People In Focus: What It Means to Be Remote-First at Plotly

By: Dana Dviniski, People Operations Specialist, and Laura Gray, VP People Operations

When Plotly decided to become a remote-first company in 2021, we knew we had to create more than just a virtual work environment — we needed a thriving ecosystem that supported, celebrated, and connected our team.

In the early days, we had the majority of our team working out of the head office in Montreal, Canada, and a few employees working across the USA. So we made the move from being a partially remote team to being a “remote first” team. It was a big change, and we are still learning and adapting as our team grows. But here are a few ways we’ve turned remote work into a dynamic, flexible, and meaningful experience for everyone at Plotly.

Employee Growth and Feedback

At Plotly, we believe growth isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s a key part of how we do great work and mature as a company. That’s why we’ve designed a performance management framework that puts impact and development at the center.

Plotly’s Performance Management Framework is built to recognize not just what you achieve, but how you achieve it. We believe that behaviors (like collaboration, initiative, and adaptability) paired with accomplishments (like hitting goals and delivering results) are what create lasting impact for individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole.

Career growth at Plotly is no longer a side conversation — it’s a built-in, ongoing dialogue. Through regular 1:1s, structured reviews, and transparent goal-setting, team members receive continuous feedback and support tailored to their development. Our framework aims to ensure you know what high performance looks like, how to reach it, and how it will be recognized and rewarded.

Clarity

As a team with high standards and a strong motivation to provide world-class tools that enable everyone to understand and act on their data through intuitive and insightful visualizations, it's important that our remote-first team remains focused on what matters. We help ensure clarity by reinforcing our expectations and goals consistently:

• Business goals and progress against them are shared through our monthly newsletter and quarterly All Hands meetings.
• Leaders and People Ops are highly engaged and employ an open-door policy.
• Code of Conduct, policies, and performance expectations are updated and shared annually to keep us aligned and transparent.

Connection: Building Bonds Across Time Zones

Plotly is where creativity and connection meet. Our remote culture is built with intention — designed to foster strong relationships, spark collaboration, and support well-being:

• Plotly-Mingles: Randomly matched coffee chats that help you connect with colleagues outside your usual circles.
• Virtual and In-Person Team Meetings: Whether it’s regular team rituals like weekly Scrabble or monthly hangs, or coordinated on-sites in Montreal or Vancouver to connect, collaborate, and brainstorm in person — these moments strengthen team culture and foster meaningful connection.
• Monthly Social Club: Trivia, pet social hour, and more — because fun fuels connection.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Resource Group: This team-led group meets monthly to ensure our culture remains welcoming, equitable, and inclusive. Through open dialogue and meaningful initiatives, it’s a space where every voice matters.

A Culture of Continuous Learning

At Plotly, learning isn’t confined to career ladders or semi-annual reviews -it’s part of our everyday culture, fueled by curiosity, creativity, and continuous growth. That’s why we offer a range of opportunities to learn, stretch, and evolve professionally and personally.

• Learning Stipends: Want to attend a machine learning conference or pursue a new certification? We’ve got your back.
• Virtual Workshops & Lunch+Learns: From leadership training to growing tomatoes or practicing desk yoga, we support diverse learning interests.
• Continuous Feedback: Growth conversations happen often, not just during review cycles, because development is ongoing.

This holistic, transparent, and people-first approach empowers every team member to chart their own course and understand their impact on our collective success.

Support: Investing in Your Work-Life Equation

When you join Plotly, we make sure you start off on the right foot. We provide all new hires with a work-from-home fund. Need an ergonomic chair? A second monitor? We’ve got your setup covered. Beyond the initial setup, Plotly offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being and growth:

• Competitive health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Generous PTO and leave policies, including a parental leave top-up, to support a healthy work/life balance.

Celebrations: Marking the Milestones

Life’s too short not to celebrate!

• Anniversaries: Every milestone is plotted on our company calendar. From custom gifts to team shoutouts, we make sure you feel celebrated.
• Employee Spotlights: Our employee contributions are the real MVPs. Spotlights in newsletters, blogs, and meetings ensure every great idea and achievement gets its moment in the spotlight.

Swag: Keeping It Cool

There’s nothing better than receiving Plotly-branded gear in the mail, especially when it turns your WFH setup into a branded command center.

• Hoodies? Check.
• Stickers? Got ‘em.
• Coffee mugs for fueling those long coding sessions? Absolutely.

We make sure you’re looking sharp — whether it’s on your next Google Meet or Zoom call or while sipping coffee at your favorite café.

What’s Next on Our Chart?

At Plotly, our journey to remote-first hasn’t been without its challenges, but we’ve plotted a course that prioritizes growth, flexibility, and connection. Whether it’s celebrating milestones, sparking creativity, or supporting personal development, we’re committed to making every Plotly team member’s experience exceptional.