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Last month, our podcast Off Record, On Point featured female founders Laura Braithwaite and Kate Merritt of Liberty Hive (listen here!), a recruitment tech company that ingeniously matches remote and flexible workers in the media and marketing industries with the most forward-thinking companies to find the perfect roles. Avid supporters of the flexible model, Kate and Laura know all too well that work-life balance is the leading factor for job seekers everywhere, beating out salary and other benefits as the biggest draw. But for remote work naysayers and those invariably on the fence, one question continues to dominate: how do you create great company culture when your colleagues are scattered to the wind?
If there’s anything we know better than PR at The Digital Voice, it’s company culture. Fully remote since our inception 10 years ago, we’re convinced it’s the most enjoyable, productive, and sustainable way to work. If you’re willing to put in a little effort, full-time remote working has all the potential to be a lean, green, company culture machine.
Read on to discover our top six reasons why remote working totally rocks, and six essentials to keep the well-oiled machine rolling!
Remote Work Benefit:
Work From Home? More like Work From Anywhere!
For many people, the remote work trend began with lockdown, but one of the biggest benefits of working flexibly is being able to work from anywhere in the world. No longer is a trip to Italy, Brazil, or even Antarctica something you have to schedule into your annual leave. As long as you can work around your work hours, you’re free to move all over the world.
“As someone with family in a different time zone, this means I can spend more time working from where my family lives which is incredibly important and special for me.”
- Kasey Long, PR and Communications Director
“I love being able to work in any geographical location, next week I will be working from the Dutch Caribbean, the island Curacao!”
- Mareille Prevo, Benelux PR Consultant
Remote Work Essential:
Good Wifi and a Fast Computer
Whether you’re a jet setter or you’re working from the comfort of your home office, you don’t want to be caught without good wifi and a computer that is up to the task. It’s the biggest essential for effective remote work, no matter where you are in the world. The great news is it’s easy to stay connected even if you want to travel to the remotest locations – you can get your hands on portable wifi and 5G routers to suit you, whatever your working needs.
“You need a fast computer. I deleted about 50,000 emails a few weeks ago and it’s amazing what that does. And I recently improved my wi-fi immensely with eero signal boosters, and that has genuinely changed my life at the back of the house.”
- Adam Woods, Head of Content
Remote Work Benefit:
Global Connectivity
Because you’re free to work anywhere on a fully remote team, you’re also very likely to find yourself working with incredible people from all around the world. Never before in history have so many people found themselves engaging across countries and continents in their day-to-day, and whether you’re freelance, working for a company, or running your own, the potential for global coworkers and clientele is endless! The Digital Voice team is spread out all across the UK, Europe, Asia, and the United States.
“There is nothing I don't love about remote working! If I did have to choose one stand out, it would be the ability to tap into a talent pool outside of London, outside of the UK! The Digital Voice™ has been and always will be a 100% remote company. Our team is dotted all over the world and I love that geography doesn't limit where our talent comes from.”
- Julia Linehan, Founder and CEO
“I've been able to work with people from all around the world, from Pakistan to Italy to Manchester! These people I would probably never cross paths with otherwise and now I can say I have great friends from all around the globe!”
- Amber O’Neill, Senior Social and Content Writer
Remote Work Essential:
A Killer Line-up of Apps
Creating company culture is all about connectivity, but if you’re all in different parts of the world, you’re going to need some tools to make it happen. Slack and Google Meets – or alternatives – are a must for staying in touch and not losing out on human connection just because you’re scattered across the globe. As well as those two, our top tools are Google Suite, Trello for workflow management, Canva for creative design, Milanote for project planning and Remo for remote event hosting. Great for everything from virtual conferences to team building events to our Star of the Month ceremony, Remo sees a lot of use at The Digital Voice!
“Slack for quickly communicating with colleagues and clients - for me, it sits nicely in between the formality of emails and trying to keep WhatsApp for personal use.”
- Hazel Broadley, Content Writer
“Slack has to be my absolute favourite. I feel like I'm with my team throughout the day as it makes it so much easier for us to connect and work together. It also facilitates building culture by creating channels for socialising and team building. We have a couple of channels for working out together, reading together, and sharing our life updates. I love those as they help us to get to know each other on a personal level.”
- Maryum Sheikh, Press and SEO Lead
Remote Work Benefit:
Total Time Control
Let’s be honest: we all prefer working without someone looking over our shoulder or keeping time on your behalf. There’s a degree of trust when remote working that you will actually carry out your tasks without supervision, but that’s a good thing. It gives us agency to work in ways that suit us as individuals, have quick breaks when we need to breathe, and take back time here and there that might otherwise be wasted. That kind of control is hugely beneficial to productivity and you get a lot more done.
“I love the constant feeling of being in control of how organised I can be without a need to worry about other external variables. I am in control of my day, what to prioritise, and when to take breaks.”
- Faith Ilori, Marketing and Analytics Executive
“Who knows my working style and schedule better than me? The flexibility of remote working enables me to use my time most effectively to do my planning, creative thinking, and sometimes the more mundane day-to-day tasks on the schedule where I can make the most of that time.”
- Brett Pinto, US PR Consultant
Remote Work Essential:
A Daily Planner and Booking in Time for Fun!
