Given that we’re so distributed, it’s mission-critical that we get really good at collaborating online. We don’t have everything figured out, but we’ve made it a priority to use data to inform our decisions, and we’re starting to run experiments focused on improving how we work.

We’re already seeing clear business benefits to our evidence-based approach.

In addition:

• 92% of Atlassians say our distributed work policy allows them to do their best work. 91% say it’s an important reason why they stay at Atlassian
• Representation of women has doubled in certain geographies
• Despite the fact that we have no in-office mandates, 80%+ of Atlassians visited one of our offices at least once each quarter over the past year

We’ve learned a lot since 2020. And since we’re in the business of collaboration, we’re sharing the insights we’ve uncovered so far in our latest report, Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian.

5 key takeaways from the past 3 years

To dive into everything we’ve discovered over the past three years, download Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian. Here are a few learnings that really stood out to us:

Most teams are already doing distributed work

We believe the insights we’ve uncovered will be useful to any leader or team, regardless of their company’s in-office policy. The reality of modern work is that everyone needs to be able to collaborate online effectively. Even if you go into an office five days a week, chances are you’re still largely working with people spread across different locations and time zones.

When we surveyed Fortune 500 executives, every leader told us that their teams work in a distributed way, whether they have an in-office policy or not. And almost all (99%) agreed that work will only become more distributed in the future.

Executives also agreed that how teams work is more important than where they work. That makes sense: the biggest obstacles to effective teamwork are things like vague goals, confusing processes, and useless meetings. None of these problems are magically solved when employees head into the office. In fact, our research shows that only 1 in 3 executives think that their return-to-office policy has had even a slight impact on productivity.

To boost productivity, innovate on how work gets done

Fortune 500 executives rate low productivity as their #1 challenge. At Atlassian, we’re focused on solving for some of the biggest barriers to getting great work done fast. To do that, the Team Anywhere Lab, a group of dedicated behavioral scientists, plans to conduct several experiments each quarter.

Molly Sands, Head of Team Anywhere Lab, on using science to validate best practices for distributed work:

In a recent experiment, the Team Anywhere Lab focused on how to help Atlassians more intentionally structure their workdays around their most important work.

Participants were split into two groups: both received guidance on how to timebox their top priorities, and one group was also encouraged to track their top work priorities at the end of each day to improve goal clarity.

The main results? Timeboxing around top priorities works, and tracking progress daily adds an additional productivity boost. 65% of individual contributors and 71% of managers who took part in the experiment said they made more progress on top priorities than in a typical week. And compared to Atlassians who only restructured their time, those who also made it a point to track how they were doing every day reported a 36% improvement in how sustainable their workload felt.

In-person time is critical – it just doesn’t need to happen every day

Teams at Atlassian meet at one of our offices about three times per year to bond and advance important projects.

Our research shows that these intentional team gatherings lead to a 27% increase in feelings of connection, especially among new graduates and new hires, and that this boost lasts for 4-5 months.

We also try to host team gatherings at the same time, in the same office to make it easier for Atlassians to connect with a broader set of colleagues. In fact, 67% of people who attend a team gathering connect with at least five Atlassians outside of their team during the event.

You don’t need an office to do great work, but offices still matter

At Atlassian, our physical spaces serve three purposes: connection, company belonging, and a place to get work done. We created metrics – visitor engagement, costs per visit, and utilization – to assess whether our offices are meeting the needs of Atlassian, and to help us make necessary improvements.

Annie Dean, Global Head of Team Anywhere, on how to use data to reimagine offices:

Our metrics informed our decision to close some office space in 2023. We reallocated those funds to innovating other spaces and opening new offices to meet changing employee needs. For example, our Austin offices, which opened in September 2022, were specifically designed and optimized for team gatherings. They feature several spacious meeting rooms and a conference center where Atlassians can connect and collaborate.

Employees should be able to understand your culture no matter where they sit

As more and more collaboration shifts online, work and how it gets done will become more of a cultural constant than offices.

