How To
Embrace
RemoteWork

The ultimate guide of tried andtested strategies, from the world’s
leading companies for remote work.

Click the chapter to jump to a section:

03
08
15
20
24

Dispelling Myths & Providing Tips
Remote work gets a bad rep. But is it deserved?

Communication & Collaboration
Best practices for virtual discussions and meetings.

Digital Tools
The best software for effective remote work.

Company Culture
How to build a thriving team across many time zones.

Jobs & Hiring
Places to source remote jobs, and tips for interviews and hiring.

Click on the logo to jump to that company's remote work advice:1

A message from Michael Pryor, Trello’s co-founder:“

Adding ‘embrace remote’ to our list of team values was easy because it reflects
the larger effort we are putting into Trello every day: We want to improve the way
people work. There are many great theories about why remote work is worth it,
but even more exciting are the outcomes we’ve experienced:

01

Our product is better.

02

Our talent is stronger.

03

By dogfooding Trello as a remote team, we bring a ton ofdifferent perspectives to the table and push the limits of
its collaborative features.

We’ve been able to source and accommodate some of
the best people in the industry because we can support
them in more than one location.

Our purpose is clearer.

We have a distinct brand because we have a close team. By
pursuing the best standards of communication andcollaboration, we keep our silos down and our creative
efforts shared across the organization.

Oh, and we all get to eat cake. Everyone gets a cake delivered to their place on
their birthday.”- Michael Pryor, co-founder of Trello2&

Dispelling myths
providing tips
When the topic of remote work comes up, it’s notuncommon for people to become immediately
skeptical. Common narratives include:“In theory it sounds
good, but remote people
can’t come to meetings
and they never have all
the information.”“That could neverwork with oursystem.”“How doyou know
peoplearen’tslacking
off?”“

Yikes.
All of these statements are working off ofeither wrong assumptions or process failures.
Remote work is getting a bad name when infact there are easily identifiable behaviors
and policies that are causing the problems.
Effective remote work starts at the top. When
company culture leaders correct non-remotefriendly behaviors and put inclusive processes
in place, the effects trickle down into a
successful experience for everyone.
3

Yeah, we tried that,
but it didn’t reallywork and the remotepeople ended upgetting fired.”MYTH #1: “Remote workers
are slackers”
There is a perception that if you can’t physically see someone sitting at their desk doing work,
then they’re not getting anything done.
Any worker, regardless of location, can slack off if managers are not properly communicating
expectations and deadlines. If someone understands what work they are responsible for (goals)
and when it needs to be done (deadlines), and they work accordingly (with regular status
updates), then they surely won’t warrant a “slacker” title, no matter where they’re located. Teams
that reward results will attract and retain people that will be productive anywhere.

Tip: In addition to a chat tool for quick conversation, managers should also be having weekly

check-ins via video call with their direct reports to answer questions and learn of any setbacks.

“

Never work from bed.

When I started working 100% remotely at Buffer, I set therule for myself that I would never work from bed, andhere’s why:

- It becomes more difficult to fall asleep because working from bed weakens themental association between your bedroom and sleep.
- You may start to feel like you’re always at work and lose a place to come home to.
- Your quality of sleep will decrease because using electronics before bed reduces
the melatonin you need to fall asleep.”- Hailley Griffis, Future of Work Marketer, Buffer4

A lot of remote workers feel like they
constantly need to be “visible” in theirdigital workspaces to “prove” thatthey are working. They feel they need
to be present for every discussion inchat, or can’t let a notification gounanswered for more than a few
minutes.
This pressure adds unnecessary
anxiety. Instead of being able to dotheir deep work, they are constantly
worrying
about
how
their
contributions are perceived.
Implicit in these beliefs is the conceptthat remote workers are “other” orsomehow different than their othercolleagues. If remote workers are
feeling this pressure to be visible, thenit likely stems from the idea thatthey’re not being valued at the samelevel as in-office workers.

Tip: These anxieties are ameliorated

when remote work is normalizedcompany-wide. These colleagues
aren’t different or lacking (they may
even experience fewer distractions).
Everyone should indicate “deep work”
times on their calendar, or use a status
update in their chat tool to indicate
their availability.
Remote workers are getting up andgoing to work every day just likeeveryone else, except they probably
have a shorter commute!

