A few months ago, I got into an argument with someone who said that firms needed to bring everyone back to the office.

They had secret numbers they could not share about efficiency and such. And yes, you certainly can do that, but you do not have to.

How do I know that? Because I did it.

Instead of the normal version, where the owner is there and everyone else shows up, I did the opposite. My wife and I drove around the country for 13 months. Our firm did better than it ever had before. We also let our staff work from wherever they wanted. Most chose to come into the office, while others did not. Some came in some days and not others.

For my marketing company, despite being almost fully in Orlando or the Greater Orlando Metro Area, no one else comes into the office consistently. In fact, Thayne, your chair is still here!

Plus, it always weirds me out when firms have offsite VAs and make those people the bottom of the corporate ladder because they are not physically there. That is not always the best use of people’s abilities.

So let’s talk about remote culture, working from home, and using virtual assistants.

Culture

I do not think we spend enough time talking about company culture. I cannot even find a consistent definition. I look at it this way: culture is what people think when they think of you or your firm.

Your internal culture is the other side of your external brand.

The more they are in sync, the easier everything is. If you are trying to be the best lawyer in town, the go-to when things get serious, you cannot have your cheapest, least trained person answer the phone and ruin that reputation on the first call.

I am going to put a pin in the discussion of how to build a great culture. That is partly because it is its own article and partly because it is not my area of expertise. I think I have done it, but I cannot tell you exactly why or how.

Here is what I want you to think about. How does where your employees work play into your culture and your brand?

• If you want to be laid back and approachable, do not punish employees to force morale.
• If you want to be positioned as a tech-savvy, futuristic firm, forcing your employees to work in 1980s cubicles is not the right fit. You do not need slides from floor to floor, ping pong tables, or a massive campus like tech companies. A little thoughtfulness can go a long way toward consistency.

Be fair. We travel a lot, so we have unlimited PTO for everyone. As long as no one else is out, PTO must be approved. We also have backups, so employees do not return from a week off to two weeks of work. That decision fits our culture and brand.

Remote Work Considerations

Should you let everyone work from home or wherever they want? I think so if:

• It fits your culture.
• You have systems in place to ensure work gets done. Recording screens is overkill, but having tasks in a Case Management System that are completed even when someone is out is a great start.
• You trust your employees.
• You are not overly controlling. If you are reading this, you are probably a little anal, but you just need to ensure it does not drive you crazy not to see someone at a desk at all times.

This flexibility drastically opens your hiring pool. You can hire anyone.

• Someone in Mexico, South Africa, or Asia.
• Someone a few states away with a lower cost of living.
• An amazing employee who moved across the country for love or family.
• Someone in a different time zone to provide expanded hours.

Opportunities abound.

The challenge I face is when everyone is in the same place except one person. For example, I want to hire a salesperson on Pacific or Mountain time for LegalEase to better match client hours. I worry that person may feel removed from the culture we have built in Orlando. If everyone is fully remote, it is easy to bring people together a few times a year or host Zoom events. The inconsistent split is the tricky part. If anyone has advice, I would love to hear it.

Virtual Assistants

I know firms that swear by virtual assistants and others that run away from off-shore work like the plague. Here is my hot take:

A person is a person.

We live in the least homogenous country in history. Everyone is a product of nature, nurture, culture, and experiences. There will be some commonalities between Americans and non-Americans, but they are a fraction of what would happen anywhere else in Europe, South America, or Asia.

Yes, there will be some cultural differences. But unless your firm is Smith, Smith, Smith, and the person married the last Smith, it is not a big deal.

Instead of generalizing about an entire country or category, look for the right person.

• If you cannot stand remote work and need everyone in the office, do not hire VAs.
• If you want to jump on the hood of your pickup truck screaming “America, yeah!” with a bald eagle behind you, do not hire VAs.
• If you trust your employees to act like adults and do their work from anywhere, do not limit yourself to someone who lives nearby.

Regardless, always check for a firm culture fit before looking at experience, credentials, or references. That is the most important place to start.

Next Week

Until then, have a great weekend, and may you not be attacked by a bear high on cocaine. At least, I can only assume that is what the movie is about.