We live our values by making sure they come through in daily work. Take, for example, “Open company, no bullshit.” To bring this to life, we often share information via Confluence pages and encourage others to leave comments if they have questions or suggestions. This enables us to have rich, two-way discussions that ensure we’re cultivating something useful and inclusive.

Take another value: “Build with heart and balance.” The Team Anywhere Lab helps us experiment with better ways of working. Their mission is to help Atlassians get more done faster, feel more confident and connected, and be less exhausted at the end of each day.

What’s next

We’re still learning! Over the coming year, we’ll be focused on supporting new graduates, helping new Atlassians onboard more effectively, and rolling out guidance for how to best work across time zones.

To learn about and implement the insights we’ve uncovered, and to get more details about where we’re headed this year, get your free copy of Lessons Learned: 1,000 Days of Distributed at Atlassian today.

The post Lessons learned: 1,000 days of distributed at Atlassian appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian.

Are remote workers really less productive than those working in offices? If you were to ask the employers issuing the latest wave of return-to-office orders, they would likely answer with a resounding “yes.” Many have argued that they want staff back in the office precisely because they will be more productive, collaborative, and creative if they are doing their jobs within the same physical space, away from the potential distractions that accompany working from home. 

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But the research tells a different story, with decidedly mixed conclusions. For some workers in some industries, such as those who work in call centers or in IT services, studies have found that working in an office does seem to improve productivity. But studies also suggest that knowledge workers can be significantly more productive when working remotely; Federal Reserve economist Anthony Diercks noted a 25% increase in his colleagues’ research output after the Fed went fully remote in 2020. And across the board, all sorts of factors play into a person’s ability to consistently meet and exceed their targets at work, including their commute times, family responsibilities, and physical and psychological health. These and other variables can also play a role in determining whether an employee is more comfortable – or effective – working at home than in an office. 

In other words, there is no single answer. Where it comes to doing their best work, different people have different needs – both across multiple industries, and within a single workplace. Truly effective leaders are those that not only take this reality to heart, but design their office policies accordingly. 

“Effective leadership hinges on masterful inquiry, keen and empathetic listening, and crafting team norms that champion both individual and business needs,” says Karl Giuseffi, Executive Vice President of research and innovation for the management consulting firm Talent Plus and a member of the Fast Company executive board. As Giuseffi sees it, that means holding candid and transparent conversations with team members about their ideal working conditions, and then actually listening to what they have to say. The goal should be to cultivate an understanding of what employees want and where they are coming from, and then translate that understanding into a plan that considers how to best align team members’ needs with the organization’s strategic objectives. 

Unfortunately, too many employers neglect to get this critical step right. Some will instead opt for a lip service approach, soliciting employee feedback through “superficial surveys,” Giuseffi says, before going ahead with a “rigid, one-size-fits-all policy” that neglects to take employees’ preferences into consideration. This not only can alienate team members and undercut their sense of significance within the organization, but may hamper engagement and, ultimately, retention. 

It’s also a missed opportunity. “A strategic, empathetic approach not only aligns with individual needs, but also unifies purpose and enthusiasm for work,” says Giuseffi. 

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Jon Morgan, CEO of the management consulting firm Venture Smarter, agrees that it’s in everyone’s best interests for organizations to craft hybrid and flexible office policies that cater to employees’ diverse needs. In addition to opening lines of conversation with their team members and creating spaces for safe and open dialogue, Morgan suggests that managers involve employees in the decision-making process more directly, perhaps by leveraging employee resource groups (ERGs) to ensure that diverse perspectives are taken into consideration. 

“By valuing their input, managers can foster a sense of ownership among team members, leading to more inclusive and effective remote work policies,” Morgan says. 

Morgan also notes the importance of inclusivity when it comes to distributed teams, whose members are not co-located within a particular office or even in the same time zone (according to our recent research, enterprise executives acknowledge all knowledge workers collaborate in this way). He says,“acknowledging and respecting varying work styles is essential” for ensuring that individuals remain aligned with one another, and are collectively energized to create wonderful things. 

