Effective Remote Work? This Is How We Do It
Looking past the pandemic and all the other factors that have added to the rise of the working-from-home approach, today, remote work is no longer just a trend — it’s a strategic advantage in the modern workplace. It surely is one at Shaped Thoughts, where we’ve wholeheartedly embraced this model and have been cultivating it from day one. We see how great it works for our operations and employee satisfaction.
Do you want to see it, too? You’re in luck as here’s a friendly dive into our culture of working remotely and how we make the most of it.
What Does Remote Work Bring? The Benefits of Home Office
As Shaped Thoughts, we’re a remote-first company. We have been one from the very get-go, so we know our way around flexible work arrangements and many other benefits that arise from working remotely. What are they? Stick around and you’ll find out.
Expanding the Talent Pool
One of the strongest reasons for adopting a remote-first approach is access to a huge and diverse talent pool. Since we’re not limited to hiring in specific locations, we can draw from a global talent reservoir. This not only increases our chances of finding the right fit but also makes our company more diverse — which brings us to the next point.
Boosting Diversity and Creativity
Working from home allows us to bring in people from different locations which introduces our team to diverse viewpoints and problem-solving approaches. And when there’s diversity, creativity is quick to follow. So, that mix is a big plus, as with different ideas flying around, our team often comes up with more effective and innovative solutions, which translates to boosted problem-solving effectiveness, efficiency and, ultimately, better project outcomes.
Attracting Top Talent
Remote work is gaining traction, especially in the IT sector. Many professionals now lean towards companies with remote-first setups. This significantly broadens our pool of potential candidates, as more and more individuals are attracted to companies offering flexibility. While some still favour traditional office environments for their own reasons, remote work as a primary option is now seen as a major perk or even preference, much like the hybrid work model used to be.
Cost Efficiency and Sustainability
Our remote-first approach also improves things on the logistics front, reducing operational costs significantly. We don’t need to cover expenses related to the upkeep of physical office spaces and infrastructure, freeing up our funds to invest in areas that directly benefit both our team (for example, team-building events to physically connect with one another) and our clients. Besides, this way of working supports our sustainability efforts. How? It’s simple math, really: no physical offices equals no office running costs and fewer people commuting, which in turn leads to lowering our carbon footprint.
Improved Work-Life Balance
By working fully remotely, our team members have the freedom to manage their time better, balancing personal and professional lives. This flexibility reduces stress and leads to higher job satisfaction, which in turn improves both mental health and overall well-being. For instance, our folks can take breaks whenever they need and work when they’re most productive.
Building Cross-Functional Teams
Another thing remote work makes easier is forming cross-functional teams, which is key to the successful Product Engineering Teams we assemble for our clients. And again, instead of being tied to one location, we can pull together the best talent for a project from around the globe. Thanks to this adaptability, we can easily find and assemble the right skills for any given project.
Hear From Our Team
What does our team think about working fully remotely? Here’s what some of us have to say about the remote-first approach at Shaped Thoughts:
I highly value remote work because it allows me to tailor my workspace to my individual needs. I find it easier to focus and work more enjoyably when I’m not distracted by every noise. — Weronika, Administrative Officer
Flexibility, flexibility… I appreciate flexibility a lot. Having the possibility of dividing the workday into two parts is awesome in my case. During the first part (morning and afternoon), I deal with meetings, agreements and sessions with others. The second part (the evening session) gives me time to focus and capture all the things needed in the form of the artefacts for the team. That works great with my role. — Karol, Senior Business Analyst
I feel that working remotely helps me manage my time effectively. Instead of spending time commuting, I can focus on developing my passions. I feel more rested and free in my actions. — Magdalena, Business Development Manager
I don’t have to commute, so I have more time for my family. Plus, I can work from anywhere which means I can go somewhere for longer and combine work with sightseeing. That’s huge flexibility. — Wojciech, Tech Lead
How Does Our Remote-First Approach Benefit Our Clients?
You have probably figured out by now that at Shaped Thoughts, we love the remote work model. And it’s not just our team that benefits — our clients do, too. But this setup doesn’t just fall into place effortlessly. Successful remote collaboration with partners and clients hinges on trust and confidence in our security, privacy, and productivity.
Since day one, we’ve developed our own way of making remote work, well…, work. We’re proud to say that the long-term relationships we’ve built and maintained with our clients showcase the value they find in our remote-first approach and the trust we’ve earned.
So, what’s in it for them?
Access to a Large Talent Pool
As already mentioned, the WFH model allows us to bring in top professionals from every corner of the world. But it’s not only us who benefit from access to a wide range of skilled individuals — it’s actually our clients first and foremost. This ensures they get exceptional service and expertise without worrying about geographical boundaries.
