Best Practices for Remote Work in Tech

A decade ago, I ran a company with a big office, constant meetings, and all the overhead that came with it. Now, Onward is fully remote. No HQ. No wasted time. Just execution. Here’s why we did it (and the systems that make it work): ~~ 1. We hire the best, not the closest Talent isn’t limited to one city. Remote lets us recruit from a global talent pool instead of just whoever happens to live nearby. That means better people, better ideas, and better execution. == At Onward, we’ve hired globally: • Developers in Canada • Designers in Latin America • Operators in the U.S. Great people want autonomy. Remote work lets us build an elite, distributed team where results matter more than location. == 2. Meetings are a last resort, not a default At my first company, I spent most of my day in meetings. Remote forced us to rethink how we communicate. Now, meetings are only for things that can’t be solved asynchronously. == How we protect deep work: • No standing meetings unless absolutely necessary • Everything happens asynchronously in Slack, Notion, and Loom • When we do meet, it’s short, structured, and with a clear outcome Fewer meetings = better execution. == 3. Documentation > Constant Communication In an office, you can tap someone on the shoulder for quick answers. Remotely, that doesn’t work. So we document everything—decisions, processes, and updates—so no one is blocked waiting on someone else. == We use: • Notion for company knowledge & SOPs • Asana for project management • Slack for quick updates (not deep work) Great documentation eliminates confusion and helps the team move faster without constant check-ins. == 4. We measure output, not hours worked In an office, people get rewarded for looking busy. That’s useless. Remote forces you to focus on what actually matters: delivering results. == At Onward, we don’t care when or where you work. We care that you: • Hit goals • Communicate clearly • Deliver outcomes Remote rewards performance, not face time. The best people want to be judged on results, not hours. == 5. Culture needs to be intentional A great culture doesn’t happen by accident. When you’re remote, you have to design it. It’s not about ping pong tables—it’s about how you work, communicate, and collaborate daily. == Here’s what we do at Onward: • We fly the team together 3-4x per year for in-person off-sites • We over-communicate wins, learnings, and company milestones • We focus on ownership—everyone has real responsibility Remote doesn’t kill culture—bad leadership does. == The Result? Onward is growing faster and running leaner than any startup I’ve built before. Less office politics. Less wasted time. More focus on what actually moves the business forward. == Remote isn’t for every company. But if you do it right, it’s a competitive advantage. Follow Josh Payne for more insights on building and scaling companies.

Remote work challenge: How do you build a connected culture when teams are miles apart? At Bunny Studio we’ve discovered that intentional connection is the foundation of our remote culture. This means consistently reinforcing our values while creating spaces where every team member feels seen and valued. Four initiatives that have transformed our remote culture: 🔸 Weekly Town Halls where teams showcase their impact, creating visibility across departments. 🔸 Digital Recognition through our dedicated Slack “kudos” channel, celebrating wins both big and small. 🔸 Random Coffee Connections via Donut, pairing colleagues for 15-minute conversations that break down silos. 🔸 Strategic Bonding Events that pull us away from routines to build genuine connections. Beyond these programs, we’ve learned two critical lessons: 1. Hiring people who thrive in collaborative environments is non-negotiable. 2. Avoiding rigid specialization prevents isolation and encourages cross-functional thinking. The strongest organizational cultures aren’t imposed from above—they’re co-created by everyone. In a remote environment, this co-creation requires deliberate, consistent effort. 🤝 What’s working in your remote culture? I’d love to hear your strategies.

