Effects of the Pandemic
The direct effects of the pandemic are real: loss of life, disrupted families, economic uncertainty, and high unemployment rates. The indirect effects are more subtle but equally real: parents navigating distance learning while working, strained relationships at home, and Zoom fatigue (yeah, it’s a thing).
Personally, I feel fortunate: my wife works a full-time job, we have a 4-year-old son who isn’t in school yet, and my parents offer free babysitting twice a week. We’ve gotten to know our neighbors — and we like them — and our friends and family are safe and healthy. Professionally, I feel fortunate too: we were able to pivot quickly to virtual Team Connecting™ and have been very successful.
We hear from clients nearly every day about the difficulties of keeping remote teams connected and motivated while surviving this uncertainty. But we know companies can not only survive this — they can thrive with a remote workforce!
Thrive
Take our friends at TaxJar. We sat down with Founder and CEO, Mark Faggiano, to understand how he built TaxJar with a remote workforce from its inception in 2013 and why it’s so successful today.
Here’s what he had to say:
What’s the most important factor determining a remote workforce’s success?
Trust. You have to trust your team that they are doing the right thing without micromanaging them.
How do you make sure people are getting their work done?
We have implemented processes and tools that can track productivity. We are also really good at communicating — especially in written form — to make sure there are clear expectations about deadlines and deliverables.
Can you point to one thing that has led to TaxJar’s success as a 100% remote work company?
Our people truly drive the success of our company. We have taken great care to hire the right people — those who fit a remote workplace culture, commit to our mission, and can embrace our values. The hiring phase carries a lot of weight, and we have an extensive process that includes a 2 to 4 week paid mutual assessment. That gives us a lot of time with each person to make sure it’s a good fit for both sides.
How would you describe TaxJar’s company culture?
Like I mentioned before, we’ve built our company culture on trust. But we also make sure we stay connected. In fact, we have a team dedicated to creating a culture of connections. Our team does silly, goofy things — like themed virtual meetings where everyone dresses up in their favorite sports gear. Each month, an employee hosts Skillshare to teach a skill, like knitting or beekeeping. For every new hire, we do a 30-minute virtual meeting where we ask them questions so the whole company gets to know them.
What advice do you have for businesses now forced into a distributed workforce model?
First, be compassionate. Even our remote work team is getting used to the conditions the pandemic has created — like spouses and kids who are now home. Productivity looks different, but you can still be successful. Second, overcommunicate. There might need to be an extra meeting here and there to clearly outline needs and expectations. And finally, keep investing in your team. You might need to create a new role for connections or fun. It will be worth it — your employees will feel that you care, and that will help your company survive all this uncertainty.
Take Away
Our clients understand their people are their most important assets, not their products or services. They understand a culture of trust and open communication is vital to their success. They know it’s important to invest in their people in good times and especially in challenging ones.
If you’re looking for a way to invest in your people, stay connected with them, and maintain your company culture, we’d love to share what we’ve been doing to help remote teams thrive and make our clients grin.