“Some team members might prefer structured schedules, while others thrive in a more flexible, autonomous environment,” Morgan says. “Employers can leverage project management tools to track productivity and collaborate effectively while allowing team members the freedom to choose the working methods that suit them best. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions can also help managers stay attuned to individual preferences and adjust strategies accordingly.”

Finally, leaders must remember that no plan or policy is ever set in stone. Individuals’ needs change and evolve, and team dynamics are similarly fluid. By maintaining an open and ongoing dialogue with team members, managers can better equip themselves to make protocol tweaks and accommodations as needed. 

Agatha Relota Luczo, the founder and Chief Creative Officer of the clean beauty company Furtuna Skin, recommends incorporating working style check-ins as part of the performance review process. “When you’re having a check-in with an employee, ask them how their current setup is working for them and what they may need to thrive even more,” she says. With a team that’s largely remote, Relota Luczo finds that simple routines for touching base can go a long way toward ensuring that everyone feels empowered to do their very best work. 

In short, the question is not whether remote employees are more or less productive than in-office workers, or vice versa. A better question for proactive leaders to ask is whether their workplace policies help or hinder their current employees’ success. 

The post Here’s what remote workers need to be productive appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian.

The corporate world’s myopic focus on where work gets done is outdated. In order to evolve distributed work, we need to redirect our efforts towards how work gets done, in a way that benefits both workers and their organizations. Because in today’s world, most companies are already working in a distributed way, whether they realize it or not.

Regardless of how a company defines itself – remote, hybrid, in-office, you name it – the reality is this: modern work takes place across a distributed network. Companies with more than one office or any number of remote workers – not to mention clients or partners who work in a different location – are engaging in distributed work, faced with the challenge of connecting and communicating in ways that would have been impossible 50, 30, even 10 years ago. In the face of those challenges, the physical location of where your employees happen to work seems almost trivial.

But when problems like low productivity or employee churn arise, we see companies using physical location as a scapegoat and forcing employees back into the office for at least some amount of time.

Based on a study we conducted with Wakefield Research of 1,000 knowledge workers in the US and Australia, the problem with distributed work is not the physical separation of employees. Rather, it’s that companies don’t have the right tools, norms, and ways of working in place, and are relying on practices that are better suited for in-person, in-office collaboration – and that’s a problem.

At Atlassian, we’re committed to distributed work for the long term. We have the flexibility and autonomy to choose where we work – in one of our offices, or not – on any given day. It’s up to us to figure out how to do this, and we firmly believe that when executed well, flexible distributed work is a better way to work – for organizations, their teams, and society at large.

Most companies are already distributed – but they’re not doing it well

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Office mandate or not, our research found that 71% of knowledge workers work away from an office at least once per week. Yet only half of those workers (51%) say their company provides them with remote collaboration tools, which means a staggering proportion of companies offering full-time or part-time remote work are missing a key opportunity to enable collaboration across their distributed network.

Even worse, 26% of those who are provided with remote collaboration tools say they don’t necessarily have the right tools or adequate training on those tools to be effective.

Our takeaway is that an alarming number of knowledge workers don’t have the resources they need to be effective and efficient. And throwing a random assortment of video conferencing and messaging apps at the problem isn’t enough; teams don’t always know how to unlock the power of certain tools without adequate support and training on how best to use those tools in the first place.

And technology is just table stakes. Leaders must implement new ways of working to ensure that their teams have the time, clarity, and connections they need to move work forward in a distributed world. For many teams, this requires a fundamental shift in the way we work.

Workers go to the office out of obligation – not because they want to

According to our survey, 82% of all knowledge workers have some form of “in-office mandate” today, and nearly half of these office-goers (46%) only go into the office because of these company mandates – not necessarily because they want to.