5

MYTH #2: “It is
up to theremote worker
to constantly
prove they are
working”

MYTH #3: Remote Work Means
Company Culture Suffers
Some people are wary of remote teams because they fear a lack of teamcamaraderie. It’s true that there are no silly interactions in the kitchen or casual
hallway “stop and chats” on remote teams, however, with effective planning,these social moments can be baked into a remote dynamic.
Tip: Seeing as up to 10,000 non-verbal cues can be exchanged in one minute offace-to-face interaction, video meeting tools are essential for building
relationships with others. You can set up team-building activities over video thatplay into the strengths of remote work, like sharing your office view or
introducing your cat to your coworker’s cat and watching the furry friendship
unfold.
In fact, we’ve written an entire chapter on remote work company culture tips forthis ebook. Read more here.

6

MYTH #4: “Remote workers areavailable all times of day”
It’s easy to assume that because someone is always at home that they are available
to answer a quick work question at any time. This is unequivocally false.
One of the most espoused remote work best practices is to set strict working
hours, just as one would if they worked in an office. Remote workers are encouraged
to decide on (and communicate) available hours, take proper lunch breaks, and tophysically turn off and exit their work space when they are engaging in their homelife. Work-life separation is still very possible, even if your office is inside your house!

Tip: Track workday availability on a team board where other important information
is housed. If it’s unclear whether someone is currently available, you candouble-check the card to know for sure!

“

Pace yourself.

Working remotely means you get a ton of quiet, heads-down time to do
deep work. But deep work is exhausting! Build 5-minute breaks into yourday: walk around the block, call your mom, pet your cat. Take care of yourself
so you still have gas left in the tank on Friday to enjoy your personal time.”

7- Sarah Goff-Dupont, Principal Writer, Atlassian, remote from Minnesota

&Communication
Collaboration

Remote team communication requires two basic things: thoughtfulconsideration and some adaptations for the virtual office.
As more teams go digital and turn to remote work, it’s important toremember that the kinds of nuanced communication you get in an
office setting don’t necessarily translate online.
Setting some ground rules for team communication goes a long way inmaking sure your team is productive and happy.

“

It is important to establish communication rules in a joint
team-code-conduct manner that includes teams and their wishes
directly in the creation.
When do we use chats? Why do we write emails? At what point do wepick up the phone? These answers should be a joint effort and one thatis reflective of the team’s efforts versus that of one person.”- Beat Buhlmann, General Manager EMEA, Evernote

8CONTEXTIS KING
When you’re communicating digitally, you never quite know what the other person
is doing at that moment. They might be at their desk just like you are, or they may
be frantically rushing to a sales meeting, only responding “Yes” to your questionand not elaborating because they don’t have time.
Without understanding the other person’s context, you might think that person
doesn’t care about the issue you brought up, when they’re really just running tocatch a cab in San Francisco (good luck with that).
With the information on that person’s context, all of a sudden, the curt
answers make sense: It’s not that your coworker doesn’t care, they are justindisposed at the moment.
Prefacing communication with your context can really help to prevent any
miscommunication when things are out of the ordinary. Let team members know
when you are heads down on a project and can’t respond to questions right away.
Over communicating is always better than making assumptions.

“Tools can mask theintention andhumanity of thepeople involved.

10

”

E

STABLISH
gROUND
ruLES

If you’re already working in a remote team, chances are yourteam has its roster of favorite tools. The important question to
ask yourself is how and when to use these tools to convey theright information. All of these considerations can be boiled
down to a simple question that saves you a lot of time andmental energy:“”

Is the information time sensitive?
If yes, go to chat. If no, go to Trello.

For example, if you have a project update that is not time
sensitive, pinging people in chat may be distracting and takethem away from the brilliant state of concentrational zen
they’ve been trying to reach all day.
9

Chat
TOols

VS calls

video

Let these 4 truths sink in:

01
02
03
04

Tools can mask intention and humanity: Keep inmind that at the end of the chat is a humanbeing with feelings and reactions.
If you have constructive feedback to give, do it
over a video call so your intentions come across.
Due to a lack of verbal and emotional cues: One
person may perceive a chat convo as anargument when the other person perceives it as
a discussion.
Resentment builds over time due tounderlying issues not being addressed.
Digital communication gone rogue can breed
misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

The easiest way to nip this in
the bud is by recognizing
the humanity in teammembers via seeing theirface on a video call.
It’s a game changer.
11MEEtINGs
Meetings get a bad rep, but nothing is more efficient than a meeting where all
stakeholders know what is being discussed, how long it will last, and what to prepare.

How do you accomplish this?

if...

then

You want every person in themeeting to feel like their
input is on equal footing...

