If you’ve read our blogs, the chances are you won’t have missed that we work 100% remotely.  

And that includes, of course, the entire hiring process. To some it might sound impossible to hire an employee they’ve never met in person, but to us, it’s an everyday situation.

So let me explain exactly how the magic happens – in three parts

In the world of remote working there are three principles that describe how it all works: communication, communication and communication!  As you might have guessed - flawless communication has a crucial role in providing uninterrupted workflow, understanding of procedures and tasks, and team bonding. The fact that we’re  not physically present in a designated office space but, instead, face each other on laptop screens, makes the art of maintaining clear communication and accurate information sharing even more complex and challenging.

I joined Wings4U a year ago, so I’ve had plenty of time to figure out the opportunities and challenges that come with my job and our company.

At first, working remotely felt very strange, like working in a parallel world or being on another planet!  And I was plagued with all sorts of doubts.

To start, I wondered if I could ever get used to working remotely, as I’d previously done a regular office job for years. Then, I was troubled by all kinds of questions such as, Will I be bored or lonely? How do I connect with people? and How do I avoid distractions?  And the biggest mystery of all was how a team scattered around the world could ever possibly keep in sync.

It wasn’t long though before I realized that remote work actually worked!  A team could operate like any other team in any other office, despite not being in the same room.  Meetings, deadlines, brainstorms and clients could all exist in a virtual space - thanks to technology and, most importantly, a smart remote working strategy.

 I’ve been working for Wings4U for the last year and a half so having the chance to meet a few people from the team several times before was always an exciting occurrence. Usually, the reason behind the meeting was a specific project or a client. This time it was supposed to be different. When the announcement “We’re going for an offsite meeting in Goa, India” came, we got excited not only about location, but for meeting everyone from the team and having a chance to work together like never before!

When it comes to company culture, remote work is no exception. Recently we met up in beautiful Goa, India for our first offsite of 2018 - where we discussed strategy, teamwork, industry trends and much more.. Not to mention enough time by the beach and enjoying the Indian sunshine. Keep reading for more takeaways from our trip.  

Remote working, working from home, work from anywhere, or virtual work... All of these are buzz words now as more companies and people shift from the traditional ‘9 to 5’ office setup to a more digital arrangement. People are increasingly in search of a different set of benefits, and it centers around flexibility— from work hours to places and even teams— especially since we have the technology to make it possible.

In early 2018, we launched our new CARE initiative where we want to celebrate the unique and varied cultures of our network of collaborators, customers, and friends around the world. By doing so, we believe that we can not only build a sense of community, but also spread awareness and understanding about cultures that are new to us. 

Xīn nián kuài lè! In other words, Happy New Year in Chinese! Today we're taking a closer look at this important Chinese holiday, what it means, and how it is celebrated.