*Will I have flexible working hours?*
Yes, but not as flexible as you may be expecting,
The plan is to have project teams assigned to a time zone based on the location of the client. On a normal working day, the team will be expected to collaborate for at least 6 hours, with the remaining 2 hours for flexible asynchronous working. I.e., teams will be expected to work an 8-hour day with a core 6-hours collaboration time adjusted around the client’s business day to enable maximum availability to the client.  In order to create a team-oriented environment with as much collaboration as possible in a virtual environment, team members will remain online via video chat during their entire 8-hour work day.
Naturally we will still expect the usual ad-hoc flexibility around personal and family circumstances.
We want to encourage collaboration, easy communication and availability/accessibility of all team members and all roles. We also want to encourage a client-centered approach and provide the client with accessibility to the team.
Asynchrony values team collaboration, and there is an expectation that virtual teams will be no different. Teams will be expected to work together throughout the day. We believe that unlimited flexibility would be in conflict with that value.


*Will there be a dress code?*
Yes,
Sadly, this is not an opportunity to sit in your PJs all day. We value and respect the freedom to express yourself. However, our virtual working environment will generally be an all-day video call with your team. There is also the possibility of the client participating too; indeed, we will encourage this.
As such, the normal dress code expectations apply as defined in the company handbook.

*3 What is the expectation on internet speeds?*
Reliable High Speed Internet
High Speed Internet access with sufficient speed/bandwidth to enable a daily 8 hour+ HD video call. Asynchrony will cover some of the cost of this - based on an assessed reasonable cost for High Speed Internet.

*4 Will there be requirements/expectations around my virtual work-space?*
Yes, there are some minimum expectations,
You will be responsible for ensuring that you have a workspace that is suitable and appropriate for a full day of collaborative work. Including:
A quiet, dedicated, work space where you can work uninterrupted throughout the day. This means a workspace free from interruptions and distractions, ideally a separate room.
Sufficient space for you to work including space for a computer, monitor and video conferencing equipment.

*5 Will I be able to work from a coffee shop/shared office space?*
It depends,
We encourage virtual workers to get out and visit your local coffee shop to get some social interactions and experience a change of surroundings. However, this is unlikely to be a good location for normal working. We would expect you to have a more permanent base of operations that is conducive to collaborative work. We support the idea of occasional time spent in different surroundings, especially if you could coordinate with another virtual worker near you (not necessarily on your team).

_Shared office space_
Shared office space may be appropriate for temporary periods, but we expect you to have access to a permanent base where appropriate equipment can be set up and used. If you cannot be based at home, we can explore other options with you, but this would be the exception rather than the norm.

_Beaches, RVs and campgrounds_
We encourage a balance between work and play. Working from a beach likely means you are not getting the most out of either work or play. Taking proper vacations is important to keep you healthy; a full break from work is important. But we trust you to judge whether you can collaborate effectively in any given situation.

*6 What equipment will you provide virtual team members?*
We will provide most of the equipment you need to work effectively in a collaborative virtual space,
All members of the virtual office will be provided with a laptop; a monitor; keyboard and mouse. Effective communication and collaboration is crucial to this role, so in addition, we will provide a personal teleconferencing unit to enable high quality video conferencing throughout the day and we will contribute to high-speed internet service to enable this.
You will also receive a high-quality headset for those times when you are away from the dedicated conference unit. [Equipment needs will be regularly assessed and revised]

*7 Will I be required to have Video/Camera on during calls, pairing, etc.?*
Yes,
We have given this question a lot of thought. Effective collaboration is very important to us, and this means the whole team, not just within a pair. We want the team - including the client, the PO and all team members - to feel comfortable working together and engaging freely and easily and to have as few barriers to effective communication as possible.

So many of our delivery principles hang on effective communication and collaboration that we feel this is vital. We would like virtual team members to get so comfortable with being in a virtual workspace where they see each other that communication and collaboration over video becomes second nature. So yes, the expectation is that from when you start work to when you sign off at the end of the day that you are on video in a team room and available just as you would be in an office.

We plan on having various video break out rooms for pairing, chats, turnarounds and maybe even coffee and lunch breaks. The Cisco units have overt mute buttons and volume controls, and the cameras can be easily turned off if you need privacy. But we expect teams will get used to this way of working very quickly and become relaxed about it.

*8 What will the travel expectations be?  /. How often will I physically meet my team/office mates? Will there be a regular cadence for this?*
Some: Likely a few short trips each year,
All team members will be expected to participate in an in-person client facing kickoff activity; this may mean travel to a central location and a stay of multiple days.  New hires will attend the onboarding week (NEO) and TDD training in-person.
To promote engagement, teams will periodically get together for an ‘offsite’. This will be an opportunity to meet your team in person and get to know them. The offsite will typically be work focused but will likely involve some elements of socializing and team building.
Individuals will also be encouraged to attend the internal conference, and for those in leadership roles, the annual training. Finally, there will be opportunities for training, conference attendance and professional development.

*9 Will I get paid more or less than my counterpart that is “in” the office?*
You will be paid the same,
Salary for members of the virtual office will be on a par with those in the other offices. Salaries will be determined based on skills, experience, responsibilities and role. However, the cost of living in different locations is a factor and salaries for people in different offices vary as a result of this.  To account for this and to be transparent, we are proposing a baseline salary calculated as above but with a location-based cost of living salary adjustment to be applied depending on the state you reside in.

If you live in a state that is deemed to have a high cost of living, you will receive an adjustment. If you move into one of those states, you will receive the adjustment. If you move out of one of those states into a state with a lower cost of living, the adjustment will be removed. Your compensation will be reviewed when there is a change to your responsibilities or location.
Benefits and taxation vary from state to state so you will be expected to notify payroll immediately if you move location.

*10 Which parts of a team’s process will not be decided by the team?*
Some, but most will still fall to the team,
Our goal is to “Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need and trust them to get the job done.” To this end we want to enable teams to determine their own processes as much as possible.

However, we do not work in a vacuum. The nature of our work means that projects and teams are generally short lived, and teams often do not get the time needed to resolve disputes over preferred tools and processes. Many tools and processes have constraints determined by clients or with the client in mind. We also must consider familiarity, training, licensing costs, support implications, and hardware limitations.
We are therefore proposing a defined set of guidelines and a whitelist of tools. This list will not be intended to restrict you, but to enable teams to get familiar with a set of tools so that transition between teams is fluid. We expect the whitelist to be a living document and for the tools to evolve with the teams. If a team wants to deviate, we’d ask that you explain why the whitelist tools/processes are unsuitable and how to mitigate the impact of a change and share your experiences with other teams.