Colorado is home to Red Rocks Amphitheater, the U.S. Air Force Academy and 58 mountains over 14,000 feet. But even with all these incredible attractions, not everyone is lucky enough to live there. In order to attract the best talent, many local companies build remote teams that allow their employees to choose where they want to work.
Between different time zones and a lack of face time, it can be hard for leaders to manage a remote team while giving those employees a sense of community. We spoke with three industry professionals on how they ensure their remote workers feel like they’re all part of the same vision.
Havenly works with hundreds of designers to help customers decorate their rooms based on responses from a short survey. Design Program Manager Melissa Wagner explained how remote employees allows for a team with diverse backgrounds, perfect for Havenly’s national clientele.
Describe your remote team. Why has your company chosen to have remote employees or teams across several offices?
We have nearly 300 designers working from many cities and states across the country, including 30 designers working in-house at our headquarters in Denver, Chicago, and now, Austin. They have backgrounds in a variety of fields; primarily interior design, as well as architecture, graphic design, law and psychology. We’ve chosen to have remote contractors and teams so that we can quickly and successfully meet the demand and number of clients interested in using Havenly to redesign their spaces. Having designers on the platform that are spread throughout the country brings a lot of diversity to design styles that clients (also from all over the country) may be looking for!
What team building activities do you do with your remote team?
Most recently, we hosted a designer summit at our Denver headquarters where we brought our most senior designers and in-house teams together for two days of intensive ideating, sessions around upcoming changes and projects and company updates. We also included fun social hours, headshots and face-to-face time with each other.
Having designers on the platform that are spread throughout the country brings a lot of diversity to design styles.”
How else do you ensure your remote team is engaged, challenged and successful?
We regularly host webinars that are both informational and collaborative. We also have Slack channels set up for HQ and peer support with channels like “tech questions,” “design collaboration,” and “sales tips.” We have regular check-ins with our designers either through one-on-one calls or personal emails to connect and discuss their performance in design quality, communication and metrics. We provide a variety of opportunities for our senior and high-performing designers to get involved with the professional growth of our designer base. We set them up with mentorships, peer reviews and leading webinars. We also get them involved with platform testing, and special marketing and content contributions.
When it comes to dinner reservations, OpenTable, Inc. is the opposite of a snooty maî tre d’. As an online platform that allows users to make their own dinner reservations, there is room for everyone to have a great dining experience. Senior District Manager Bethy McCune shared how multiple forms of communication means no one is ever out of the loop.
Describe your remote team. Why has your company chosen to have remote employees?
We have 14 total remote employees spanning Western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain region and Hawaii. We find that remote employees are invaluable to our business. Our people are our greatest strength and human interaction in a technology space is more important than ever. We are an extension of our restaurants and hospitality is key.
We do all types of team-building, like languages of appreciation, team calls, Slack chains and more.”
What team building activities do you do with your remote team?
We have multiple channels of communication amongst the team. We are more than a team, we are a family. We depend on each other day in and day out. We do all types of team-building, like languages of appreciation, team calls, Slack chains and more. It's less of an activity and more of a fluid daily conversation.
How else do you ensure your remote team is engaged, challenged and successful?
Constant communication both as individuals on the team and collectively. Teamwork and communication are ingrained in our cultural DNA at OpenTable. Each person is unique and we strive to treat them as such.
Granicus is bringing the government into the future (or at least the 21st century) with a cloud-based platform designed to create seamless communication between government organizations. Kelda Stetson, vice president of state government sales, tells us how a spread-out remote team is optimal when working with government at the state level.
Describe your remote team. Why has your company chosen to have remote employees?
I currently manage a team of eight enterprise account executives that are geographically dispersed throughout the U.S. and supporting our state government practice. My team is responsible for new business pursuits across the Granicus platform of solutions. We are committed to the work we do with our state government leaders to create a better citizen experience for those they serve. We embrace remote work for these positions because our team is in-market with our customers and they understand the nuances of each of their markets better than anyone else. It is where they live, work and play!
My team also comes to D.C. for quarterly business review presentations, offsite meetings and in-person training.”
What team building activities do you do with your remote team?
My team is extremely close-knit and we foster an open, collaborative environment for folks to thrive personally and professionally. We start each day reporting on our daily events through our team Slack channel, and share in our successes as we win new business and accomplish new goals. We have a virtual team meeting each week where we have a chance to connect. My team also comes to D.C. for quarterly business review presentations, offsite meetings and in-person training. We always make the best of this time together by sharing best practices, learning from one another and spending time with our colleagues. My team is fanatical about escape rooms so we make sure to hit a new one each time they are in town.
How else do you ensure your remote team is engaged, challenged and successful?
I prioritize weekly one-on-ones and my team meeting each week to keep my team engaged and make sure they have what they need from me and the broader organization to keep their businesses thriving. I align clear goals for each team member and always make sure they understand the goals of our organization, and more broadly of Granicus. This helps each contributor understand their part and challenges them to deliver consistent results. Lastly, I think it is critical to understand what makes each individual tick, What matters to them personally and professionally? Once I understand their unique needs, I am best positioned to be a strong mentor and help them succeed in all areas.
