EXPEDIA GROUP TECHNOLOGY — SOFTWARE
Full Time Remote Working
Lessons learned from three years of 100% remote working
In August 2014, I moved to Canada to join Expedia’s Montreal Office as a developer. I am a member of the geography team which is split among several locations: Seattle, Montreal and Chicago.
In July 2017, for personal reasons, I moved back to Marseille, France.
My manager asked me if I would be interested to continue working remotely for the Montreal office. To be honest, I had a lot of doubts and fears about working 100% of my time from home: Could this thing work? Would I be efficient remotely? How would my day be, with no real human interactions? I know that my manager also had doubts. But he told me that he believed it could work and could become a real advantage for the team. So we took the bet.
Today, after three years of working remotely, it is no longer a test. Working remotely is as easy as a normal job. But I have established some rules to stay focused, to make communication with others easier, to be accountable for what I am doing, and to be a real player in the team like everybody else.
I can say it is a success when I am looking at my last two annual evaluations: people told my manager that it was just like I was still working at the office. We also succeeded in making my remote work an advantage. For example, I am doing support on Slack when people in Montreal are still sleeping, collaborating with people in Asia or EMEA during their workday.
My advice:
Stay focused
- Write down everything you have worked on, or planned to work on in a checklist. This will help you explain to people what you have done during standup.
- Attend standup rigorously to share with your team and organize your next day of work.
- Setup a place to work, door closed to avoid distraction.
- Follow a clear work schedule.
Keep yourself up-to-date
- Ask the team to schedule meetings during your working hours so you have better chances to assist them in person.
- When this is not possible, ask the team to record meetings and view them within 2 or 3 days max.
Maintain trust on both sides (fight paranoia)
Have a weekly one on one meeting with your manager.
Be honest with yourself and with others:
- What you have done wrong?
- Have you been focused on your work?
- Do you feel depressed?
- Don’t hesitate to talk about your feelings
You will suffer from a sort of paranoia, seeing problems everywhere or feeling apart from the teamwork or decision. The solution is to communicate with your feelings and discuss them with others.
Wellness
- You need to practice a sport (running, biking) at least every 2 or 3 days. You are not moving to go to an office, so you are missing out on the exercise you get walking or stair climbing to go to work.
- Enjoy a coffee break, like everyone else.
- Have a 20 min lunch break with healthy food!! A real break!
- Go outside, meet people during personal time. I am personally involved in parent association at my son’s school. Don’t underestimate social contact loss.
Make this experience last
- Have a trip to visit your team every 6 months. This is the minimum to maintain a social connection with the team. During the trip, talk with people, share with them, enjoy.
Working remotely can work only if you share confidence and trust with your manager and with your team. Honest and unbiased communication is the key factor for success, for both sides. This works only if both sides are doing their best to make it work.
