Head of Remote - Here’s what you need to know
No one has to tell you that the world is changing.
The workforce has shifted dramatically over the last few decades, and remote work is now more popular than ever.
With this shift in working styles, companies are looking for new ways to lead their employees from a distance.
This means that there’s been an increased demand for Head of Remote roles – but what exactly does it mean to be a Head of Remote?
Let’s take a look at what makes someone fit for this role and how they might handle day-to-day responsibilities.
What is a Head of Remote?
A Head of Remote is an individual who focuses on the management of remote employees.
They are responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company’s remote employees, including recruiting, documentation, culture, training and maintaining quality control.
A successful Head of Remote will have experience with managing teams in this manner, as well as having knowledge about what makes team members productive while working remotely.
A Head of Remote can be an integral part of growing your company by providing support for these remote workers through
💬 Communication Guidelines
📝 Documentation Strategies
👨🏾🏫 Company Coaching
✔️ Trainings
Why is a Head of Remote important?
Remote leadership is not easy.
The challenges are many, but so are the benefits.
Leading remotely can mean working in places you never thought possible and with people who would have otherwise been inaccessible to your business.
It’s about using technology to connect people across time zones and oceans, enabling them to work together as one team towards a shared goal - all while maintaining autonomy, flexibility and control over their own lives.
Remote leaders must be aware of how they will manage this new type of workforce in order to provide the right environment for success.
A Head of Remote makes sure things run smooth in your remote environment.
If something is out of tune, they can step in and take care.
#3 real world examples of Head of Remotes
Many companies are starting to direct the energy towards new roles, helping their staff with working at any given location.
Here are examples of companies and roles that support the remote working infrastructure.
- LinkedIn: Shannon Hardy, Vice President, Flex Work
Here’s how she describes her role
In this newly created role and team at LinkedIn, I am extremely excited to lead our approach to our evolving workplace of the future. My team and I will focus on our hybrid work model, talent policies, supporting our managers in leading hybrid teams, ensuring equity of experience for all in a hybrid environment and our continued approach to addressing the pandemic. We will also measure and iterate our approach to ensure that we are enabling and accelerating the business and at the same time providing flexibility and to all of our employees and supporting them as they navigate a hybrid work environment.
2. Dropbox: Terry Tran, Head of Virtual First
3. Doist: Chase Warrington, Head of Remote
Here’s how he describes his role
(I am) responsible for maintaining and improving our remote work infrastructure and best practices, as well as advocating for the future of work. Specific areas of focus and of particular interest, such as: humanizing remote work, organizing co-located events, documentation, asynchronous communication, and implementing emerging technologies to support distributed teams.
If you want to dive deeper into how companies deal with this role, watch this interview with Annie Dean, Director of Remote Work at Facebook.
Final thoughts
As you have learned, companies that take remote work and remote culture to the next level have expanded their roles.
Having a dedicated person take care of all remote work related issues is a huge benefit to any organization that operates in a remote setup, not matter whether this is hybrid or fully remote.
A Head of Remote will not have answers to all questions and problems, but they are in charge of making things work.
Want to learn more about new work and stay ahead of the remote curve?
Further resources
GitLab - “Head of Remote: how to hire, job postings, job description, courses, and certifications”
Forbes - “Does Your Company Need A Head Of Remote?”
WRKFCE - “Why You Should Hire a Chief Remote Officer”
Credit
Photo von Alex Green von Pexels