Whether it’s a Google Calendar or an old-school Filofax, planning your time is crucial to success when you’re working remotely. Planning calls with colleagues and clients, tracking deadlines, blocking out time to get through tasks and scheduling when to stop working for the day are vital (it’s all too easy to forget to down tools when you’re in the flow!) and a planner keeps you on top of all of it. Whilst you’re scheduling your day, don’t forget to book in social time with the people you work with – whether it’s a casual video catch-up or a virtual team building event, face time to talk about things that aren’t work-critical is important!
“A daily planner is my absolute must-have. I like having something to keep me in check throughout the day and it definitely helps with motivation when you're getting that list ticked off one by one!”
- Amber O’Neill, Senior Social and Content Writer
“Booking in fun calls into the diary is a must! We do 'On Wednesdays We Wear Pink' on the Events Team, we have post-holiday debrief calls and in general, I love that at The Digital Voice we top and tail the week with an informal catch-up! Working remote still means dedicating time to make bonds with each other, NEVER lose this!”
- Cameron Townsley, Creative and Events Lead
Remote Work Benefit:
Get into Your Comfort Zone!
Building your perfect environment is about more than just comfort. When we’re working in a place that suits us, we’re all freer and more motivated to be authentic and productive. The great thing about being remote is that you’re free to get comfortable and be genuine without a spare thought to how others might perceive you, whether that’s getting up for a tea break between every task or blasting your favourite tunes at top volume. You do you like no one else can.
“I work best listening to music and at home I can turn it up loud and sing along!”
- Akinyi Odhiambo, Senior Events Executive
“I can chat away freely with myself without disturbing anyone. There are no constant interruptions from people coming across to your desk to have a quick word and make you lose your flow.”
- Roger Williams, Copywriter
“I love being in my own space and actually making use of my little office room! I can get up and stretch or get a tea without feeling eyes on me, and I feel way more able to work when I'm not feeling 100% than if I had to commute to the office – less sick days!”
- Rowan Lee-Foyster, Graphic Designer and Illustrator
Remote Work Essential:
A curated work environment!
Now the cubicle has been banished, you’ve got to put some thought into your space and what you need around you to make the most of your time. Whether that’s hardware, software, hot drinks or decor, curating your workspace goes a long way towards productivity and efficiency.
“Having two screens is life-changing and increases your productivity massively. Also having a good desk lamp especially in the winter is a definite must-have for me!”
- Akinyi Odhiambo, Senior Events Executive
“A good chair and good lighting are must-haves.”
- Brett Pinto, US PR Consultant
“You need a water bottle by your side to remain hydrated, sometimes you get so engrossed in work you don't realise that you are water deprived. Stay hydrated, people!”
- Faith Ilori, Marketing and Analytics Executive
Remote Work Benefit:
Ditch the Commute for a Sustainable Future!
Would you prefer an hour in traffic or on the London Underground, or two minutes to roll out of bed and pour a coffee as you head to your desk? It’s a no-brainer, and on top of that, ditching the office commute is far greener and better for the environment. No more nasty transport emissions for us remote workers! It’s often easier to recycle from home, and heating a home office requires far less energy than a towering office block, so you’re saving the planet whilst you’re saving your own time. It’s a double win.
“I love that I'm able to get up and spend time making my tea and putting some jazzy music on while turning on my laptop, without rushing and without spending time in traffic.”
- Eva Leharova, Senior Client Services Executive
“I love my commute to work each day, it takes me 20 seconds, via the kitchen kettle to my home office. I love that I don't have to juggle childcare if my kids are off sick or on holiday.”
- Zoe Castellano, Graphic Designer Lead
Remote Work Essential:
Finding time to get up and move!
Part of your daily routine should be dedicated to exercise if you’re fully remote because it’s all too easy to move no further than from your bed to your desk to the kitchen and back. At The Digital Voice, we put occasional callouts on Slack to get up and stretch and share pictures from our lunch time walks, plus we have a dedicated Slack channel for gym goals – not only does it get us moving, but it fosters great team culture to boot.
“My favourite thing is the work-life balance remote work provides. Before starting work I can go to the gym, go for a walk, and that allows me to set up the day so I’m completely focused and in the right headspace.”
- Rosie Hutchinson, Senior Events and Content Executive
“It might sound silly, but my puppy has become a work-from-home essential. It forces me to get up from my desk every few hours, get outside more, and generally keeps me company while I work! Besides the few call-interrupting barks, having Ange has improved my overall working from home. For other team members that have pets, it also allows us to connect with some shared interests.”
- Kasey Long, PR and Communications Director
It’s clear to all of us at The Digital Voice that remote working is just as great, if not better for creating an amazing work environment and building team culture to write home about. As with all good things, it requires a little work and a few special tools, but for any naysayer saying remote work lacks human connection, we say try it our way and find out how wrong you are.
If you haven't caught up on Off Record, On Point yet, you can listen below! And be sure to sign up to our newsletter for industry insights, news and company culture tips and trends into your inbox every month!
Ren Bowman is Senior Marketing and Multimedia Producer at The Digital Voice™, a first-class graduate in Creative Writing and an award-winning podcast producer. They’ve written for a range of industries including tech, entertainment, education, business finance, and lifestyle. Outside of work, they are an activist for social justice, especially Women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.
