1Password named one of the top five large companies for remote workers by Quartz

Making remote work, work

At 1Password we’re big advocates of remote working – after all, it makes teams happier and more productive. But a distributed workforce comes with its own set of challenges, too – collaborating with more than 400 people across multiple time zones takes a lot of empathy, support, and trust.

With so many people and projects to coordinate, communication is key. Open communication and transparent expectations are at the center of our remote work culture. Each team’s projects and workflows are tailored to the individual capabilities (and availability) of its employees.

Employees can always engage with managers and each other on one or more collaboration tools, with the understanding of differing time zones and workflows. And any process or company updates are shared with the invitation for honest employee feedback, which our leadership team takes as seriously as feedback from our customers.

Trust is everything. We do what we can to make employees feel valued and respected, and trust them to do their jobs however it best suits them. 1Password owes all of its success to our employees, and by offering a place where they can feel their best, their contributions have made us the most trusted password manager in the world.

Achieving this while fully remote is something we’re particularly proud of, and we hope it’s evidence to other companies that remote work isn’t a compromise, but an opportunity.

It’s not all about work

While tools, processes, and productivity are important, we believe the most essential aspect of any remote workplace is culture. Without a healthy, inclusive culture, you can’t develop the kind of strong relationships that help get work done.

We encourage the 1Password team to be outspoken, enjoy lively (and respectful) conversations, and make connections with their colleagues on interest-focused Slack channels and other social forums. It’s certainly harder to feel “part of a team” when they’re not across the hallway, but we’ve created as many spaces as possible to let employees be themselves and build their network.

In all of our social channels, kindness and inclusivity are a common thread. We’ve built tolerance and compassion into our hiring requirements, and reinforce these values wherever possible. Empathy begins at the top; our founders not only promote and encourage mindfulness among the team, but also let employees know that their wellbeing comes first, always.

Flexible scheduling and free Headspace accounts are just two elements of this. It’s never been more important to consider what employees might be dealing with in life and at home; productivity should never be at the expense of mental health.

Bringing together a team this big and spread out is no easy feat. But it’s well worth doing, and has created some of the most rewarding experiences in our team’s history. Once a year we get the whole team together to catch up, celebrate our successes, and plan for the future. Of course, this year we had to do it remotely because of travel restrictions, but we still made the most of it – hosting a virtual 1Password cruise.

The future of remote working

As remote work veterans, we’ve been able to build a company and culture that allows our team to fit work around their lives – and we’re well aware there’s always room for improvement, too. We believe the future of work allows employees to be flexible, comfortable, and productive. Quartz executive editor Heather Landy sums it up beautifully:

The future of remote work hinges on how adaptive and innovative companies are willing to be. That’s why Quartz’s first-ever global list of the best companies for remote workers is so important. It showcases who is leading the way – across every time zone. These are companies that are making it easy for employees to work from anywhere, encouraging them to get away from work when they need to, and offering great perks and practices for remote workers so they can do it all.

Thanks to Quartz for putting together this list and including 1Password – it’s an honor to have all the hard work recognized. You can find out more and see the full list here.

Lyndsey French

Senior Manager, Talent