Do not gather co-located folks
around a conference room
screen and pipe the remotepeople in as giant chat heads.

why?
It’s hard to track conversations
both visually (trying to see
who’s talking) and audibly(with varying distances fromthe microphone).

To make collaboration work for everyone,
there is one key rule:
Unless every person is in the same room, all meetings are held overvideo conference.
We’ve all been that one person dialing into a call only to hear a room full of noise, echo, andside conversations on the other end. It’s a terrible experience. So when one person is“remote” for a meeting, everyone is.

We follow a few guidelines to minimize disruptions and ensure
productive, high-quality calls:
Provide every employee with great headphones to prevent bad audio quality.
Make a reliable internet connection a priority for both local offices and remote setups.
Develop video call etiquette (and follow it!). Mute when you’re not speaking, keep yourvideo on to stay engaged, and avoid taking calls when in a noisy coffeeshop.”- Justine Jordan, VP Marketing, Litmus
12

“

”

Each person should feel equally
represented and present in the meeting.

Catching up with remoteteammates at Trello HQ

if...
then

You want to help your remote team bond...

why- Keeping things positive by including a “Team Bravos” section
is a great time for members to highlight each other’scontributions.
- “Gossip” section helps everyone feel connected to thecompany.

13

Allocate portions of the meeting for chatting about non-work
activities, ice-breaker games, and catching up on company
gossip.

“Video conferencing is not ‘Big
Brother,’ it’s an avenue for personal,
face-to-face connection.

”

if...

then

why?

You want to avoid
meetings where people
drone on in seemingly
endless monologues...

Use a Trello board tocreate both democratizedparticipation andstructure.

- Team members need toknow the structure, cadence,and expectations of teammeetings.
- Anyone can add a card to
the “Discuss During Meeting”
list at any time.

14

9 time zones.
17 people.
190 countries.
See how UNICEF is pushing remote work to
its furthest borders in this exclusive story ofhumanitarian aid and hurricane relief.
Read more© UNICEF/UN056164/Sokhin

ALL THETOOLS TOMAKE
REMOTE
WORK
COOL

15

Tools matter more in remote work
because they are the foundation forcommunication. You cannot walk up to
someone’s desk to talk to them; youneed to adapt tools to become your“virtual office.” After all, if technology
hadn’t advanced to what it is today,
remote work wouldn’t even be
possible.
Here’s a roundup of the mostimportant types of tools you need toconsider for remote work, as well assome specific recommendations:

Chat
Tools
Slack is the reigning powerhousein the chat tools field, and has
proven to be an engaging andfun-to-use tool for teamcommunication, especially forremote teams.
“Social” features like emoji
reactions and GIPHY
integrations are a positive way
for remote companies tocommunicate more naturally.
Communicating via Slackchannels is also an important
way to ensure no decisions are
ever lost. Remotecommunication is asynchronous:
which means keeping a record in
Slack channels removes thefrustrating effect of desk stopand-chats. It also means
everyone can stay informed, andeven contribute to decision
making (in their own time!).
16“

At Zapier, we realize thattransparent communication
is key to successful remotework. Nearly all of ourconversations happen in
public Slack channels, so
anyone can chime in andread up on what’s happening
across teams anddepartments. That’s
especially helpful whenworking as a team acrossdifferent time zones. Whenteam members wake up,
they can easily gain context
and pick up where others left
off instead of not knowing
what went on while they
were sleeping.”- Wade Foster, CEO, ZapierVideo callsoftware

When communication starts to get
nuanced, confusing, or even heated,
hop into video chat. The same way thatyou’d seek out a coworker in an officesetting to discuss an important issue,
video chat makes it much easier tomimic this interaction
Good video conferencing is one of thecornerstones of an effective remotecompany, and we’ve tried them all. Hereare our recommendations:17

Zoom has proven to be the mostreliable video conferencing software
across all forms of internet
connections, especially whenhandling hundreds of participants incompany-wide meetings.
The “gallery view” feature is a mustfor remote meetings with many
attendees. You can also use the chattool within meetings to establish a"peanut gallery" of running
commentary and reactions while
information is being presented.
There are even fun custom
backgrounds you can add as green
screens that are great conversation
starters for remote teams!

&Collaboration
Status tools

When you need to see progress, at-a-glance status updates, and all
relevant resources related to a project or team’s work, Trello is yourvirtual office. All the information updates in real-time and lives
there 24/7, so team members can pick up the context,
communications, and status of any request, project, meeting
agenda, or other item at their convenience.
Trello, by the way, would not be as user-friendly of a
product without the constant dogfooding it receives fromthe remote team that builds it. Sign up: it's free!