Even among workers who are supposedly able to choose whether they come into the office or not, 25% say they still feel pressure to go in. And 10% are concerned they will be viewed as less productive or uncommitted to their work if they work from home.

Our take? Leaders are pressuring employees to return to the office because they lack confidence and conviction in new approaches to work. But mandates won’t solve the problem. To be effective in today’s world, companies need to design and validate best practices for distributed work until teams are effectively collaborating and connecting, without relying solely on in-person time.

Workers with flexibility enjoy better quality of life

The power of flexibility is much bigger than just saving commute time or doing a load of laundry during lunch hour. It’s a fundamental rebalancing of priorities in a person’s life.

• For all surveyed US knowledge workers, the number one reason for preferring remote work is that they are happier working from home (47%). Half of Gen Z (50%) and nearly as many Millennials (49%) say they are happier working from home, compared to 37% of Gen X workers and 37% of Baby Boomers.
• Among those surveyed without any mandated in-office time, 56% say they spend more time with friends and family, 49% spend more time on physical fitness or self-care, and 37% have pursued a new hobby or interest, specifically because they are not required to be in the office for a specified amount of time.
• In this same group, 20% have moved cities, 16% have purchased a home, and 12% have started families. These aren’t minor conveniences – these are core life changes workers were able to make because of flexibility.

We’re not saying flexibility means working less. But we are saying flexibility gives workers the ability to strengthen other areas of their lives. Internal Atlassian product data shows no evidence of decreasing productivity of Atlassian employees since we implemented Team Anywhere – in fact, our workdays are a bit longer than pre-pandemic. But that’s not because we’re working more or less. It’s because we can spread out our days to make time for other priorities in between.

We know from our annual State of Teams report that employees who have the flexibility to work in the location of their choosing have significantly better outcomes related to innovation, well-being, burnout, and perceptions of organizational culture – all of which are strongly associated with higher employee retention rates. When workers have the option to work from home, they’re empowered to make more beneficial life changes. And when people are happier, their work improves, particularly as collaborators.

Most leaders can agree they want their teams to be innovative and effective, and report positive sentiment toward their organizational culture. Flexibility just so happens to be linked to these positive outcomes, too.

Learning as we go

We’re still figuring out what well-executed distributed work looks like – same as every other company that has chosen this path. But we have yet to encounter a challenge that can’t be met by listening to our teams and updating our practices. At no point have we been tempted to roll out in-office mandates to address these issues.

The bottom line is this: most companies are already working in a distributed way, so it’s time to get really good at it. Every company needs to adopt the right tools and norms, and trust that good work can happen from anywhere.

Those who fail to experiment with new ways of working are at risk of falling behind. And companies that figure out how to get distributed right will be able to take full advantage of the business opportunity it offers: teams that produce higher quality work, answer harder questions, and move faster.

This new era of work is incredibly nuanced, and change is uncomfortable. No one said it would be easy, but the possibilities are extraordinary.

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Some people view team building as a critical component of successful collaboration. Others see it as cringey – likely because they haven’t experienced it in an effective way. When done right, team building can be powerful on multiple levels, from the front lines to the bottom line. In fact, Gallup research shows that team building can be a catalyst for better performance, lower absenteeism, and higher profitability. 

Team building can be a challenge, especially when your group is short on time, distributed, or unfamiliar with each other. But with these simple exercises and activities, you can bring people together to help everyone work better as a team, achieve better results, and enjoy the journey along the way. 

The 10 Cs of effective teams

Research and thought leadership around group dynamics have surfaced a handful of common traits of the most effective teams. When you’re planning group exercises – whether it’s an icebreaker or a staff retreat – keep these characteristics in mind as the North Stars of team building strategy. 

