{"id":434,"date":"2020-07-01T10:32:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T07:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/?p=434"},"modified":"2025-06-11T13:01:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T05:01:11","slug":"remote-operations-automattic-buffer-gitlab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/remote-operations-automattic-buffer-gitlab\/","title":{"rendered":"Remote Operations at Distributed Companies: Automattic, Buffer &#038; GitLab"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Remote work is good, but make it&nbsp;<em>great<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During Arc\u2019s Remote Career Summit 2020, we invited speakers from three of these fully-remote companies \u2014&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/automattic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Automattic<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buffer<\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/about.gitlab.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GitLab<\/a>&nbsp;\u2014 to join&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.distributeconsulting.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Distribute Consulting<\/a>&nbsp;CEO Laurel Farrer for a conversation about how they make remote work&nbsp;<em>work<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Automattic\u2019s Zandy Ring (Director of Happiness Experience), Buffer\u2019s Kevan Lee (VP of Marketing), and GitLab\u2019s Darren Murph (Head of Remote) shared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>What they look for in a job applicant<\/li><li>How their companies communicate<\/li><li>How their teams build and maintain culture<\/li><li>Hiring and onboarding processes<\/li><li>Why you should \u201cbring your whole self to work\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8230;and a whole lot more!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have time, we encourage you to watch the full conversation, but we\u2019ve also summarized a number of the key takeaways below. We learned some amazing best practices for remote work, and want to thank the panelists for their time.https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vmfEfbA8vhw<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curious about what they said? Read on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Looking for top talent fast? See how <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/\">Arc<\/a><em> can help you:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u26a1\ufe0f Find developers, designers, marketers, and more<br>\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time remote + fully vetted<\/em><em><br>\u26a1\ufe0f Save up to 80% with global hires<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\"><strong>Hire top talent with Arc risk-free \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-are-the-keys-to-successful-remote-operations%3F\">What Are The Keys To Successful Remote Operations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>During the course of the conversation, certain words recurred again and again from all three panelists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Trust<\/li><li>Transparency<\/li><li>Discipline<\/li><li>Accountability, and<\/li><li>Respect<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These core features of successful remote work organizations are common to Automattic, Buffer, and GitLab, according to the panel participants. The panelists spoke about how staff at remote companies are given both higher levels of trust and accountability than many co-located organizations. Performance is everything \u2014 and the reward is flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-johannes-bg-alt-1-background-color has-background\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/transition-to-remote-engineering-team\/\">How to Transition to a Remote Engineering Team: The CTO\u2019s Cheat Sheet<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-automattic%2C-buffer%2C-and-gitlab-communicate-remotely%3F\">How Do Automattic, Buffer, and GitLab Communicate Remotely?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"text-first-communication\">Text-First Communication<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>How many organizations have completely killed off email? Not many. Automattic, however, is one of them \u2014 there is zero use of email at the company. Instead, Automattic is primarily driven by text-based communication (and the occasional Zoom meeting).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For synchronous text communication, the team relies on Slack. For anything more substantial than a quick chat, the team uses their internally-developed tool, P2. All major discussions and decisions are archived in P2, and these are open to, and accessible by, everyone in the company. At Automattic, the rule of thumb is: \u201cP2 or it didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GitLab is also stringent about encouraging people to work to text-based, remote-first principles. Although they use Slack within the company, all messages automatically delete after 90 days. Instead, anything beyond social chatter needs to be written into the\u00a0GitLab Handbook, or started off with a merge request on GitLab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although they do still have meetings, according to GitLab\u2019s Darren there\u2019s a \u201creally high burden\u201d placed on them, as the company has a bias towards asynchronous work and believes it\u2019s a more inclusive way to communicate. Meetings at GitLab require a Google document agenda to be shared in advance, and the meeting organizer is responsible for documenting discussions\/decisions and updating the Handbook. This way, the entire company can benefit from the meeting discussion points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Buffer\u2019s Kevan, relying on asynchronous, text-based communication is a must. His team is based globally, and there isn\u2019t