Inc. 5000 Insights

Make your remote employees feel like part of the home team

We encourage everyone to do team calls while walking—put on your tennis shoes and go outside when you need to be on the phone with co-workers, wherever you are. You’re going to be more productive. And a lot of our employees compete against one another in Fitbit challenges, so they get to fight for bragging rights. We’re salespeople—we’re highly competitive. That’s how we connect.”

TONI JACARUSO CEO, Jacaruso Enterprises (travel & hospitality) NO. 948 2017 INC. 5000 RANK 463.8% 3-YEAR GROWTH $ 4.6M 2016 REVENUE

We started a private Facebook group 10 years ago for people to feel the beat of what’s going on in all of our offices and for our remote co-workers— we have 154 worldwide—to feel connected. We see a lot of [funny] pictures, and Halloween is huge. We’re transitioning that Facebook group into an intranet.” TIM CHI Co-founder and CEO, WeddingWire (consumer products & services) NO. 1,956 2017 INC. 5000 RANK 194.1% 3-YEAR GROWTH $99.8M 2016 REVENUE

We schedule meetings longer than they need to be to re-create the informal discussion that you would have in the office. We’re OK having our meetings run 30 to 40 percent longer to foster closer relationships.” — STEVE YI Co-founder and CEO, MediaAlpha (software) NO. 1,858 2017 INC. 5000 RANK 206.9% 3-YEAR GROWTH $116.5M 2016 REVENUE

We’re a major GIF company. Even when you’re out on the road, you’re expected to send GIFs regularly to the entire company. They show up on our social channels. It’s for us to crack up with each other and get connected to other people’s personalities.” — JOSHUA SWANSON CEO, GoToMyApartment (advertising & marketing) NO. 511 2017 INC. 5000 RANK 871.1% 3-YEAR GROWTH $ 4.6M 2016 REVENUE