1. Clear expectations: Everyone on the team fully understands their mission, goals, roles, and responsibilities.
2. Commitment: Team members are committed to contributing what it takes to accomplish their mission and goals.
3. Competence: The team has the knowledge, skills, and capabilities to fulfill their responsibilities and accomplish their mission and goals.
4. Collaboration: The whole team is bought into the processes and group norms needed to work well together.
5. Communication: Team members have all the information needed to effectively complete their tasks, and they provide honest, timely feedback to each other in a respectful, empathetic way.
6. Creativity: The team values, encourages, and rewards innovative thinking, unique solutions, and new ideas.
7. Conflict: Team members feel safe to express their true feelings and work together to resolve conflict.
8. Conditions: The team has access to the necessary processes, policies, incentives, environment, and resources to be successful.
9. Cohesion: Team members like being on the team, trust each other, and willingly work as a unit.
10. Continuous improvement: Each team member consistently takes steps to become more capable and efficient at their job 

Try one of the five-minute team building exercises below to set your team on the right path, before you even finish your cup of coffee. 

20 virtual-friendly team building activities you can do in 5 minutes or less

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1. Blow your trumpet

It can feel awkward – sometimes downright painful –  to brag about ourselves, so this activity is a great opportunity to venture outside that comfort zone in a safe space, learn more about our teammates, and celebrate each other’s accomplishments. To play, simply ask each person to share one of their proudest achievements and why it’s meaningful to them.

2. Birth map

Knowing where someone comes from can help others understand them and their journey to where they are today. For this activity, have the meeting host or facilitator show a map of the world on their screen or in the conference room, and add pins to the map as each team member shares where they were born. 

At the end, zoom out to see all the pins at once. You could also ask follow-up questions that get the group talking, such as, “What do you notice about the pins?” and “Did anyone’s birth place surprise you?” 

If you have a small team or want a variation on this activity, each person can share the cities where they’ve lived. Larger teams can populate the map before the meeting, and dive right into discussion mode when the exercise commences.

3. Baby pictures

Whether it’s cute or embarrassing (it’s probably both), sharing childhood pictures is a lighthearted way to learn more about your team’s upbringing. 

Before the meeting, ask everyone to send a photo of themselves as a baby. (The sillier, the better!) Then, show each picture to the group during the activity to see if they can guess who it is.

4. Messy desk photo share

This one is perfect for virtual teams. In an office, people tend keep their desks reasonably organized. But when you work remotely, all bets are off. Are your co-workers clean freaks? Cup collectors? Peppered with Post-it Notes? Surrounded by trinkets?

Let the team know the activity ahead of time in case they want to do some proactive tidying or remove anything super personal. Then, have each person send a picture of their workstation. Colleagues can comment with emojis, ask questions, and let the hilarity ensue.

For variations of this activity, the team could also gather pictures of other (suitable-for-work) areas of their house that offer a glimpse into their personality and encourage conversation – think junk drawer, closet, or bookshelf. 

5. Virtual office tour

We’re all familiar with our colleagues’ Zoom backgrounds, but what else is in their home office? Another variation of the messy desk photo contest helps you get the full picture: the virtual office tour. Give each person 30 seconds to turn their laptop or camera around and give the group a tour of their home office, pointing out interesting or special items along the way and talking through the process of decorating (or lack thereof).

6. Pantry pop quiz

Piggybacking off the messy desk/office tour exercises, it’s also fun and enlightening to see co-workers’ favorite foods. Rather than peering over the cubicle or table to see what they packed for lunch, remote and in-person team members can take a peek at each other’s kitchens. Who’s got the best snack game? Whose fridge houses a bottle of ketchup…and not much else? Whose pantry organization skills would make Marie Kondo proud? Feast your eyes and find out. 

Have each person send a photo of their fridge or pantry to the activity facilitator ahead of time. Then, the group can guess who each picture belongs to. Bonus points if you bond over shared favorites or discover new food ideas along the way.

7. Collaborative karaoke

Music brings people together. Ask each person to name their go-to karaoke pick (and maybe sing a bar of it if they’re feeling brave!) and why they chose it. 

As a follow-up, you could make a Spotify playlist of the group’s karaoke picks and share it with the team.

