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by gregd 1060 days ago
Remote workers falling through the cracks is wholly on the company and not on the remote worker. It takes a very concerted effort on the companies part, to ensure that everything is remote first.

None of the other things you mention (bonding, siloes, etc.) happen because a worker is remote. They happen because companies treat remote workers the same as in office workers, without putting in any effort to become a remote first company.
2 comments
iamcasen 1060 days ago
Indeed, it is on the company. My point is that it is hard to do this well at a fully remote and async company. Especially when collaboration needs to be tight and delivery needs to be quick.

Naturally, when in person, you sit with your team and you have opportunities to have lunch with people and get to know who they are. These opportunities don't work as well at remote companies. Especially with different timezones involved.

Not saying it can't be done, but I haven't found a way that isn't extremely contrived.

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nunez 1060 days ago
Videoconferencing is fatiguing as hell and is not at all the same as gathering in-person.

I think it is impossible to recreate the "small" bonding events that happen in-person, and I also think that many in-person events that are recreated virtually are (a) significantly less engaging and (b) easier to dip from.

That's me, though. Everyone is different. I also haven't experienced working at a 100% remote-first company, so I might not have experienced better alternatives yet.

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sleepybrett 1059 days ago
I find in person meetings more fatiguing than zoom meetings.

In a zoom meeting, when the topic turns for my particular focus I can refocus myself either by getting up (wireless headphones) stretching, maybe nipping out on the porch and getting some fresh air or taking care of some other task on my computer without disrupting the meeting in any way.

In an in-person meeting, these things would be seen as rude and/or distracting.

This is less of a concern in both cases in 1:1 type meetings where the conversation is generally focused or it's easier to call a break.

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