Here in our Remote Employers Masterclass, we’ll be looking at some of the best companies globally that are hiring remotely. It can be daunting for those thinking about changing their working life and starting a remote career. However, getting the right job can feel like finding the Holy Grail! Each masterclass will provide a brief description of the company, along with some features that make them particularly interesting for remoters. There will even be a Q&A video so you can find out what really makes a remote friendly company successful. For the third installment of our Remote Employers Masterclass, we’ve decided to take a look at Aurity.
Aurity is a Tech Accelerator that aims to empower everyone with digital products. They drive a positive change by connecting excellent developers with great companies, and by mentoring, using the latest technology, best practices, and automated infrastructure. The company is based in London but also hires remotely.
The benefits of remote work and autonomy
One of the biggest perks of hiring remotely for Aurity is the increased talent pool they gain access to. Scaling the business is easier and hiring developers becomes much simpler. Clients also aren’t limited to one particular location. This increases the market size too for the company. Aurity really champions the idea of its employees working autonomously. Their developers work on clients’ projects and shape their work as it suits them. They do have some guidelines to follow but eventually, each employee is responsible for their work and the way it’s completed. This autonomous nature works well in combination with remote teams, who already require a high degree of independence. Each developer still works in a team at Aurity, with daily standups and plannings. There is always communication so people know if any help is needed.
Creating work culture in the remote environment
Remote companies can find it challenging to foster a close work culture without a physical office. The opportunity to meet your colleagues can be small and it’s more challenging to create personal bonds. To combat this, Aurity regularly organizes work trips where their remote employees can meet up and get to know each other. Their first was in Porto, Portugal and they now have plans to visit Bali. Aurity also makes use of the time together by running workshops and brainstorming sessions.
An important part of their business is to have an organizational structure and culture that really values freedom. By stopping micromanagement, Aurity has found more opportunities to explore what is good, what is bad, to gain valuable data and use it. During this particular process, they find interesting people, solutions, and tools.
Combating remote work challenges
We asked Aurity to tell us what they have found to be the biggest challenges when working remotely and how you can try to combat them. The first challenge was difficulty in communication. A lot of developers find that within remote teams communication can be scarce. They recommend scrum methodology in fighting this issue, as all team members have to get in contact daily. They add, “at Aurity, we are creating multiple Slack channels where people can participate in different conversations – It’s not all the time tech related. We organize voting sessions for all team members so they can make an impact on what is going on at Aurity.”
The second biggest issue they found was loneliness. This is also linked in with the first challenge. At Aurity their core team is responsible for keeping everyone up to date. They make sure all needs are addressed, and that employees are feeling supported.
“We are in constant contact via Slack, Hangout, Facebook, or Instagram with our colleagues. We share good and bad stuff to create bonds despite the distance between us.”
It can also be tricky for developers to make the switch over to remote work. Aurity recommends that any potential remoter should remember to be brave, as “it is something new, but it gives an enormous amount of opportunities”. They should also organize their day and evening in advance, to help achieve a good work-life balance. Finally, they should put extra efforts to communicate well with their teams.
“Don’t be scared to call people, they are there to help, and I’m sure they will.”
Careers at Aurity & the Remote-how Advisory
If you’d like to find out more about Aurity and possible job opportunities, then check out their Work with us page for an introduction to their work culture and open positions. They currently hire developers from around the world, but sometimes concentrate more on Europe depending on the needs of their clients. If you can take responsibility for your work, suggest great solutions, and are keen to learn then you’d be a great fit for the team. Aurity is currently looking for React/React Native developers, with vast experience in overall programming, releasing apps and some activity on GitHub.
For more information, tips, tricks, and guidance in realizing your remote work dream, you can sign up to our Remote-how Advisory here.
