The Two Pillars of Remote Work: Culture and Accountability
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This week, we are launching Toptal’s “Rise of Remote” series, a special edition of The Talent Economy Podcast, featuring advice and perspectives from experts in remote work. Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has accelerated the gradual advance of remote work into a stampede, we thought it was extraordinarily relevant to create a special series dedicated to hearing from experts on how to succeed when working remotely. Today, I’m speaking with Toptal’s CTO, Ismael Peinado.
Ismael leads the company's engineering organization, driving process and culture to ensure top-quality delivery from our team of world-class engineers. Ismael was formerly the CEO and co-founder of Blue4, a distributed multimedia system used in the aerospace and entertainment industries. He leverages more than 20 years’ experience in providing commercial, operational, and technical leadership for B2B, B2C, and government organizations from early-stage startups to large, high-growth market leaders.
Ismael and I discuss his past fears about remote work, how flexibility can allow for more efficiency and support work-life balance, and the importance of creating a culture designed for a remote work environment—one that promotes collaboration, autonomy, trust, and empowerment.
Questions I ask:
- When did you start to realize that remote and distributed teams were an opportunity?
- How would you describe this current moment in time as it relates to broader remote work?
- What tools does your team use and how are they different than what is used in an on-location environment?
- How do you incorporate culture in a team that’s all around the world and still wants a social aspect and a feeling of belonging to a team?
In this episode, you will learn:
- How Ismael’s point of view about the need for location-based engineering has evolved.
- About Toptal’s solution for structuring a remote work environment.
- How remote work/flexible schedules can be a huge selling point for attracting top talent.
- About Ismael’s framework for supporting and fostering a culture of work-life balance.
Connect with Ismael:
