By: Lorne Bobren, Technology and Design Career Community Advisor

With the sudden rise in remote work, we thought it would be a good time to have a discussion on what remote work expectations are. Basecamp is a Chicago-based software company that has developed its namesake project management software, widely used in distributed team environments. Basecamp itself has been working under a distributed team model for well over a decade and was able to provide some valuable insights to those new to remote work environments.

We were joined by Basecamp’s Director of HR, Andrea LaRowe, and one of its programmers, Justin White (DePaul alum) to discuss the nature of remote work.

You can watch the full conversation below but here are some key takeaways:

• This is a time of uncertainty for many. Employers should allow their employees time to adjust and know that expectations are much different right now since we are all feeling a bit anxious.
• Good communication is key. Think carefully about what point you want to get across before you type it. Basecamp places great emphasis on the importance of asynchronous communication (i.e. the written word) since they don’t do many live video meetings.
• Tips and tricks on how to delineate your work life and home life, including having a designated work space and creating defined start and end points for your work day. It’s key to be disciplined and set a schedule.
• They strongly value personality in a job application. They look at cover letters before even viewing a resume and they like when they can see the human being behind the application.
• Remote work is not for everyone. There are downsides to working remotely (i.e. feelings of isolation, too much distraction, etc…)