Remote work isn't just about where you work—it's about how you work. You can be 10x more effective on a remote team if you master a few key habits: ✅ Over-communicate, but be concise Clarity matters more than frequency. Say what’s needed, and say it clearly. ✅ Align before you act Check for shared understanding before diving into big tasks. Nothing wastes time like misaligned assumptions. ✅ Make your work visible Use docs, updates, or async tools to show progress—even when no one’s asking. ✅ Respect time zones (and your own time) Be flexible, but not a doormat. Set boundaries and honor others’ schedules, too. ✅ Own the outcome, not just the task Remote teams thrive when people think beyond checklists and focus on impact. ✅ Build trust through reliability Be the teammate who always follows through. Remote or not, trust is everything. ✅ Don’t forget to be human Drop a gif. Ask how someone's weekend was. Show up with personality. Culture still matters—maybe more than ever. Remote work isn't an excuse to fade into the background. It’s your opportunity to shine without ever stepping into a meeting room. What’s helped you be more effective remotely? #RemoteWork #AsyncWork #TeamCulture #WorkFromAnywhere #Productivity #LeadershipTips

A founder DMd me and asked: how can I ensure my remote team is doing as much work as they would if we were in office? I flipped the question back on him and asked: what are you doing to set your team up for success to be productive working from home?? WHY are we looking to remote employees to intrinsically know how to optimize their time and productivity, when we've never given them a roadmap or a playbook to learn how? Here are the 3 things we discussed that he's doing with his team now: 1️⃣ Establish a "not always available" standard. Encourage team members to time block Slack engagement. First hour of the day: Slack is muted and hidden, team members focus on email replies and their biggest work hurdles. *Bonus/up-level: His team works mostly across 4 American time zones, so now they're doing a 1-hour Slack Sprint in the morning and in the afternoon. Slack stays quieter outside of those hours, everyone "congregates" for cross-team questions and engagement during those windows. 2️⃣ Build a low-lift stack of efficiency tools and bake them into onboarding. For most remote employees, a good starting point is: - a Pomodoro plug-in tool - a text expander tool - a to-do list or task + note tool - a mental reset tool (I'm obsessed with Calm right now, the daily calms are a great midday reset) 3️⃣ Schedule a few team- or company-wide coworking sessions every week. This is called "body-doubling" and is a HUGE game changer. Here's how it works: Completely optional to attend, mics stay off, cameras are optional as well. Have a volunteer moderator kick off the hour with a simple prompt: What are you working on for this session? Everyone drops their "what" in the chat, then gets to work. 30 minutes in, moderator does a 5 minute check-in. Encourage a quick stretch, ask a fun question for a mini-conversation. Then back to silent coworking for 20 minutes. Wrap up with asking everyone to drop a simple end-of-session progress check in the chat. Could be as simple as "completed" or "half way there". These virtual coworking sessions have been known to 2-3x productivity when done for just an hour each day. That's it. 3 simple approaches. None of them have to cost a dime. All of them will increase productivity and improve efficiency. And if you're a remote employee or solopreneur, you can start doing these things tomorrow for yourself. I promise it will improve your quality of life. ------ Hi, I'm Jen. I've been working remotely since 2018 and have put sweat, tears, and countless hours into researching how to level up my work from home experience. I'm launching a community that is PACKED with tools, resources, and yes, coworking opportunities for remote workers, to help you make your remote work life your very best life. Doors open in September and I would love to see you there! You can add your name to the (simple but effective, because that's what we're all about) waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e4B3XM4Y

Most takes on Return to Office (RTO) are completely off base. A lot of company leaders were forced into remote work during COVID, fumbled it, and now can’t wait to “get back to the good old days”—where they can keep eyes on their people and make sure no one is “stealing time” or “abusing WFH policies.” We founded Snappy Kraken in 2016 as a fully remote company. Today, we have 105 employees, serve thousands of clients, and remain 95% remote. The bottom line: Remote work works—IF you do it right. To build a high-performing remote team, you need: ✅ The right people – Self-motivated, disciplined, and accountable individuals. ✅ The right focus – Outcomes, KPIs, and OKRs—not hours spent at a desk. ✅ The right policies – Clear documentation, structure, and accountability. ✅ The right tech – CRM, project management, async communication, HR tools. ✅ The right meetings – Cameras on, agendas required, active participation. ✅ The right in-person touchpoints – Quarterly OKR planning, team meetups, annual all-hands. That said… abuse does happen. Some people take advantage of remote work, and companies are right to be vigilant. RTO is a strategic decision, and if your company chooses not to be remote, your best option isn’t to complain—it’s to work somewhere that aligns with your values. The payoff of doing remote work right? A deeper talent pool, happier employees, and a more scalable, efficient organization. Remote work isn’t the problem. Poor execution is.