Faster Team Forming
When we work on projects requiring specialised skills or even ad hoc talents, we can quickly gather diverse teams by tapping into our wide network of remote professionals. Thanks to this, our clients can be sure they get the right talent at the right time.
Enhanced Productivity
With our knack for remote work, we’re able to efficiently address client demands. Through async workflows and enhanced processes, we keep projects moving forward swiftly, ensuring quick delivery and top-quality results. This is all thanks to working from the comfort of one’s home or any other preferred location where each of us is less distracted, learns to hand over tasks more efficiently, and finds more space in their calendars for deep work. This increases our overall productivity and focus, which then reflects better outcomes for our clients.
Reduced Costs and No Colocation Need
Clients setting up offices for our team is history. Well, actually, it was never a thing with us to begin with, since we’ve been a remote-first company from day one. We bring in remote professionals who are well-prepared to work in distributed environments. Plus, our clients can save on costs by not having to invest in extra office space or infrastructure for outsourced teams. All of this makes collaboration smooth, cost-effective, and hassle-free.
Challenges and Solutions for Effective Remote Work
While the remote-first approach works great for us at Shaped Thoughts, we know it can sometimes be difficult to stay productive without physical presence. That’s why we’ve put some strategies and tools in place to make the best of remote work, ensuring both effectiveness and efficiency. Here are several essentials we’ve found indispensable:
Effective Communication
Effective communication is crucial for remote work to succeed — no argument here. To keep things running smoothly within our teams, we follow our communication principles and guidelines. We focus on asynchronous communication using tools like Slack, the whole suite of Google tools, as well as a bunch of other collaborative platforms. Such tools let us leave notes, comments, and action points for others to pick up later, so nothing important slips.
Team Cohesion
We build team spirit with regular virtual meetups for both work discussions and fun social interactions. These sessions help us keep strong bonds and camaraderie, even when we’re far apart. Organising casual chats, or as we like to call them “coffee breaks”, further strengthens our sense of community, allowing us to connect on a personal level beyond just work tasks.
Plus, we set up quarterly on-site meetings to integrate and just have fun together. We might favour remote working conditions, but spending time with one another in the flesh every now and then matters a lot to us.
Clear Expectations
We’re all about clarity. That’s why we make it a priority to define roles and responsibilities clearly within our team to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings. We make sure everyone is aware of their expectations and knows how to communicate their availability. This way, we streamline our workflows and avoid any hiccups and disruptions along the way.
Feedback Culture
We live and breathe constructive feedback. That’s why we promote a culture of both giving and receiving feedback to continuously enhance both performance and collaboration within our team. This helps us create a supportive environment where everyone feels confident in sharing their thoughts and contributing to our collective growth.
Flexibility
We grant our team autonomy over their schedules, understanding it’s key to a healthy work-life balance and ultimately leads to boosted productivity and job satisfaction. Embracing flexibility as a core value allows us to adapt to various circumstances and meet the unique needs of our crew.
Supporting Clients with Remote Expertise
At Shaped Thoughts, we don’t call ourselves a remote-first company for nothing. After all, that’s how we’ve been doing things from the very beginning and remote setup is where we thrive. This translates into superior services for our clients.
Staff Augmentation? Way ahead of you. Nearshoring and offshoring? Coming right up. In either case, we provide skilled professionals who are ready for remote collaboration. You don’t have to worry about a thing — it’s fully on us and we do see to it to train our team to work as efficiently and effectively as possible, delivering exceptional results every time.
Summary
At Shaped Thoughts, the remote-first approach goes beyond being a mere policy — it’s rooted in our company culture. We’ve witnessed first-hand the plentiful benefits such a work model brings to our daily routine, extending to the personal aspect of our lives as well. Nurturing the culture of remote work allows us to tap into a wider talent pool, boost diversity and creativity, and reduce costs, while also driving sustainability, among the other things we’ve covered here.
We know full well that the remote work model isn’t flawless. But it’s basically in our nature to work this way, so we know how to make the most of it. At the same time, we view it as an ongoing journey to improvement.
We’re committed to supporting our clients with A+ remote teams, and we’re positive that our focus and dedication to remote work will continue to be a huge asset in the dynamic world of software development. Need a reliable technology partner? Contact us and let us prove we are one! Or maybe you’re an individual who would want to find themselves at a remote-first company like ours? Then head here, and who knows, maybe our paths will cross :).
Originally published at https://shapedthoughts.io on June 27, 2024.