8. Emoji mood board

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Whenever we ask each other, “How are you?” the default answer is probably a nonchalant “Good!” or “Fine.” But how are your co-workers really feeling? What can the group do to celebrate their happy moments and support them through struggles?

A picture’s worth a thousand “Fines,” so ask your team to choose 3-5 emojis that summarize how they’re feeling. Then, everyone can share their picks and whatever explanation they feel comfortable with. It’s a lighthearted way to encourage vulnerability between teammates. 

9. Time capsule

Remember how much fun it was to make a time capsule as a kid? Let’s bring it back and learn more about our teammates’ journeys to where they are now!

Ask each person to gather up items – between one and five, depending on the size of your team –  from around their home that represent important memories of milestones in their lives: a cherished stuffed animal or blanket from childhood, pictures of loved ones or big occasions, souvenirs from special trips, artifacts from their favorite hobbies, or something totally random yet meaningful. As they share items in their time capsules, ask each one to say a few words about what it is and why it’s special to them. 

10. Show and tell

For an even easier, more remote-friendly alternative to the time capsule, ask each person to grab something within arm’s reach that is meaningful to them (or just has a funny story behind it), and go around the “room” for a quick game of show and tell. 

11. Annual highlights

For a more recent variation of the time capsule that could work for virtual or in-person teams, try revisiting each person’s most significant memories from the past year. 

This activity is easily scalable depending on the number of participants and the amount of time you have. For big teams and/or short time periods, have each person name just a highlight or two from the past year. For small groups or meetings where you have more time, team members can share more highlights (or lowlights, if they’re feeling comfortable and open) with more detailed descriptions. 

Start the exercise by letting the group know that each memory doesn’t have to be overwhelmingly positive. We’re all human, and sharing the tough times can be just as powerful, if not moreso, as sharing the good ones. 

12. 6-word memoir

In this game, each team member takes a minute or two to come up with six words that summarize their life, then shares their “memoir” with the group. Their choices could be six random words or a six-word title – whatever feels right. 

13. Bucket list

It’s easy to get run down by our daily routines and lose sight of big dreams. Take a step back and re-focus on the bigger picture with this future-looking exercise.

Team members can share three or four items on their personal “bucket list” that they want to do or achieve in life. They could be silly, serious, or anywhere in between; realistic or pie-in-the-sky. 

14. Purse or wallet tour

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Here’s another one offering a peek into your teammates’ personality and interests: the purse or wallet tour. Do your colleagues have oodles of cards or only a select few? Punch cards, family photos, receipts, gum wrappers? A Mary Poppins-esque tote with everything they could possibly need, or a slim and sleek, all-in-one wallet? Get a snapshot of the items they use, the places they frequent, and maybe a few fun facts or quirks you didn’t know before. 

15. Would you rather?

For a quick and easy team-building exercise that helps people get to know each other, try “Would you rather?” In this game, the facilitator picks a number of (safe-for-work!) scenarios, situations, or preferences. that each person has to choose between. 

Start simple, and get sillier for a good laugh. Would you rather adopt a cat or dog? On Thanksgiving morning, would you rather relax or run a 5k? Would you rather go into an executive meeting with spinach in your teeth or toilet paper stuck to your shoe? Each person can either hold up a piece of paper with their answer or type it into the virtual meeting chat to spark emoji reactions and a healthy debate.

16. The GIF that keeps on giving

This activity is particularly fun for remote teams that use a group messaging tool like Slack. Provide the group with prompts, and ask them to find a GIF that summarizes their reaction to it. For example:

• When someone books a meeting with you at 4 p.m. on a Friday 
• When you finally launch a big project you’ve been working on
• When you realize your fly was down during your in-person presentation
• When you stayed up too late watching Netflix on a work night

For those who aren’t as GIF-savvy, give them some tips on how to find, copy, and paste GIFs (such as Googling “[emotion] gif” or searching on a site like giphy.com or tenor.com).

