Leading a Remote Company with Brad Williams
Manage episode 365014400 series 3481046
Join us for our next in-person event in Exton on September 18th. Register Here
As businesses forced to work from home due to the coronavirus begin to wake up the possibilities of working remotely, we spoke to a local business owner who leads a completely remote company, with 40 full-time employees. CEO and Co-Founder, Brad Williams has lead WebDevStudios for a decade. Brad shared his experience and advice for professional services firms considering a permanent transition to remote working.
Links
- WebDevStudios website
- Blog posts from WebDevStudios about remote working
- Brad Williams on Twitter
- Leadership in Human Resources with Lisa Van Ess
Notes
What are some recommendations for structuring remote work?
- Make it very clear to your employees what your expectations are.
- Employees may wonder “Do you expect me to say hi in the morning?” Simple signals and notifications make it easier for team members to know who is around.
- Set expectation of responsiveness: When do emails or Slack members require a reply? Immediately? Same day?
- There shouldn’t be an expectation to respond right away unless it’s an emergency
- It’s also about managing the expectations of colleagues – If you’re going to step away for more than 15 minutes, consider letting your colleagues know.
- Slack allows for folks to share their working hours.
- Set boundaries for when you’re working or not working.
- WFH – working from home – means there’s not a clear definition of when you are or are not working.
- Many of remote team are using Zoom, Slack, etc.
What are some key advantages of working remotely?
- Remote companies can hire folks from anywhere, which can allow them to hire the right people for the company’s needs.
- Remote working reduces costs – employers don’t need to spend a ton of renting an office or physical location. That money can be redirect into salaries, employee benefits, computer equipment, training, and more .
Is there a benefit to having a person local to a client?
- Definitely! Having a team local to the client is a great card to play. The human connection is of real value.
What processes should businesses consider when trying to manage clients and projects remotely?
- Getting a group on a Zoom call / video conference on can be very beneficial.
- Any time there’s conflict or confusion, get on a phone call or a Zoom call – reduce the risk of misunderstanding by talking
- Things can spiral downward if your team is out of sync, or if you’re out of sync with clients
- Go with what works best for your business and people
The post Leading a Remote Company with Brad Williams appeared first on Start Local.
57 episodes