Building a Remote-First Company Culture

Building a Remote-First Company Culture is a hot topic, but maybe you're feeling overwhelmed. You may ask how you can build genuine connections across time zones and digital divides. I have been through building remote-first cultures, and you will get our honest takes on all of it below.

Companies today are increasingly choosing remote work options. Building a remote-first company (opens an external site) culture takes work and you will see it is a worthwhile challenge.

Why Go Remote-First? The Data Speaks Volumes

Let's address the elephant in the room: Is remote working actually effective? You better believe it is. Recent research indicates that the work-from-home movement will boost the US economy by 5%.

Remote employees are often more productive than their in-office peers. Some reports suggest they are 47% more productive.

A study conducted by Owl Labs (opens an external site) found that 77% of tech workers now work remotely, either full-time or part-time. This shows a significant shift in the work landscape.

The Talent Pool Just Got Bigger, And Global

Here's a question a lot of managers don't consider: Do you believe the top talent is only in your zip code? Or is that talent somewhere on planet Earth?

We've embraced this by having 55 employees and 12 independent experts in places like Mexico City; Melbourne; Berlin, and beyond. This growth wasn't planned from day one, but it revealed the massive benefits of opening our doors, digitally speaking.

The company has grown in ways that you could only ever dream of. By removing geographical location limitations, you can hire talent from anywhere.

Cost Savings, Real Money Going To People

Imagine cutting massive operational costs. You would get huge annual savings per remote employee with the removal of office space.

IBM once went remote. This one move saved them a reported $50 million (opens an external site).

Think of where that extra capital could go; hiring talent, creating incentives for work-life balance, and having in-person meetups. The removal of physical spaces and co-working spaces allows companies to prioritize funds elsewhere.

Building a Remote-First Company Culture: Prioritizing People

Here is some straight-talk: This requires leadership. Building a remote-first company culture hinges on valuing employees as people first and not cogs in the machine.

This approach boosts productivity and is important for keeping good people around. It's the notion of giving freedom to those that love what they do.

It lets them shape their careers and give more autonomy for a strong foundation in your company. A 2019 Glassdoor survey backs this up, where 56% of employees valued company culture over salary for job satisfaction.

From Hiring to Onboarding: Setting the Remote Stage

You might wonder if the hiring process gets harder with this type of work model, but there are amazing ways to hire well in a Remote-First company. Help Scout has this 12-step remote hiring process. (opens an external site)

I encourage you to read it to help guide you with that, specifically. With a remote setting, focus on onboarding well to prevent any struggles in a remote environment.

Onboarding new hires well and you're already improving employee retention and work effectiveness dramatically. With onboarding, strong processes can improve retention of new hires by 82% and productivity of them by 70%.

Communication is Everything

Clear and frequent communication is critical. Poor communication with management can drag people down in remote setups.

Studies demonstrate that remote junior team members have issues and will report 10% (opens an external site) decrease with getting direction from their leadership. Instant messaging and other communication tools can help here.

One solution might be the use of project management platforms or management tools for weekly feedback, or check-ins like 15Five. Encouraging team members with check-ins like that makes people better with friendships, which leads to a 37% likelihood of them mentioning growth at the place that they are working at.

Transparency is Key

This shouldn't feel foreign, even for a more traditional organization. Leaders that get the idea to operate with total transparency create a place for open-dialogue.

Sharing everything openly. This approach fosters trust, inclusivity, and equity.

Transparency allows leaders to understand the challenges, struggles, ideas and even triumphs of their team. Establish clear lines of communication using the best communication tools for your remote team.

Maintaining Balance: Asynchronous Communication, A Hidden Perk?

Does the idea of "always on" remote culture stress anyone else out? Asynchronous communication combats this, by allowing for focus without unnecessary disturbances, like unnecessary meetings that might've historically drained resources.

But, many remote setups haven't fully adapted to asynchronicity yet. This means they’re missing the whole "remote" idea, to help make teams shine when they're available at their best.

Only 38% report adopting an asynchronous-first mindset. It’s easy for remote employees to work outside normal working time.

Management might have concerns too about remote workers in relation to overworking. But, it’s not just the workers' concern, only 11% of managers (opens an external site) raise red-flags for over-working staff members, too.

The Right to Disconnect: Protecting Your Team's Wellbeing

One issue, it is not uncommon for remote staff to face over working. It is the concept of being "always-on."

