making remote workers feel like they’re in the same room
Post on 21-Oct-2014
739 views
DESCRIPTION
Paul Hepworth USERTESTING When you have a central office, remote workers can wind up feeling uninformed, disempowered and disconnected. But they absolutely don’t have to have those experiences. Paul Hepworth, VP of Engineering at UserTesting, an 87-person company with more than a dozen remote workers, will talk about the very practical things you can do to ensure that remote team members can “see” into the office and are as connected and informed as co-located workers. In addition to interpersonal processes, he’ll also talk about cheap hardware setups that make a big difference.TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
10 Tips to help remote workers succeed inside the
office
Paul HepworthVP Engineering
![Page 2: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
A little aboutUserTesting
![Page 3: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
14 of our 87 employees are
located across 12 cities in North
America
![Page 4: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Lets begin with the right technology
![Page 5: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Tip 1: Use dedicated computers that allow
proactive chat
![Page 6: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Use dedicated computers that allow proactive
chat…• Remotes can “see” in the office when they want
• Allows for the proverbial “tap on the shoulder”
• Here is what is looks like at UserTesting…
![Page 7: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
![Page 8: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
![Page 9: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Tip 2: Use wide-angle webcams
![Page 10: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Use wide-angle webcams…
• Remotes can see the “big picture”
• Non-verbal communication
• I would recommend….
![Page 11: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Genius 120-degree Ultra Wide Angle Full HD Conference Webcam — $42 on
Amazonhttp://bit.ly/best-webcam-ever
![Page 12: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Genius 120-degree Ultra Wide Angle Full HD Conference Webcam — $42 on
Amazonhttp://bit.ly/best-webcam-ever
![Page 13: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Tip 3: Microphones are important
![Page 14: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Microphones are important…
• Hearing is crucial to good communication
• Your internal microphone is BAD!
• I would recommend…..
![Page 15: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
MXL AC404 USB Conference Microphone
— $67 on Amazonhttp://bit.ly/best-mic-ever
![Page 16: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Tip 4: Invest in good speakers
![Page 17: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Invest in good speakers…
• Good sound gives equal footing in a conversation
• Poor sound reflects poorly on the person speaking
• I would recommend….
![Page 18: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
JBL Duet III Premium High Performance Speaker System — $149
on Amazonhttp://bit.ly/best-speakers-ever
![Page 19: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Tip 5: Use permalinks for “virtual conference
rooms”
![Page 20: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Use permalinks for “virtual conference
rooms”…• Meetings should never end
• Use bit.ly to shorten long URLs
• Give distinct names that are easy to reference in chat, email, or in person
• Mobile device friendly
![Page 21: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Howtos for creating permalinks for “virtual conference rooms”…
• Google Hangout:http://bit.ly/never-ending-hangout
• GoToMeeting:http://bit.ly/never-ending-gotomeeting
![Page 22: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Now, lets build the right culture on top of
the technology
![Page 23: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Tip 6: Balance teams with co-located and remote members
![Page 24: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
If possible balance teams with co-located and remote
members…• Locals are less likely to forget remotes
• Less tempted to hold a meeting without the remotes
• Remote can compare notes & influence change
![Page 25: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Tip 7: Invite remotes to office parties and
spontaneous discussions
![Page 26: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Invite remotes to office parties and spontaneous
discussions…• Knowing you are always invited goes a long way
• Send remotes a pizza
• Record and share “offline” conversations
• Leverage mobile devices and bring them along
![Page 27: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
Tip 8: Provide office context to remote
workers
![Page 28: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
Provide office context to remote workers…
• Remotes should know about office layout, coffee, snacks
• Leverage your most chatty team members
• Knowing about “small things” builds confidence
![Page 29: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
Tip 9: Proactively invite remote workers
to visit the office
![Page 30: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
Proactively invite remote workers to visit the
office…• Inviting ensures that they feel support
• Let them book their own travel
• Webcam’s can’t replace in person relationship building
![Page 31: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
Tip 10: Everyone should work from home sometimes
![Page 32: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Everyone should work from home sometimes…
• Locals build empathy
• People appreciate advantages of remote work
• Unfriendly processes and tools are found and fixed
![Page 33: Making Remote Workers Feel like They’re in the Same Room](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022051608/544698c1b1af9ff43a8b464c/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Good luck!