17. Craft challenge

Which teammates tend towards the creative, and which are more left-brained? How resourceful are they when facing constraints? This activity challenges everyone to think outside the box. Give the group five minutes to build a specific object using a handful of items that you supply or random supplies of their choice from around the house. 

For example, can they build a rocket ship using marshmallows, spaghetti, and Cheerios? An office building using only items from their desk or pantry? The options are endless – and the results hilarious, if not always impressive.

18. E-mov-ji

Another fun exercise using emojis is to describe or spell out each person’s favorite movie.

Remote teams can share their emojis in a group chat, and in-person teams could draw their emojis on paper (another fun test of their creativity).

Alternatively, you could nominate a team member to create a list of pre-populated emoji movie titles ahead of time, and the group can guess each one, pop quiz-style.

19. Lightening scavenger hunt

This game requires quick thinking (and movement) but can have funny and, ahem, enlightening results. Before the meeting, create a list of prompts with items to find around their house in, say, a minute or less. Ideas include:

• An ingredient from your favorite breakfast
• The last book you read
• A pet or a picture of your favorite animal 
• An item you can’t live without
• The oldest piece of clothing you own

If you have time, each person can say a few words about their items for more insight into their life. 

20. Name things

A popular improv game, Name Ten Things is a fast way to get to know each other and get the creativity flowing. 

First, let the group know that there are no wrong answers, and this game is all about speed and saying whatever comes to mind first (while keeping it work-appropriate, of course). Start with one person, and give them a prompt to name 10 answers about a certain topic. It could be anything: a straightforward topic like their top ten vacation destinations, a creative prompt like coming up with ten names for a new dog, or a silly question like brainstorming ten of the worst first date locations. 

Once that person finishes, they nominate the next person and give them a prompt. Repeat until everyone has taken a turn.

Working together while you’re apart

With hectic schedules and remote/hybrid work here to stay, it’s vital to connect with our co-workers just like we would if we were sitting next to each other every day. By making time and putting in a bit of effort to plan these simple, 5-minute team-building exercises, you can help your group build meaningful relationships with each other that contribute to happier employees and healthier teams.

The post 5-minute team building activities for virtual and hybrid squads appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian.

Among the storm clouds known as COVID-19, there were few silver linings. One was that being forced to work from home all of a sudden changed our collective ideas about remote work. Though the pandemic is no longer front-page news, the dust has yet to settle on the long-term fate of remote work. Return-to-work and hybrid mandates continue to cause controversy, even as research increasingly shows that remote work makes for happier and more productive teams.

We firmly believe that remote work is the future, and those who are looking for work – and the managers hiring them – had better be ready. Employees who are particularly well-suited for remote roles tend to be intrinsically motivated and have a sense of purpose, which means they’ll meet or exceed expectations without anyone looking over their shoulder all day. They have world-class communication skills and emotional intelligence. They aren’t afraid to ask for support when they need it or take on new challenges when they’ve got bandwidth.

If you’re in a position to hire a remote candidate, here are the strategic questions to ask to ensure they have what it to rock remote.

“What’s the most ambitious project you’ve ever dreamed up and pursued?”

Speaks to: self-motivation.

Contact between managers and remote employees is unavoidably sparser than with co-located workers. You need to know they’ll keep plugging away (on the right things) without constant check-ins from you. 

People who are self-motivated will have a solid answer to this question. They love a good challenge and stay focused on it, even when they face a setback or a shiny new object enters their field of vision. 

“Tell me about a time you took a calculated risk and failed – what did you learn?”

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Speaks to: growth mindset.

Remote workers need to be flexible, persevering, and eager to experiment, and shouldn’t assume they already know the best way of doing things. And those just so happen to be the key components of a growth mindset. 

A candidate who is all about growth and continuous improvement will have at least one story in this vein. Listen carefully to how they frame the failure, though. Do they take ownership, or shift the blame elsewhere? Unless they openly accept responsibility, they probably didn’t learn anything. Owning the failure also demonstrates a desirable blend of humility, confidence, and integrity.