a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/work-across-time-zones\/\">timeslot in the day\u00a0where the entire team can get together<\/a>. Instead, his team has a weekly standup using the tool Threads. This standup isn\u2019t just a check-in on task progress, but also has a social function \u2014 the chance to learn about each others\u2019 daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"give-a-little-grace\">Give A Little Grace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another key theme around remote company communications was the need to give a little grace. At Buffer, they recognize that a lot of written communication can be tone-deaf, and easily misinterpreted. Kevan recommends that writers spend time to ensure that they\u2019re not only communicating clearly, but also taking into account how the tone of the words might be interpreted by the other person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kevan\u2019s other tips for great written communication include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Practicing active empathy<\/li><li>Removing lingo<\/li><li>Minimizing acronym use<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As Kevan told us, communicating clearly is a powerful way to stay efficient. It\u2019s worth the up-front time investment!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Automattic, according to Zandy, the rule of thumb with written communications is \u201cassume best intent.\u201d Additionally, large amounts of the company\u2019s feedback is around improving communications, particularly how to communicate for the right impact. One common question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>What do you want to accomplish with this post?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-johannes-bg-alt-1-background-color has-background\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/how-to-conduct-a-remote-technical-interview\/\">How to Conduct a Remote Technical Interview Successfully: 7+ Tools &amp; Tips<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"open-communication-fosters-innovation\">Open Communication Fosters Innovation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>How many companies let every staff member have access to the CEO? At Automattic, they believe that anybody can have a great idea \u2014 so anybody is able to ping their CEO Matt Mullenweg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of times a year, Automattic also circulates an anonymous survey to try to give their team members a chance to share their ideas. Feedback forms also exist, and team leads are coached on how to help their team members \u201cmanage up\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You can also try <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/\">Arc<\/a><em>, your<\/em><em> shortcut to the world&#8217;s best remote talent:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u26a1\ufe0f Access 450,000 top developers, designers, and marketers <br>\u26a1\ufe0f <em>Vetted and ready to interview<\/em><br>\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\"><strong>Try Arc and hire top talent now \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"best-practice-remote-operations%3A-interviewing-and-onboarding-remotely\">Best Practice Remote Operations: Interviewing and Onboarding Remotely<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wanting-a-remote-job-isn%E2%80%99t-enough\">Wanting a Remote Job Isn\u2019t Enough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These days, everyone wants a remote job. But that\u2019s not enough of a reason to apply for one, at least not at GitLab. Instead, the company is looking for candidates who are passionate about the&nbsp;<em>work itself<\/em>&nbsp;and aligned to the company\u2019s values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Darren told us:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>If you join a remote company and you aren\u2019t aligned with the values, you won\u2019t have a commute but it can still be miserable. So don\u2019t think that remote is going to solve everything.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"storytellers%2C-self-managers%2C-and-standing-out\">Storytellers, Self-Managers, and Standing Out<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At GitLab, Darren told us, they try to hire \u201cmanagers of one.\u201d What does this mean? It\u2019s someone who can manage their:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Personal life,<\/li><li>Workflow, and<\/li><li>Work\/life boundaries<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful candidates are also self-seekers in terms of finding answers to questions in the GitLab Handbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Storytelling is a crucial aspect of the GitLab hiring process. One of the key interview questions is asking people to tell stories, e.g. explaining a time that they didn\u2019t have information\/faced a blocker, and how they found a solution to keep the project moving forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A great communicator, according to Darren, is someone who thinks three steps prior, and three steps forward. This means a person with a natural story-telling ability who is able to provide context and meaningful information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise at Automattic, they look for people who communicate really well. As Zandy told us, Automattic \u201cdon\u2019t ever lower the bar on this.\u201d Additional key attributes candidates have to have are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Cultural alignment<\/li><li>Not just meeting the qualifications, but also high potential<\/li><li>People who are force multipliers\/can have high impact<\/li><li>Can work autonomously&nbsp;<em>but also<\/em>&nbsp;as part of a group<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Finishing out the key candidate attributes, Buffer\u2019s Kevan also added that responsibility and responsiveness are critical. When given a task, is the candidate filling it out completely, following the instructions, and turning it in in a timely manner?