When Ashley Trebisacci received word that her son’s daycare had run out of diapers, she didn’t hesitate. She dashed over, in the middle of the workday, with a new supply in tow.
It’s one of the many benefits, Trebisacci says, of working for a fully remote organization.
“The flexibility has been huge,” said Trebisacci, who is the senior manager of people operations at Orum. “As a new mom, it has been really nice to be able to stop by my son’s daycare to drop off diapers if they run out or even go for 30 minutes to watch him enjoy a petting zoo.”
Orum, Mulberry and Enigma are three New York-based companies that have embraced fully remote work models. With leaders committed to crafting intentional, inclusive cultures across time zones, these three companies are hiring now.
Though many companies have reopened their offices since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to work remotely remains a top three motivator for people searching for new jobs, according to a McKinsey & Company report from June.
That same McKinsey survey found that 35 percent of U.S. workers were offered full-time remote options in 2022. In comparison, 23 percent received part-time or occasional remote work choices, and 42 percent were denied any virtual work opportunities.
While remote work comes with its challenges, many remote employees enjoy greater flexibility to care for their families and health, accommodate travel plans and pursue personal hobbies. Though their teams are dispersed, fully remote companies still often organize in-person celebrations and networking opportunities.
Built In New York sat down with leaders at these companies to learn more about how they’re fostering healthy, connected remote cultures.
Teams at Enigma, a company that provides small business data for financial institutions, start and end the week together, with virtual calls scheduled to accommodate different time zones. While valuing the flexibility of its work-from-anywhere model, employees also regularly gather in person for fun, collaborative events called “Enigma Hauses” in exciting spots around the country.
How would you describe your team culture in a single word, and why?
Collaborative. At Enigma, we have a common understanding that in order to reach our goals, we have to work together. The culture promotes a low-ego, all-hands-on-deck attitude.
Multiple teams — engineering, data science, product and leadership — frequently band together with customer success to explore options and outline plans to make our product even more valuable for customers.
How has Enigma built and evolved its culture to make everyone feel included as a fully remote team?
Enigma starts and ends the week together — with company standup on Mondays and collaborative sessions called “Shipped” on Friday afternoons where teams showcase recently completed projects.
Enigma allows for the flexibility to work from anywhere and is very thoughtful about this, scheduling company and team calls that make sense for all time zones.
The company also makes opportunities throughout the year for employees to gather in person. We call it an “Enigma Haus,” where teams, departments or all employees are invited to gather in a central spot for a few days to work side by side, brainstorm in person and have fun. There have been Enigma Hauses in Hollywood Hills, Venice Beach, New York and an Enigma Ski Haus in Breckenridge, Colorado. They are a great way to get to know coworkers in 3D.
I value the ability to work from anywhere in the world and still be highly effective and productive in driving results for Enigma.”
What do you enjoy most about being a fully remote employee?
I value the ability to work from anywhere in the world and still be highly effective and productive in driving results for Enigma.
I’m based in New York, but I was recently able to spend a month working from London because I have the autonomy to schedule my work hours around what works for me and makes me the most productive. I enjoyed a fresh perspective in a new work environment and got to spend my free time exploring London with friends.
Leaders at Orum, provider of an intelligent payments platform, encourage teams to “show up with curiosity” every day. In addition to maintaining clear remote work and communication policies, the fintech company sets aside in-person and virtual time for colleagues to connect professionally and socially.
How would you describe your team culture in a single word, and why?
Curious. The team at Orum is always willing to explore new processes, ways of thinking and approaches to solving problems.
One of our core values is “show up with curiosity,” and we live that every day. Our CEO, Stephany Kirkpatrick, founded this company because she was curious about something and wanted to find and create a solution. All of our team members show up to work with the same attitude so that everyone, our clients included, can build to their potential.
The team at Orum is always willing to explore new processes, ways of thinking and approaches to solving problems.”
How has Orum built and evolved its culture to make everyone feel included as a fully remote team?
Orum has done a lot to keep the team engaged. We have well-documented policies in place and our communication philosophy covers everything you need to know in order to thrive in a remote work environment.
We also have fun events planned from time to time, such as a weekly cafeteria where we meet on Zoom and enjoy lunch on Orum, a virtual pie baking class around Thanksgiving (a team favorite), or our annual offsite where we meet in person for fun and socializing, as opposed to boring hotel conference room sessions.
What do you enjoy most about being a fully remote employee?
The flexibility has been huge. As a new mom, it has been really nice to be able to stop by my son’s daycare to drop off diapers if they run out or even go for 30 minutes to watch him enjoy a petting zoo.
At Mulberry, which provides e-commerce product protection solutions, leaders know the importance of formally documenting virtual systems and procedures, but also dedicate time to connecting informally with colleagues through Slack and other platforms. A few times each year, the insurance software company also arranges for teams to gather and collaborate in person.
How would you describe your team culture in a single word, and why?
Driven. Our team is relentless in pursuing our goals and creating impact, doing whatever it takes to achieve our company, team and individual goals. I am constantly in awe of the effort, thoughtfulness and intelligence that our team displays on a day-to-day basis, in service to our mission and to supporting each other.
I love remote work because it gives me the ability to create my own definition of work-life balance.”
How has Mulberry built and evolved its culture to make everyone feel included as a fully remote team?
Our team has leveraged a few tactics to ensure our culture is cohesive and our employees feel connected even in a remote environment, including:
- Prioritizing asynchronous informal communication via Slack.
- Taking time to create thoughtful documentation for key processes, meetings, etc.
- Getting our entire team together in person several times a year to work and just connect and be with each other.
What do you enjoy most about being a fully remote employee?
I love remote work because it gives me the ability to create my own definition of work-life balance in a way that works for whatever current life phase I am in, while also knowing my teammates are doing the same.