A solution to help maintain some form of boundaries is necessary. I would highly suggest enforcing a firm “right to disconnect” strategy.

The simple act of setting boundaries is not as silly as it sounds. You help support and keep staff healthy, because happy employees means a better output of work, which leads to business growing better and promotes a positive work environment.

Giving your team something like $1000 per year (opens an external site) for setting up their personalized office. Little things that make them feel happier when logging in, will make you happy too.

Remote working can make work itself less stressful, and help staff stay around much longer. Remote work offers a better work-life balance.

Boosting Morale with a Hybrid Work Model (When and How)

Sometimes, it feels remote workers don't have a "voice" to others that might commute and show up to a company's headquarters. This concern of isolation needs to be met head on.

Reports have showed 24% of remote workers struggle with loneliness. Consider adding company retreats or all-hands meetings where possible.

This leads to companies mixing in a hybrid-setup in recent years. This means blending office hours and remote freedom for the better of all.

Companies such as Google and Salesforce follow 3 to 2 Model. This is where people spend at least 2 specific days in the physical offices.

This balances everything. I truly feel these opportunities help promote growth and gives employees a chance for in-person interactions.

A Practical Framework for Building a Remote-First Company Culture

So, how do you translate these big ideas into action for your company? Let's make the idea easier.

Below you’ll see a useful framework. This will help ensure work is more manageable.

• Recruitment
  • Actionable Steps:
    • Focus on attracting a global pool of potential new-hires.
    • List benefits, like time off, flexible hours, and learning opportunities.
  • Metrics for Success:
    • Track global locations of the new-hires that end up signing on.
• Compensation
  • Actionable Steps:
    • Research “location-based” salary options.
    • Set and publish levels of pay bands to keep everything in line with expectations, with complete transparency.
  • Metrics for Success:
    • Publish a pay report and gauge happiness.
    • Show clear progress in employee retention after changes are enforced.
• Communication
  • Actionable Steps:
    • Lean towards an asynchronous-first model, removing the need for everyone to be “on” for messaging.
    • Create public communication guidelines that enforce boundaries around availability and respect off-hours.
  • Metrics for Success:
    • Conduct team-member surveys focused on communication flow.
    • Encourage feedback on process-related happiness or unhappiness regarding transparency.
• Meetings
  • Actionable Steps:
    • Use alternative formats to traditional meetings (asynchronous preferred).
    • Rotate meeting times based on team locations and time zones, respecting personal time.
  • Metrics for Success:
    • Collect regular feedback on meeting frequency and suitability across locations.
    • Gather input on team participation in meetings.
• Leadership Support
  • Actionable Steps:
    • Encourage thought leadership from managers to inspire teams.
    • Allow leadership styles that promote honesty, support, and empathetic communication.
  • Metrics for Success:
    • Conduct staff surveys about perceptions of leadership.

The Long-Term Impact: Embracing the Future of Work

One huge issue: People have a problem sticking with a remote setup. I am confident building trust from these strategies creates longevity.

This concept lowers someone searching for another gig (opens an external site) within 12 months by over 30%. Recognition programs can also be a solution.

A 2022 study (opens an external site) shows the option of Remote setups leads to people having a 20% growth in reported "happy attitudes." 70% show as being happy working remotely compared to in-office peers.

This showcases something valuable to weigh when thinking of switching. Successful remote work practices build culture and make a successful remote-first workplace.

Reports demonstrate (opens an external site) Remote work can improve ingenuity and original thinking, which will ultimately enhance how work engagement happens as high as 75%, as well as grow total commitment by nearly 68%. Allowing employees flexibility results in a more positive work-life balance.

Why Remote-First is Your Competitive Advantage

The days of clumping great talent to some physical office location are now old history, that feels a thing of the past, if you reflect and know what you’re seeing. Remote-first doesn't mean sacrificing connection, but embracing a flexible approach.

Remote first means getting serious with communication, and building people that are passionate and loyal, and feel genuine value for their input. A company work culture goes from being "forced" to becoming real when you are encouraging employees.

Remote work isn't just something you "offer," but its impact can go further to be revolutionary for your business growth and success in the market, and people's overall attitudes within the market, too. You need a mindset that shifts for positive changes. Building a Remote-First Company Culture is now the difference that's becoming more mainstream and how successful remote companies thrive.

Looking to scale your remote-first company with world-class talent? Fronted connects you with top professionals who thrive in distributed teams. Start hiring with Fronted today.