Earlier this spring, companies were making waves with their return to office policies. Salacious headlines were everywhere—from employees resisting the return to office to companies taking progressive approaches to distributed workforces. We published a blog post from late 2020 on our hybrid approach to work, where we stated that FullStorians can work from wherever they are most productive.
Almost two years later, we’re reporting back on how it's going.
First, the demographics have shifted
At the start of the pandemic, 70% of FullStorians were all working from Atlanta, and 30% were working in other parts of the country. Fast forward to today and the ratio of Atlanta-based FullStorians and non-Atlanta-based FullStorian has flipped—just 30% of FullStorians live in Atlanta, and the remaining 70% live in six different countries and 39 different states. When it comes to remote work, there’s no going back.
Second, we are intentional about helping make each person’s WFH experience the best it can be
We provide FullStorians with resources like:
Office set-up support New hires receive a home office stipend and guide to upgrade or create their office space that works best for them.
A monthly productivity stipend: FullStorians can use it to fund things they need to be productive remotely, be it expenses around internet service, mobile phone, or gym classes (if that’s what you need!).
A WFH best practices guide: Working from home has its perks, but it's easy to work late, jump right into business on calls, and lose track of our teammates’ schedules. Our office managers created a guide to provide reminders on how to stay healthy and connected in a remote work world.
Third, FullStorians have shown they can (and like!) working from wherever
Here’s what one engineer had to say:
Overall, I have been extremely satisfied with my experience being remote 100% of the time while working at Fullstory. The freedom and autonomy it provides allows me to be the best possible worker because I get to structure my life in an optimal way. Fullstory trusts its employees who WFH and, in turn, I’m able to provide results while still taking care of myself and my needs. I think this is truly an extraordinary opportunity that the internet provides for workers and I believe that Fullstory is a textbook example of how to execute a healthy WFH environment.” - Sean Politt, Software Engineer
Fourth, gatherings have commenced
While we know we can be productive remotely, we also like our colleagues and see value in coming together to collaborate, plan, and nurture relationships. In the past few months, 200+ FullStorians have gathered in our Headquarters.
Why? Some teams—like our Mobile Engineers and Customer Success practice—gathered to plan and brainstorm. Teammates flew in from across North America, EMEA, and APAC to connect with FullStorians they’ve never met IRL. Other times, we gather as part of our learning and development. In May, ~100 people managers came together to hone their skills as leaders and managers.
In a remote world, it’s challenging to “run into” someone while grabbing a snack, so relationship-building unfortunately often stays within work groups. Through our manager summit, we were intentional about creating spaces for attendees to learn, strategize, and step outside our comfort zones. The combination of work and play was key. Managers were able to learn from and enjoy being with new individuals. Now, these new cross-organizational connections are grounded in two of our watchwords, trust and empathy.” - Kelsey Huffines, People & Places
These gatherings are never “required,” and have all offered hybrid/remote participation for those who aren’t able to join IRL.
While the world around us is constantly changing, what stays true at Fullstory is the prioritization of FullStorians’ health and well-being over anything else. We continue to learn, evolve, and adapt—and we’ll share our experiences back here.
If this sounds like the work environment that’s right for you, check out our open roles.