“If you’re hired, what’s the first thing you want to work on?”

Speaks to: amazing communication skills.

Okay, this is sort of a trick question. It’s unlikely anyone you’re interviewing would walk in with enough information to answer it authoritatively. And that’s the point. A good remote worker will ask clarifying questions right away. What are the team’s priorities right now? What projects are already in flight? What have we already tried that didn’t work?

Once they’ve got enough context to formulate an answer, look for candidates who get right to the point. A low signal-to-noise ratio is key for effective, efficient remote work. 

“What are 3 things that struck you about… “

Speaks to: initiative. 

This question varies based on what type of role you’re interviewing for. If it’s a design or marketing role, ask what struck them about the company’s website. If it’s a finance role, ask what struck them about the numbers you released last quarter. And so on. “What struck you about our company values?” is a good all-purpose variant. 

What you’re sniffing out here is how proactive the candidate is. Did they take the initiative to research the company a bit? As a manager, you have better things to do that prod remote workers into action all the time. So make sure you won’t have to. 

“When have you had to give a colleague difficult feedback?”

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Speaks to: emotional intelligence.

When all your interactions with colleagues are virtual – either voice, video, or text – it’s easy to miss out on social cues like body language or tone of voice. That’s why remote workers with a high level of emotional intelligence are more successful. They’re able to empathize and anticipate that person’s concerns or mood, then let that influence their communications with that person.

This question will reveal whether the candidate imagined themselves in the other person’s shoes before speaking with them, and how they took that into account. Candidates with an especially high EQ will talk about how they focused the feedback on the other person’s actions and behaviors, rather than their innate characteristics or worth. Also, take note of whether they offered to help the other person work on a solution or make changes – another sign of emotional intelligence.

“What worries you about not being part of an office community?”

Speaks to: self-awareness.

Even the most introverted remote workers need a little social nourishment. How does your candidate plan to get it? It’s less important what exactly their answer is. Really, you want to see that they’ve considered how being remote will affect them and have some idea what they’ll do to adapt. 

In an office setting, people tacitly look out for each other (“Hey, you look really tired today – everything ok?”). Remote workers, on the other hand, have to be keenly self-aware and good at self-care or they risk burning out.

“What excites you most about this role?”

Speaks to: purposefulness.

Effective remote workers are hyper-engaged in their work. They understand why it’s valuable, and that shows through. It’s hard to course-correct someone’s sense of purpose if they’re remote, so make sure your candidate nails this one.

Ideally, they’ll say that they’re passionate about the company’s mission. Or they might be excited to hone a new skill. Or work at a different type of company. However they answer, make sure their sense of purpose and yours are in alignment.

“When have you had to make a decision without all the information you needed?”

Speaks to: independent decision-making.

You’ll have an easier time managing remote team members who you can trust to make the right call on small and medium-sized decisions autonomously. The best remote workers take time to understand the bigger picture, as well as what they need to optimize for at all costs versus where they can be flexible so they can evaluate trade-offs effectively.

Hearing how they’ve handled decisions where they were flying blind to some extent gives you an especially good window into their decision-making process. It reveals what information they sought out and what information they felt they could do without. Keep an eye ear out for how they thought about their decision’s impact on customers and stakeholders – not just themselves or their immediate team.

“How would you go about getting a new project off the ground?”

Speaks to: leadership skills.

Even if the job isn’t managerial, leadership skills are still important – especially if your company is one where individual contributors frequently play the role of project lead.

Leading from afar means being extra intentional about coordinating and communicating. So listen carefully to how they’d build the business case for the project and convince the leadership team to give it the green light. Then, how would they pull a project team together? A good remote worker will instinctively think about all the different job functions or skills needed for the project and won’t hesitate to get other teams involved if need be.

Special thanks to Sarah Goff-Dupont for her contribution to this article.

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