With some of the biggest companies in the world beginning to march their workforce back into the office full-time, the igaming affiliate sector remains by and large a remote working advocate. People & culture manager at Alts Digital, Rita Mendes explains how she helped build a remote culture at the company and why it’s important to maintain it.
At Alts Digital, our commitment to a 100% remote model reflects our values and culture. We understand that making this model successful involves more than just remote work; it requires building and maintaining a culture that supports and adapts to the diverse needs of our employees. As the People & Culture Manager, I’ll share our experience and the strategies we use to keep our team connected and motivated, even from a distance.
Remote working in HR
Before transitioning to remote work, I thought I wasn’t the type of person suited for this model. Then Covid happened and sometimes reality is the best teacher. Somehow, I realised I liked working remotely and how dependent I was on work to develop my social relationships by being in the office full-time.
For new employees, making implicit norms visible helps them feel safer and better navigate the company
In a remote company, social norms and behavioural expectations are not as visible as in a physical environment. That’s why it’s essential to talk openly about what’s expected of employees and how important it is to discuss culture and values in all our processes.
Key differences in remote HR:
- Intentional communication: Clear and deliberate in interactions.
- Visible norms: Make implicit company norms explicit to help new employees navigate the culture.
For instance, I share my breaks, daily struggles, and offline moments during calls with employees and candidates. This openness helps create an environment where disconnecting and balancing work with personal life is encouraged.
Managers set the example, but everyone shares the responsibility. For new employees, making implicit norms visible helps them feel safer and better navigate the company.
Investing in both online & offline
Creating genuine connections between employees is more challenging in a fully remote company. To address this, we invest in both online and offline activities. Our goal is to provide spaces where people can get to know each other, interact, and, most importantly, feel like they are part of something bigger.
- Online: we organise remote workshops and monthly game sessions, we call them Chill Alts, where we can share our more personal side.
- Offline: we host in-person activities, like dinners (at least twice a year), or events where everyone from different corners of the world (we have more than 11 nationalities on the team) flies to Portugal, and we spend a week together at a workcation.
Asynchronous and synchronous communication
Technology is vital for remote work, but how we use it matters more. We combine both asynchronous and synchronous communication:
We use Slack for quick messages and Notion for detailed documentation.
When shifting to remote work, a common trap is increasing the number of meetings to replace in-person office interactions. We avoid increasing meetings, which can lead to screen fatigue. For instance, we use Geekbot for asynchronous standups.
Another concern with remote work is the lack of context. In person, we have social cues that help us understand words in context. Besides, often the person who “speaks louder” in the office has more influence. As an extrovert myself, I know this firsthand. Remote levels the playing field between different styles of communication and personality, but it also requires everyone to improve their communication skills. Emojis, punctuation, facial expressions, and tone in virtual meetings - these details matter even more.
When shifting to remote work, a common trap is increasing the number of meetings to replace in-person office interactions
We know that people communicate differently, so it’s important to always assume good intentions and, if in doubt, ask. This is crucial in remote, multicultural teams, where different forms of expression can sometimes be misunderstood.
This also impacts our people processes: in performance reviews and feedback sessions, facts are more important than impressions, and it’s important to illustrate each potential vague sentence with facts.
Flexibility is key
Flexibility is a major benefit of the 100% remote model. If you give 100% remote work to your employees but monitor everything they do, you’re doing it wrong.
At Alts Digital, we live by the principle: "maximum flexibility, maximum responsibility". We give people the autonomy to manage their schedules and expect informed decisions that benefit both themselves and the company.
Employees have the flexibility to incorporate important activities into their day, such as physical workouts, picking up kids from school, running errands, or walking pets. These activities are part of their routine, and not seen as distractions.
It’s not surprising we do this. After all, this mindset shapes everything we do, from how we work to how we create content for our users. We aim to equip people with the right information so they can make the best choices for themselves, especially in areas that can often seem complex, like sports betting.
Employees have the flexibility to incorporate important activities into their day, such as physical workouts, picking up kids from school, running errands, or walking pets
On the other hand, we’ve noticed that remote employees sometimes struggle to take vacations, perhaps due to the feeling of always being close to work. As a company, we proactively encourage everyone to schedule vacations and take the time they need to recharge - I even have three reminders in my calendar to ensure people take their vacations.
Documentation is the foundation of good management
At Alts Digital, documentation is one of the pillars of our culture. Everything we do is properly recorded so that communication is transparent and accessible to everyone. Our main tool is Notion, where we keep not only documented processes but also important decisions and updates. This ensures that, regardless of location or time zone, everyone has access to the information they need to do their job.
Challenges of being fully remote
Managing a 100% remote team presents unique challenges. The lack of in-person interactions requires managers to be even more attentive to individual needs. There’s no casual hallway conversation to check in on how a team member is doing, so we need to be proactive and create intentional moments for that.
Moreover, managers need to be clearer and more objective when setting goals and expectations.
But remote work also requires a critical skill: self-motivation. Being alone demands greater time management, the setting of smaller goals, and task planning. No manager is going to be around to provide the authority that pushes us to work. We’re our own managers when we work remotely, so you must have the ability to self-manage.
Remain committed
At Alts Digital, embracing a 100% remote model has proven to be both rewarding and challenging. The success of our remote culture relies on flexibility, intentional communication, and maintaining strong connections - both online and offline.
By prioritising these elements, we ensure that our team remains engaged, motivated, and aligned with our values. As we continue to navigate the evolving landscape of remote work, we remain committed to adapting and refining our practices to support our team and our shared goals.
Rita Mendes
With over 10 years of experience in the field of people, culture, and human resources, Rita currently serves as the people and culture manager at Alts Digital. She has worked in various environments, including consultancies, international tech companies, and startups, primarily focusing on recruitment and selection, as well as people management and development. In private practice, she is a psychologist specialising in career development.