11–20 of 85 posts
Video chat and the delays and how only one person can talk at once it just isn’t possible to have proper conversation and connections.
Before the pandemic I would have believed it’s possible but now I just don’t care about remote workers anymore because I have been burned multiple times by them in ways that would never happen with IRL teammates.
If you want to talk about non work things, find people who aren't your co-workers. It's OK to only do work things at work, and to separate personal and professional life.
Honestly just don’t think you can in any way that will be meaningful like IRL is. Video chat and the delays and how only one person can talk at once it just isn’t possible to have proper conversation and connections. Before the pandemic I would have believed it’s possible but now I just don’t care about remote workers anymore because I have been burned multiple times by them in ways that would never happen with IRL t…
I worked at a remote first health hardware company with 35 employees for 1 year. From my perspective, there was no culture whatsoever. There was one zoom party where the company sent everyone snacks and playing cards. But aside from that, nothing. Only work talk. No side conversations, therefore no friendships. I think step one is to have the zoom call on for much longer than just the scheduled meeting time, which we…
If you want to talk about non work things, find people who aren't your co-workers. It's OK to only do work things at work, and to separate personal and professional life.
Sure but at the same time, building a baseline relationships with people is important. It builds capital that can be used to diffuse misunderstandings and tense situations. I'm not looking to replace my family with my co-workers but instead enabling them to get to know each other and connect a bit more.
I worked at a remote first health hardware company with 35 employees for 1 year. From my perspective, there was no culture whatsoever. There was one zoom party where the company sent everyone snacks and playing cards. But aside from that, nothing. Only work talk. No side conversations, therefore no friendships. I think step one is to have the zoom call on for much longer than just the scheduled meeting time, which we…
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That’s as good as it’s gotten, and I really like where it’s at. It took months to get there. A lot of people wanted these things, but the convenience of not doing them keeps it from happening quickly. Persisting when support is present is super key to building it up. Honestly, making it happen is just as political as vying for anything else is. Alignment on wanting a good remote culture takes time even when multiple people really, desperately want it.
If you want to talk about non work things, find people who aren't your co-workers. It's OK to only do work things at work, and to separate personal and professional life.
I'm gonna second this. "Company Culture" is mostly an attempt to get people more invested in the workplace than they should be, trying to replace their workers' social lives and family lives with work instead by making work seem more appealing. Remote first companies are great precisely because it cuts away all of this bullshit. Work stays work, and "company culture" stays out of your personal time and personal life.
Maybe it depends on the company though. This is a 100 person boot-strapped open source company that has a strong mission. Maybe if you're working for a 10,000 person public entity where everybody's just another cog the whole "culture" thing is just a veiled attempt to make the company your life.
GitLab is great at remote first culture. Check out their open source company handbook. Remote first requires proactive process to keep employees engaged and communicating effectively. If you feel isolated and trapped in a silo, good process can pull you out. Also, look for companies where remote strategy emanates from the senior leadership. A CEO that flows down remote strategy will be more effective.