Discussion on: Let's talk about remote work.

Yes, the company has an number of employees who don't live anywhere near one of our main offices (it's a big company, ~500 people).

There are a few things that really make this work for us.

• Great videoconferencing software. We use Cisco WebEx for team meetings and Slack calls for talking 1-on-1. I like WebEx a lot, it does its job and gets out of the way.
• On my team, meetings are either short (standup) or infrequent (sprint planning).
• Flat org structure and decentralized management. My team has clear goals and deadlines but plenty of autonomy for how we achieve them.
• Monthly all-hands videoconferences with the CEO to talk about company values, answer questions, and discuss company financial performance.
• Unlimited PTO. I feel like this really means "unmonitored PTO". It keeps the conversation focused on what we're accomplishing, not whether we're working enough hours.
• A benefits package that accommodates remote work. "Onsite gym" doesn't mean much to an employee who lives 300 miles away, so we have fitness reimbursements.
• Competitive salaries, benefits, stock options and bonuses (based on company sales goals). This keeps us in the top 10 on Glassdoor, which lets us be picky about who we hire.
• The culture is laid-back and trusting. I don't know what the process is for dealing with bad actors, but it must be good because I haven't met any.

Does that answer your question? Remote work is a nuanced topic and I know I haven't covered it completely, but I really believe it's the way to go. I'm not sure there's any amount of money that could convince me to take an onsite job again.