The Transition To Remote - Document The Culture

In a fully remote work environment, we don't have daily face-to-face interactions where we learn about a companies culture. It's important to communicate all values the culture bases on and how a company operates. This could be done in the form of a living handbook.

What topics should be included?

All About The Company 

Everything that is valid for all teams and areas of interest should be included in this section. After reading this section, a newly hired employee should understand the DNA of a company.

• Founding story/history of the company
• Mission, vision, and values
• Who we serve (customer personas)
• Why we are different (unique differentiators)
• Annual goals
• Product principles
• How we hire

Teams And Areas Of Interest

This section houses details about the structure of the company. Document who is working on which team. If all feel safe about it, you could create self-managed profiles for everyone to  share work or private stories.

• Org structure (HR, Engineering Teams, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Legal, …)
• People profiles
• Team profiles

Day-To-Day Operations

Finally, this section is all about how work ins done. What we do, how we do it and what we want to achieve.

• Policies
• How we communicate
• Tools we use
• Standard operating procedures
• Monthly or quarterly goals

It's ok if sections are empty at the beginning. Don't pressure yourself too much. Think of the handbook as a living and breathing document that grows over time.

Remember: Documentation should be “open by default” and everyone is allowed and encouraged to contribute.