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of this, the candidate should be communicating timing and expectations. At no point should the company be wondering where a staff member went or what they\u2019re doing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-johannes-bg-alt-1-background-color has-background\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/distributed-software-engineering-team\/\">How to Build and Maintain a Distributed Software Engineering Team<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"onboarding-starts-during-hiring\">Onboarding Starts During Hiring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The panelists all agree that the hiring process is the first chance to get a feel for how the job candidate works and communicates, and is critical. In fact, most of the panelists mentioned that onboarding effectively starts during the hiring stage, right from giving candidates a sense of the company through e.g. blog posts and job descriptions. Job candidates should have a strong sense of the company and its culture before even starting the interview process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Buffer, according to Kevan, part of the interview stage is asynchronous written communication. They also have the candidate produce Loom videos, to get a better sense of how the candidate communicates, as well as a better idea of cultural fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise at Automattic, part of the hiring process is doing actual collaboration with the existing team. Every candidate who advances through the interview process will do a job trial of up to four weeks. Not only does it give the candidate and company insight into each other, it\u2019s also a chance to test for cultural fit (and the chance to give tips and feedback).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once onboarding continues, everyone at Automattic completes two weeks in the Customer Support (Happiness) team talking to customers and learning the product. As Zandy told us, it\u2019s a chance for the new hire to dive into the company\u2019s culture with both feet\u2026 but still with some floaties on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"access-to-information\">Access to Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Buffer treats onboarding as a balancing act between giving the new hire access to large amounts of information, but also ensuring they don\u2019t get overwhelmed (in Kevan\u2019s words, they \u201cdon\u2019t want that [information] firehose feeling\u201d!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"no-stupid-questions\">No Stupid Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At Automattic, each new team member is given a mentor from&nbsp;<em>outside<\/em>&nbsp;their work area. The idea of this is to ensure the new-starter feels comfortable asking the (not-)\u201dstupid\u201d questions. Finally, Zandy shared that anonymous feedback channels are an important aspect of Automattic\u2019s open feedback culture. Everyone is both empowered to, and comfortable with, sharing feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-johannes-bg-alt-1-background-color has-background\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/managing-distributed-development-team\/\">Managing a Distributed Software Development Team: 5 Lessons Learned<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-do-automattic%2C-buffer%2C-and-gitlab-build-culture-remotely%3F\">How Do Automattic, Buffer, and GitLab Build Culture Remotely?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"company-values-are-everything\">Company Values Are Everything<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re not co-located,\u00a0you can\u2019t leave <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/virtual-team-building\/\">company culture<\/a> to chance. Instead, you have to commit to purposefully building it. According to GitLab\u2019s Darren Murph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>In a remote setting, your culture equals your values.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>For GitLab, this means that they&nbsp;<em>write their culture down<\/em>. Their culture exists in how the team treats each other, how they treat external parties, and how the values are lived out. Additionally, GitLab seeks to only hire people who resonate with those particular values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"be-your-authentic-self\">Be Your Authentic Self<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another major feature of being a superstar remote worker is being able to share your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/understanding-remote-team-personalities\/\">genuine personality<\/a>\u00a0through remote channels. As chat host Laurel said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>If you can\u2019t talk about puppies, you can\u2019t talk about profits.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>What does this mean? Remote companies are more successful when their team members connect with \u2014 and trust \u2014 each other on a personal level and in meaningful ways. As Buffer\u2019s Kevan mentioned, the key is bringing your whole self to work, and having permission to be yourself. Successful team members at Buffer are comfortable with sharing their lives beyond work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Automattic, the&nbsp;<em>talking about puppies<\/em>&nbsp;part is established deliberately. Not only do Automatticians (team members of Automattic) have chat channels for crafting, babies, pets, etc, knowledge of these channels is pushed to new starters the moment they start onboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company also has P2s for non-work-related topics, including things like home maintenance (an example given by Zandy was changing a faucet for the first time!). Sharing these social channels is done deliberately, rather than hoping that people find them themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"catching-up-in-person-still-counts\">Catching Up In-Person Still Counts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing that all the panelists agreed on was that in-person catch-ups are really special for remote teams. All three companies have retreats for their team. In the words of Automattic\u2019s Zandy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The grand meeting that we have every year is the one week a year that makes the other fifty-one work.