (OKRs) to evaluate employee performance. The company has open discussions around the set OKRs at the start and end of every quarter, and this transparent system ensures accountability and performance results.
Effective Communication
Remote-first companies rely on communication to maintain productivity and collaboration. They create channels with clearly defined communication styles, tone and expectations. They encourage regular check-ins, virtual team meetings, and virtual social events to foster a sense of connectivity among staff.
InVision, a remote-first design software company, uses asynchronous communication to encourage active engagement and ensure effective communication. This means staff can communicate at their own pace without letting communication become a barrier to productivity.
Examples of Companies Leading Remote-First Culture
Zapier
Zapier is an integration software company that operates as a fully remote organization. They have over 300 employees working in different parts of the globe. Zapier’s operations are wholly remote-oriented and rely on asynchronous communication tools like Slack, Zoom and email to promote effective communication, collaboration, and team cohesion.
Zapier has an extensive onboarding process that helps new employees to feel comfortable and welcome in the virtual work environment. They have created an internal Wiki page with open communication channels that enable new hires to acclimate easily to the company culture and work processes.
GitLab
GitLab is an open-source version control system for developers. They operate completely remotely, with over a thousand employees based across the globe. The company’s remarkable success is driven by its innovative “everyone can contribute” strategy, encouraging remote workers to offer input and participate in team decisions regardless of their location.
GitLab extensively uses technology tools to ensure ease of work processes, effective communication, collaboration and team cohesion. They use GitLab issues, chat applications like Mattermost and video conferencing for effective communication.
InVision
InVision is a design software company that has built its culture around remote work, with over 800 of its employees worldwide operating under the fully remote model. The company has embraced asynchronous communication to allow its employees to communicate at their pace without disrupting work schedules.
InVision values transparency, communication and collaboration, and this company culture is evident in the way they conduct their virtual meetings, virtual social events and virtual team bonding activities. The company’s communication channels include Slack, Zoom, InVision boards and email.
Automattic
Automattic is a web development company that owns the popular content management system (CMS) platform WordPress.com, among other products. The company has embraced remote-first culture, with over 1,000 employees operating remotely from different parts of the world.
Automattic employees have the freedom to work from anywhere they choose, and the company encourages employees to have a flexible work-life balance. Communication is central to Automattic’s successful remote work model, and the company relies on tools like Zoom, Slack, P2 and an internal blog platform to facilitate communication and collaboration.
GitLab
GitLab is an open-source version control system for developers. They operate completely remotely, with over a thousand employees based across the globe. The company’s remarkable success is driven by its innovative “everyone can contribute” strategy, encouraging remote workers to offer input and participate in team decisions regardless of their location.
GitLab extensively uses technology tools to ensure ease of work processes, effective communication, collaboration and team cohesion. They use GitLab issues, chat applications like Mattermost and video conferencing for effective communication.
Conclusion
Remote-first companies have created a culture, systems and processes that prioritize effective communication, accountability, productivity and team cohesion. These companies rely heavily on technology to manage work processes, and they prioritize flexibility, work-life balance and outcomes instead of the number of hours worked. The success of remote-first companies can be attributed to their strong culture, effective communication, and the use of technology to create a virtual work environment that accommodates and supports remote workers. Remote-first companies are leading the way in the future of work, and these characteristics can serve as a blueprint for organizations that are transitioning to remote work.