(No but seriously,
what did you
think we weregoing to say? :P)

18

&Communication
Documentation(Internal):
Whether it’s outlining
policies, taking meeting notes, or writinga blog to share with your team,
Confluence is a fantastic internal
communication and collaboration tool.
Use it for projects or as an employee
handbook. It helps teams share ideas,build community, and get work done all
in one open and shared workspace,regardless of timezone.

19(External): When it comes tocollaborating with people outside of
the company, like freelance writers or
external partners, Google Docs is theindustry standard. The ability tosimultaneously edit, comment, andchat back and forth is flawless. Also,
the robust permissions settings makesharing private and public informationa breeze.

creating a
remote teamcultureOne of the biggest concerns when considering remote-friendly work is theperceived culture hit. Workplaces have relied on co-location to build corporate
culture for so long that it seems bleak to think of a December without therequisite tinsel-and-punch office holiday party.
The key to building great remote relationships is intention. You need to try
harder to find common interests, have meaningful meetings, and truly
understand each person’s perspective. The result can be a lasting network of truefriends that you can depend on, no matter where your travels might take you.
Creating a strong remote team culture depends on two things:

1. A clear set of “rules to live by” that have 100% buy-in
across the company.
2. A healthy system of meetings, events, and habits thatkeep people communicating.
Oh, and don’t forget to use a lot of

20

and

01
02
03
04
05

Empathy Is Everything:

Always assume positive intent. Tone and nuancecan get lost over chat, so assuming yourcolleague is coming from a positive place helps
with any potential misunderstandings.

Treat Others With Transparency:

Keep important information accessible foreveryone: log side chat decisions, record video
meetings, and always take notes to share in
public spaces.

Asynchronous Is A-OK:

Embrace communication across distributed
time zone work schedules. Plan ahead: No
decisions are made last minute. It may seem
like extra work, but it’s actually more organized.

Expect Structure:

Establish a process, structure, and agendaaround meetings and updates so everyone canfollow along no matter their location. Assign ameeting lead and scribe to ensure key decisions
are captured in writing.

Different Yet Equal:

Accept this fundamental reality: All remoteteam members are equal, but their experiences
differ. It’s OK for co-located teammates to get
together in person. The key is be considerate. If
it is a company-sponsored event, provide analternate perk for remote folks.

For more insight on balancing co-located and remote teams, see
Trello’s six commandments of culture between office and remoteteam members here.
21

remoteculturerules tolive byWhen you think of a vibrant,
self-sustaining culture, you
might not think of rules. But inthis case, rules are social norms
that provide participants with an
expected experience when they
enter the proverbial office. The
special thing about norms is thatthey are collectively agreed
upon. With 100% buy-in, theserules build trust, understanding,and support.

Doesn’t that soundlike a great place towork?

a system ofsocializing

Give both extroverts and introverts alikethe chance to chat with their co-workers
in meaningful ways.

Here are three types of social interactions that you can easily
set up for your remote team:Company-WideTown HallOh Hey There,
Mr. Rogers

Throw out any notions of the
traditional quarterly update speech.
This should be an open forum forquestions, discussions, and (short)team presentations occuring at least
once a month.

As companies grow, you can’t
guarantee everyone knows or talks toeveryone else.

Each Trello Town Hall opens with areview of the company’s values,
priorities,
andemployeeanniversaries. Then new hires get to
introduce themselves. The rest of
the hour is filled with agenda items
crowdsourced from the company inadvance.

Why does the Town Hall work?
It’s curated, plus it’senergized, as well as
democratic. It’s on aset schedule, and you
get to see each
person’s face in theirown video screen. Try
doing that in a roomof 100 people!
Learn more

22Enter “Mr. Rogers,” a 15-minute weekly
random grouping of team members
who connect on a video chat to, well,
just chat.
Post-session, a screen capture of themembers and highlights are logged.
How else could you learn that Bobby
would rather fight 1 torch-wielding
mob-sized
lobsterthan
700
lobster-sized torch-wielding mobs?

