Remote Vs. in-Office Culture: Balancing Act in Hiring

Remote Vs. in-Office Culture: Balancing Act in Hiring

In the era of remote work, preserving a strong company culture while expanding your team is a delicate task. We've gathered insights from CEOs, Founders, and Talent Acquisition Specialists on how to strike this balance. From fostering belonging through virtual engagement to ensuring a cultural fit in virtual hiring, discover the essential strategies shared by four experts.

• Foster Belonging with Virtual Engagement
• Emphasize Values in Remote Hiring
• Align Mission Values with Remote Onboarding
• Ensure Cultural Fit in Virtual Hiring

Foster Belonging with Virtual Engagement

Maintaining company culture with remote employees is all about clear communication and fostering a sense of belonging. At Startup House, we use virtual team-building activities, regular video calls, and a strong onboarding process to ensure new hires feel connected from day one. One crucial hire was a developer based in a different country who felt isolated at first. By organizing virtual coffee chats with the team, including him in project discussions, and sending care packages with company swag, we were able to make him feel like a valued part of the team, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.

Emphasize Values in Remote Hiring

At Innovate, we place a strong emphasis on ensuring clear communication and intentional engagement with our remote employees. We recognize the challenge we faced when we expanded our team to include remote designers and developers. By implementing regular virtual meetings, including the popular 'coffee chats,' we are fostering team bonding and ensuring that everyone feels connected to our company culture.

One crucial experience was hiring a remote developer for a major project. We made a point to emphasize our company values during the interview process and included them in team-building activities from day one. This approach helped the new hire integrate smoothly and maintained our collaborative culture. As a result, the developer quickly became a productive and engaged team member, contributing significantly to the project's success. This reiteration of our company values in the hiring and team-building process is a testament to our commitment to our mission and should make each team member feel more aligned and connected to our company's vision.

Align Mission Values with Remote Onboarding

Smaller remote companies like Discogs search for those who can easily show value and add to our company culture. We strive for collaboration and passion, not only for music but for the devoted record collectors who make up our community of users.

Onboarding can be trickier for remote workers, so we seek candidates who align with our mission values in addition to meeting role requirements.

When recruiting senior-level engineers to focus on our extensive open-source database, it was crucial to find someone who had a background that aligned with our passion for music as well as someone who could ramp up quickly within a remote atmosphere where connecting with others may take longer. Small but impactful organizations that function remotely, must align across the board with values as well as experience.

Ensure Cultural Fit in Virtual Hiring

Balancing Culture and Capability in Virtual Hiring

As the founder of a legal process outsourcing company, maintaining company culture while hiring remote employees is paramount to fostering a cohesive and collaborative team environment.

One experience that underscored the importance of this balance was when we were hiring a remote project manager to oversee critical client engagement. Beyond evaluating the candidate's skills and qualifications, we focused on ensuring they aligned with our company values and could seamlessly integrate into our remote work culture.

Through extensive video interviews and virtual team meetings, we gauged not only their professional aptitude but also their communication style and ability to collaborate effectively from a distance.

This emphasis on cultural fit paid off when the new hire seamlessly integrated into our team, bringing fresh perspectives while embracing our company's ethos, ultimately contributing to the success of the project and reinforcing our remote work culture.