After collaborating with over 1,000 Virtual Assistants (VAs) at HelpFlow, we’ve uncovered the core ingredients to building a reliable and high-performing remote workforce. Here’s what our journey taught us—lessons too valuable not to share with founders, HR leaders, and remote team managers: - Prioritize Process, Not Just People: While hiring for culture fit is critical, airtight processes are the backbone of reliability. Well-documented SOPs make onboarding seamless and safeguard against disruptions. - Communication Cadence is Everything: Daily standups and weekly deep dives ensure clarity and accountability. Structured check-ins foster rapport, prevent isolation, and quickly surface roadblocks before they escalate. - Feedback Loops Drive Growth: Constant feedback (both ways) empowers VAs to achieve more and feel genuinely invested. We learned that transparent performance metrics and frequent recognition help VAs and managers align on growth targets. Invest in Tools AND Trust - Technology enables efficiency, but trust cements loyalty. Secure collaboration platforms paired with transparent leadership build long-term dedication far beyond what a tech stack can offer. These lessons didn’t come easy. They were forged through trial, error, and a genuine commitment to people and process. Curious about leveling up your remote workforce? What’s the #1 challenge you face in managing remote teams? Let’s share insights below!

I have made and saved a lot of money using remote teams across all of my companies.  Here’s how you do it: Almost every business could use at least some remote talent. It’s a great way to access a broader talent pool than your local area. You can also lower overhead costs — less office space, lower bills, and even hire talent from other countries. So how do you get the most out of a team that you don’t see face to face? Step 1: Define your objectives and needs Nail down your biggest reason for building a remote team. Broaden your hiring pool? More flexibility? Lower costs? Your main goal guides your future decisions. Then, assess which of your positions are suitable for remote or hybrid work. — Step 2: Develop a remote work policy A solid policy sets the tone and expectations for your team. Try to answer all questions ahead of time. Clarify Scope and Purpose: •  Who is eligible to work remotely? • For hybrid, how many days? • Is there a distance requirement? Set Communication Standards: • When should people be online and available? • What communication tools should they use? Security Protocols: Password manager?  VPN? Are you providing work equipment or expecting BYOD? — Step 3: Update your hiring process Build remote-specific job descriptions: Highlight skills like self-discipline and communication. Use diverse recruitment channels: Remote-specific job boards and communities. Tailor interviews for remote readiness: Include video calls and assess their home office setup. — Step 4: Find the right tools & technology Equip your team with tools that support collaboration and productivity. You’ll probably need: • An async communication hub (like Slack) • A video call platform (Google Meet) • A project management tool (Asana or Trello) • Hardware/software support Provide equipment or offer a stipend. — Step 5: Establish clear communication guidelines Effective communication is the backbone of remote work. Do you need people to: • Set online statuses? • Post daily updates? • Follow a response time rule? • When do you need people available for video calls? Make sure to set regular meetings and check-ins. Weekly stand-ups and monthly all-hands help keep everyone aligned. — Step 6: Build a strong team culture Strong remote teams thrive on culture and connection. Start with thorough virtual onboarding. Set up meet and greets and mentoring sessions. Add regular team activities: • Virtual coffee breaks • Game time • Casual Slack channels Celebrate everything: • Individual and team wins • Holidays • Company milestones — Step 7: Keep tabs on performance Address concerns head-on with clear goals and regular feedback. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Schedule quarterly reviews. Focus on outcomes — not hours worked. — If you’re interested in remote staff for your teams. Comment below or message me and I’ll get you connected.