Redesigning how we connect
Human connection is still core to the way we work and going remote-first meant redesigning the way our people connect. When it comes to connection we’ve learned that one-size does not fit all. As we sought to design centralized processes, we realized that our teams needed the flexibility and discretion to design experiences to fit their needs. What has resulted is a set of guidelines and guardrails.
Offsites play a big role in our approach to connection. Each org is designated a bi-annual offsite budget on a use-it-or-lose-it basis. In the past I think there has been pressure to prove ROI for offsites based on the cost of travel, accommodation etc, but we openly recognize that ~90% of the value of coming together is to build relationships. We have optimized our offsite guidance to recommend that teams include just 1–2 days of content, to focus on the most valuable in-person activities and avoid burnout.
Quarterly offsites alone can not carry the full weight of our need for connection, so we complement this approach with remote-first tactics to build connection between in-person meetings. Some tactics that have worked for us include all company virtual events, bi-weekly town halls, quarterly all hands, social neighborhood budgets (an individual discretionary budget to fund meet-ups with colleagues) and team connection budgets (a discretionary manager budget to drive connection within immediate teams).