Building an Engaged and Global Remote Work Culture

Sam Wortman Avatar photo

Working remotely is the new normal, and it has changed workers’ perspectives about the future of the global workplace. 

Prior to the pandemic, remote work was just beginning to replace the day-to-day grind of long commutes and even longer, coffee-fueled hours at the office. It was a trend that was accelerating; however, it still wasn’t commonplace and often wasn’t preferred. But the pandemic changed the way workers work and how they want to work. 

In 2020, Growmotely conducted a study asking working professionals and entrepreneurs to share their thoughts on the new work-from-home model, and they found that working professionals were overwhelmingly in favor of continuing this style of work post-pandemic. They reported that: 

  • 74% of professionals expect remote work to become standard
  • 97% of employees don’t want to return to the office full-time
  • 61% of employees prefer being fully remote

There’s no question that remote work is here to stay. Let’s dive into the mechanics of Vivun’s remote work culture and how we keep teams happy and working.

Remote work defines what it means to be a Vivun Hero

With engaging events with co-workers that don’t feel like “forced fun” and a commitment to mental health through programs that take you away from the screen to spend time enjoying hobbies and your loved ones, Vivun is recreating what it means to work for a modern B2B tech company. 

To see what remote work really looks like at Vivun, I asked my fellow Heroes to share their thoughts on the culture and work/life balance. Here’s what they said!

“I have never met any of my peers in person yet I feel like we are all best friends. Vivun does not cut corners when it comes to promoting a good culture and they understand the challenge of implementing that in today’s world. I could not ask for a better remote structure that allows me to do my job effectively while also making it easy to interact and joke around with my peers. I also love being able to go out and hit a quick run or work on the short game in the backyard in order to take a screen break. Household chores tend to not pile up as quickly when I have the luxury of being able to knock those out between Zoom meetings, and I have had the pleasure of working a few days down in Gulf Shores by the beach.”

Clay Kilgore, Sales Engineer 

“I looooooove the donut chats because we get to talk about us as people, not as employees. My conversations have centered around hobbies, family, personal goals, and this gives me new insight on my co-workers that I may not have known about from work-related meetings. In Hero meetings, my favorite is when we play ‘name that zoom tune’ and people sing for extra points. While I miss seeing co-workers in the hallway, not having a commute has freed up a significant portion of my day. I use that time to hike, run, and ride my horse. I have worked from exotic locations like Cabo San Lucas and not-so-exotic locations like a horse show (seriously! I did have to explain why people heard neighing in the background…). I also love that I have a “dog friendly office” that doesn’t impact my co-workers who might be allergic or not necessarily want to share office space with our four legged friends.”

Claire Bruce, COO & General Counsel 

“I typically prefer to maintain regular work hours to create a work-life balance. When I need to deviate from that schedule — I love having the flexibility to do so and having the trust from the team to get the work done and to get it done well. This flexibility facilitates better communication and clear expectations. I appreciate being able to stretch throughout the day and optimize my ergonomics without looking like a weirdo. I’ve also been able to travel to national parks and explore them in depth by working from remote locations, and I’ve been able to show up for family in bigger and more meaningful ways than if I were required to be in/near an office at all times.”

Perri Bronson, Product Marketing & PreSales Evangelism

“I love our donut meetings because it fills the void that would otherwise be the random run in with a fellow co-worker that isn’t in my immediate team at the coffee bar or at lunch. It allows me to meet my other co-workers that I wouldn’t run into in my virtual day-to-day otherwise. I’m also able to spend all day with my dog Nellie which includes multiple walks to the lake. This is great for both of us. I have an excuse to unplug mid-day and get outside, and she gets spoiled, swimming in the lake everyday! We love our Tahoe community and working remotely allows me to spend more time giving back to the place that has given me so much over the years. A lot of people aren’t able to work remotely. I don’t take it for granted.”

-Mike Capitolo, Enterprise Account Executive

Vivun has been remote from day 1

When it came time for CEO Matt Darrow to launch Vivun, he knew there was a more seamless balance between work and life that could be achieved by creating a work culture beyond the perimeter of an office building. Even before the pandemic made it “fashionable,” Vivun from the very start has always been a remote workplace. Darrow believed the benefits of remote work clearly outweighed the consequences of traditional office life. 

He could pool talent far beyond a 50-mile radius of a building with his only borders being time zones; spend time with his family that had been usually consumed by commutes; invest in the mental health of his employees with effective programs that get team members away from their screens and outside; create guaranteed quiet periods twice a year—once in the summer, once in the winter—where the company completely shuts down.

It is this very culture at Vivun that Darrow and the leadership team have created that makes it a truly unique and fulfilling experience to be a part of. With many programs set up to build and maintain a culture that is connected yet remote, Vivun has made working remotely possible and preferred. 

Programs that strengthen Vivun’s remote workforce culture

Just because people are grateful to be working remotely doesn’t mean work hasn’t become draining in new ways. With nosey cats, barking dogs, lawns being mowed, kids fresh off the school bus and hungry for a snack, workdays bleeding into nights, Vivun has invested in culture and lifestyle programs that help team members get the most out of their new work environments and remain sane. 

  • Fresh Air Friday: The first Friday of every month, Heros take a half day to get away from their screens and do something that inspires them. We offer a quarterly stipend to reimburse purchases related to these endeavors.
  • Quiet Periods: We completely shut down twice per year. Once in the winter, once in the summer. The expectation is to unplug, unwind, and get your mojo back — all in addition to our unlimited paid time off policy.
  • Virtual Events: Weekly and monthly, our company comes together for a rotating set of virtual team-building activities that are unrelated to work yet focused on bonding, collaboration, and competition. 
  • Offsites: Without an expense for brick-and-mortar office space, the equivalent budget can be used to do incredibly special offsites, often taking Heros to exotic locations that were previously out of reach of traditional financial plans while ensuring the entire company has the chance to participate. (Everyone is looking forward to this February!)
  • Remote Office Allowance: Deck out your office with a one-time allowance to create a working environment that makes you feel good and work hard.
  • Meet and Greets: During Donut meetings, Heros chat bi-weekly with randomly paired team members. The meetings let you get to know the amazing people that exist outside your team and department. Chat over coffee/tea, lunch, beer — whatever works!

Join us at Vivun!

If Vivun sounds like the right environment for you to succeed and grow, we would love to hear from you! Check out our open positions and reach out to us!

Want to see more of how we do things differently? Browse our Culture Page to see all the benefits of being a Vivun Hero and learn about the values that define our company as explained by the leadership team!

Sam Wortman Avatar photo October 15, 2021