Remote First Culture is the practice of organizing a team to work remotely. This type of culture has many advantages, such as enabling people to avoid traffic and distractions and focus on their tasks at the moment. It also promotes a more innovative environment with less ‘bureaucracy’.
However, it does not work for every situation and has its downsides, such as lack of teamwork and face-to-face contact. Remote work is not new for startups.
But now, more established companies are considering it too, including General Motors, Heinz, and Aetna. Our workforce is changing, and we need to do the same. The remote first culture is one way we can start to accommodate this change and still retain a healthy company culture
The remote first culture is the new normal. Remote first culture has many upsides, but it also has its downsides. Also, it is not new for startups, but now more established companies are considering it too such as General Motors, Heinz, and Aetna for example. Each of these companies employs remote workers in their marketing departments.
Why Remote-first culture Works For Some Companies
The remote first culture is not for every company. Some companies are more suited to this type of culture than others. For example, if you’re in the customer service industry, it would be wise to have a centralized office so your customers can speak with someone in person.
But if you’re a software company, hiring employees with cross-functional skills who can work remotely may be more beneficial. However, there are many advantages to a remote-first culture that make it an attractive option for many companies. Employees are less distracted by noise and coworkers, allowing them to focus on their tasks at hand.
It also promotes innovation because employees can work from anywhere they choose without having to follow the traditional office structure. This means that people can try new ways of working that have never been tried before or experiment with different setups and arrangements.
A downside of remote-first culture is the lack of teamwork, which causes workers to become disengaged and lose motivation over time. On the other hand, some argue that remote teams can work better together because they don’t have to meet face-to-face all the time and share their responsibilities with colleagues
Some Challenges Faced By Companies
As we discussed before, remote-first culture can work for many organizations. However, it does come with some challenges that you should be aware of.
One issue is that people may not be as social or work as well in teams. Without the ability to meet face-to-face and collaborate, people may not feel as connected to their fellow employees and take ownership of their roles within the company.
Another challenge of remote-first culture is the lack of ad hoc collaboration. With this type of culture, it’s hard to go and discuss an ongoing project with your colleagues about what they’re doing and how you can collaborate with them on tasks. Remote first culture only works when everyone knows what the other person needs and wants from them to complete a task.
However, these challenges are not as pronounced as those that come with a traditional office environment where employees spend their days in close physical proximity to each other for 8 hours a day.
If you’re looking at working remotely because your company doesn’t have space for more employees or doesn’t want to invest in office space, then remote the first culture might be the perfect fit for you!
Advantages Of Remote First Culture
Remote-first culture has many advantages, such as enabling people to avoid traffic and distractions and focus on their tasks at the moment. It also promotes a more innovative environment with less ‘bureaucracy’. However, it does not work for every situation and has its downsides, such as lack of teamwork and face-to-face contact.
This type of culture is not new for startups. But now, more established companies are considering it too, including General Motors, Heinz, and Aetna.
Our workforce is changing, and we need to do the same. The remote first culture is one way we can start to accommodate this change and still retain a healthy company culture
Implementing A Remote First Culture
The first thing to consider when implementing a remote-first culture is your company’s mission and culture. A company has to be aware of what the mission and culture are to know if it will work.
For example, if your main goal is innovation, then a remote-first culture might not be the answer for you. Next, you need to consider how you will implement this type of culture. There are different ways to do so:
1) Employees could work from home one day per week or day per month
2) Employees could work from home all day but must come into the office for meetings at least two days per week
3) Employees could work from home all day and only come into the office once every few months
Another consideration is cost-effectiveness. The more employees that can telecommute, the less space your company needs and the lower rent will be.