Why does Mr. Rogers work?
It reveals common
interests and sparks
conversations
thatcan be picked up at
the annual offsite. It
provides a break fromwork talk and builds
personal relationships
at a reliable cadence.
Learn more

remote team “offsites”
Flying everyone to an exotic location and having a big company bonding session isamazing, but also expensive. It shouldn’t be your company’s only solution for getting
together.
You can also share experiences as a remote team with a “choose-your-own” company
adventure. At Trello, this translates into a summer day off for the whole company
during which co-located office members head to the beach, and remotes receive astipend to expense their own fun adventure.
Why does the Choose-Your-Own event work? We bring everyone together with ahashtag and shared Trello board filled with recaps and pictures that is reviewed at
the next Town Hall. Everyone has an equal (but different) opportunity to have somefun, and then bond over those stories afterwards. Learn more

Remote work, and being able to structure life and live where and how you
want is awesome! This flexibility is a strength of this unique workstyle.
It’s also super important to get face-time with your team. If you have theopportunity, meet your team members in person, break bread together,and share memorable experiences.
Stephen Olmstead, VP of Design Partnerships, InVision

23

FIND (AND LAND) THE PERFECTREMOTE JOB
In 2016, 43% of employed Americans said they spent at least some timeworking remotely. That’s a lot of jobs!
Remote opportunities aren’t just becoming easier to source, they are being
developed by companies who are purposefully building a remote-friendly work
culture (and looking for the right candidates to thrive in it).

where to source...
It’s a challenge to source out true remote opportunities amidst vague “work fromhome!” ads. Here are some places to start:

Your current company:

If you feel that your situation could be vastly
improved by removing the commute,communicate with your manager. You mightlead the charge on remote culture!

FlexJobs:“Hiring remote workers means that you can
get the absolute best person for the job –not just one who is willing to live in your city.

Remote.com:

If your company doesn’t include remote
working options now or in the future, you
could be cutting your possible candidate
pool in half and be eliminating the mostqualified people from consideration.”

FlexJobs vets remote opportunities that fit
your skills, job experience and country of
employment for a small fee.

Build a profile and let potential
opportunities come your way thanks
to AI tech that matches employees
and companies.

Stack Overflow:

If you're a developer looking to level up,
this is your stop. Add criteria like techstack and flex hours to find a great fit.

24

- Rachel Ferrigno, Content Marketing Manager,
Stack Overflow

Other top remote job boards include Remote
OK, We Work Remotely, Remotive, Remote.co,
and Jobspresso.

how to prep
A remote job interview can also be a slight departure fromthe traditional in-office interview. How you approach andinteract with a remote hiring team during the vetting
process can really separate you from the pack.

Here are some expert tips:

01

Help yourself be yourself:

You don’t want to be worrying about
interruptions while trying to explain yourbest attributes. Make sure you have a solidinternet connection, a quiet place to takethe interview (no coffee shops!).

02

Over-communicate:03

Get into the remote interviewer mindset:

04

Know your tools:

25

The foundation of distributed teams iscommunication. Approach your applicationby providing as many details as needed. Thiskind of communicative effort shows you’rereliable when working remote.

Put yourself in your interviewer’s shoes and anticipate
what will make their lives easier. Provide examples ofyour work that shows results, integrity, drive,
empathy, and how you add value as a trustworthy
team member.

You should be comfortable managing all kinds ofcollaborative tools like chat apps, video conferencing,email, calendars, and project management platforms,
because your interview will likely require them.

Are you(really) readyto go remote?
At the end of the day,choosing
remoteforremote’s sake won’t keep
you satisfied. If the role isas much about the work as
it is about the lifestyle,you’ll be on the right track
to find a fulfilling career.

“Remote work is an important
shift in how our society operates,in that it opens doors for many
who weren't able to walkthrough them before.
People who cannot afford to movewhere the work is, people who
cannot adhere to a traditional
9-to-5 workday because they carefor their families—remote work isalready creating newopportunities for them, and thiseffect will only grow stronger.

We're shaping the future of work,
and it's on us to make sure that it's
getting better for everyone.
- Leif Singer, Product Manager, Automattic

26”

This book was created entirely remotely by two people
living 3000 miles away. We also received lots of input
from our remote teammates across the country:

.

.

. .
..

.

We dedicate this book to all remote workers, whose
pioneering efforts have helped us to learn, evolve,
connect, and empathize in a whole new way.
And to our remote colleagues at Trello:Thank you. Without your honesty and advice, we would
never be where we are today.
Writing and editing: Leah Ryder and Lauren Moon
Some additional reporting done by Stella Garber
Layout: Lauren Moon
Illustrations: Christopher “Tinypants” Dang
Special Thanks: Samantha Gobert27