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-johannes-bg-alt-1-background-color has-background\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/hiring-in-house-vs-remote-developers\/\">Hiring In-House vs Remote Developers: Cost &amp; Competitive Advantages<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"remote-operations-at-automattic%2C-buffer%2C-and-gitlab\">Remote Operations at Automattic, Buffer, and GitLab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"career-performance-and-progression\">Career Performance and Progression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to measuring performance, at remote companies, the metric isn\u2019t time in seats. Instead, it\u2019s what\u2019s actually produced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At Buffer, performance is measured via a number of different tools, and the approach is constantly evolving. The team currently uses OKRs. However, these are considered a tool for learning, not judging: the team can see what\u2019s happened, learn from it, and improve for next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A couple of questions from the Remote Career Summit audience also touched on continuing education and career progression. At Automattic, team leads are expected to be talking to everyone about opportunities that fit their growth and personal career goals\/trajectory. It\u2019s an ongoing conversation, and care is paid to ensuring that even quieter team members get opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At GitLab, one perk offered to staff is tuition reimbursement. Additionally, the company offers a series of live learning sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wellness-in-remote-companies\">Wellness in Remote Companies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Kevan gave us some great insights into Buffer\u2019s focus on employee wellness. One of Buffer\u2019s perks for their remote employees, that they are still iterating to improve, is paid sessions for mental health\/wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another measure of wellness within Buffer is\u00a0<em>team health<\/em>. For measuring this, Buffer uses Culture Amp surveys (as do Automattic), and focuses on topics such as personal happiness and job satisfaction. According to Kevan, this gives Buffer a holistic view of the business and how they\u2019re doing for its people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"balancing-time-demands\">Balancing Time Demands<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Fully remote companies generally tend to limit meetings. What does this mean in terms of a workweek? At Buffer, a team member will generally have approximately 2-3 hours of meetings, with the rest of the week dedicated to heads-down work time. (Managers like Kevan, on the other hand, can spend up to 80% of their week in meetings.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buffer is also currently experimenting with a\u00a0four-day workweek\u00a0for a six-month period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kevan also noted how important it is for managers to set a good cultural example. It\u2019s important to log out\/turn off notifications at a certain time. Keep conversations about working hours both aware and open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GitLab\u2019s Darren also touched on the topic of \u201cremoter guilt\u201d in hybrid companies. This is the situation where remote team members work longer hours than their co-located colleagues, due to feeling more pressure to perform at a high standard. The main solution to this: an all-remote company! Once everyone is on an even playing field, the issue of \u201cremoter guilt\u201d gets solved naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-johannes-bg-alt-1-background-color has-background\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/employer-blog\/positive-remote-work-culture\/\">How to Create a Remote Work Culture That\u2019s Supportive, Positive &amp; Fun<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wrapping-up\">Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A huge thanks to our panelists Zandy, Kevan, and Darren for sharing their thoughts and experiences working at Automattic, Buffer, and GitLab! Also a huge thanks to our session host, Laurel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you have any experiences with, or tips about, working remotely? Let us know in the comments below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>You can also try <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\/\">Arc<\/a><em>, your<\/em><em> shortcut to the world&#8217;s best remote talent:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u26a1\ufe0f Access 450,000 top developers, designers, and marketers <br>\u26a1\ufe0f <em>Vetted and ready to interview<\/em><br>\u26a1\ufe0f Freelance or full-time<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/arc.dev\"><strong>Try Arc and hire top talent now \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Want to work like the world&#8217;s top fully-distributed companies? Learn remote operations best practices from Automattic, Buffer, and GitLab.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-remote","category-thought-leadership"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Remote Operations at Distributed Companies: Automattic, Buffer &amp; GitLab<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Want to work like the world&#039;s top fully-distributed companies? 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