Office flexibility empowers staff to do their greatest work. Right here’s how the high-trust firms construct a profitable asynchronous tradition.
Whereas organizations are calling for workers to “return to premise,” it’s crew cooperation, not proximity, that drives productiveness.
In different phrases: let folks work how they work greatest.
Our report, “Return-to-Workplace Mandates and the Way forward for Work,” helps this. When people or groups tailor insurance policies to their wants, the result’s hanging — extra staff are prepared to go the additional mile.
An asynchronous work tradition grants staff the liberty to decide on how and after they work greatest. It additionally fosters collaboration and inclusivity, and improves work-life stability and productiveness.
We see this on the 2025 Fortune 100 Greatest Corporations to Work For®. Of the 100 firms, 97 assist versatile work. Workers on the 100 Greatest Corporations go the additional mile — productiveness is sort of 42% increased at these firms in comparison with a typical U.S. office.
Workplaces that enable staff to decide on when and the place they work are those that flourish within the world market. The hot button is to floor asynchronous practices in belief, readability, and intentional design.
What’s asynchronous work and why does it matter?
Asynchronous work (additionally known as “async”) is a mannequin the place crew members collaborate with no need to be on-line or within the workplace to work on the identical time. This mannequin of working accommodates staff’ differing time zones and work schedules. Asynchronous work differs from distant work – though each can occur concurrently. Asynchronous work is outlined by when work is accomplished, reasonably than the place.
Examples of asynchronous work embrace:
- Sending an electronic mail
- Making edits to a shared doc
- Recording a video message for a coworker
- Utilizing a messaging platform to ask a query about KPIs
- Checking the standing of a process in your crew’s challenge administration software program
Asynchronous work advantages staff and organizations by supporting flexibility, decreasing assembly fatigue, and frees up people to focus and interact in deep work on their very own schedule.
Core foundations of asynchronous work tradition
Right here is how high workplaces assist world groups and an async-first work tradition:
Set clear expectations and shared targets
Working successfully in an asynchronous tradition requires a thoughts shift for leaders and staff alike. It’s vital for leaders to set the tone with clear expectations round roles, deadlines, and work output.
- Alleviate potential battle by aligning staff on the expectations round communication and work output
- Outline response instances and set up expectations on how rapidly crew members will reply to requests, particularly in the event that they’re in a special time zone
- Guarantee data is well-documented and out there in a central location
- Set up a apply of staff sharing related paperwork forward of real-time conferences, so every crew member has time to evaluate and might contribute asynchronously
- Leaders can immediate crew members to offer common updates and use challenge administration instruments to trace progress transparently
Use communication instruments deliberately
The perfect communication instruments are those your folks will truly use. Select instruments that work greatest for async collaboration with out overwhelming staff with a number of apps that do an analogous job.
Challenge Administration — Instruments similar to Asana and Trello enable groups to handle duties, set deadlines, go away feedback, and observe progress async.
Versatile communication — With Slack, groups can arrange varied channels and direct messaging will be helpful for async communication with out resorting to electronic mail. Loom lets customers create and share video updates, saving folks time in writing down detailed explanations or offering suggestions to shared initiatives.
Documentation — Facilitate documentation with all-in-one functions like Notion, which mixes note-taking and information group for environment friendly communication. Confluence is one other extensively used platform the place people can collaborate on challenge documentation.
Doc every little thing
When colleagues aren’t working in real-time, it turns into much more vital that crew members doc their processes, schedule, and updates as a supply of fact. This manner, everybody can keep knowledgeable and contribute, even when they’re not working on the identical time. Documentation additionally helps scale back misunderstanding and foster accountability.
To make it simple, arrange a central hub or doc with logins, Frequent Requested Questions (FAQs), and Commonplace Working Procedures (SOPs) so nobody’s trying to find information.
At DHL Specific, the “Sensible Join” intranet serves as a complete hub for 116,000 staff worldwide, offering entry to native information, firm insurance policies, strategic updates, and HR instruments.
Designed to bridge operational and workplace divisions, the platform delivers content material in native languages and gives personalised self-services, together with payroll, attendance techniques, job portals, and studying platforms.
Normalize asynchronous updates
Asynchronous work requires a shift in conventional methods of working. Normalize practices like weekly written updates in lieu of in-person conferences, schedule asynchronous stand-ups that don’t require real-time participation, and supply suggestions through recorded movies.
Normalizing async updates additionally cultivates a tradition of belief. A Distant Work Productiveness Research reveals that when leaders brazenly share updates and make new methods of collaboration really feel just like the norm, it builds credibility.
At Salesforce, the corporate holds common “Ohana Conferences” the place staff from totally different departments can ask questions and share updates. This apply has helped break down silos and foster a tradition of transparency and cooperation.
Classes from Licensed™ firms doing async proper
Atlassian’s “Staff Wherever” coverage permits staff to decide on when and the place they work
Atlassian seeks to be a pioneer within the period of distributed work by creating “Staff Wherever.” This work coverage is structured round three key components: expertise in every single place, versatile work expertise, and reimagined teamwork.
The IT firm opened its doorways to registered workplaces in 14 nations and offers folks with the choice to relocate between any of them. They’ll additionally spend as much as 90 days working outdoors their most popular work location. This offers staff the liberty to proceed constructing their profession whereas experiencing one other nation or relocate to be with household.
To make sure crew members efficiently work async, the corporate orientates round time zones as an alternative of a bodily workplace, setting a minimal of 4 hours of overlap, so world groups have time every day to collaborate synchronously.
Atlassian additionally encourages digital conferences and locations higher emphasis on asynchronous communication. This ranges the taking part in area so staff by no means really feel like their versatile working preparations holds them again.
In consequence, 91% of staff say Staff Wherever is a crucial cause for staying at Atlassian, and 92% say it permits them to do their greatest work.
How CrowdStrike units staff up for fulfillment from day one
CrowdStrike helps asynchronous work by guaranteeing that staff are arrange for fulfillment from day one. New hires are supplied with laptops earlier than they begin, in order that they have the instruments they should make significant connections, and know who to go to, when, and the way.
All through the primary 90 days, the IT firm gives varied digital workshops and occasions to foster connections and assist all through their onboarding course of. Whether or not new hires are hybrid or distant, they really feel supported: 98% of staff say “once you be a part of the corporate, you’re made to really feel welcome.”
Zillow staff wrap their work round their lives, not the opposite means round
Zillow shares that their final purpose is to vary the form of labor itself. To achieve that goal, staff are given the pliability to wrap their work round their lives, reasonably than basing their lives on their work schedules.
Their rationale is straightforward: The power to recharge throughout break day, acceptable workload, and work-life stability are three elements that contribute to well-being, in accordance with worker surveys.
With staff unfold throughout the nation, Zillow is intentional about constructing good working norms that join folks working asynchronously. The corporate holds core collaboration hours throughout all time zones to make sure staff have time to interact with each other.
Zillow additionally leverages digital applied sciences to foster relationships inside groups and throughout the corporate, whether or not individuals are working in particular person for shorter stints or connecting for a digital espresso chat with fellow members of 9 Worker Useful resource Teams (ERGs).
Versatile working preparations assist contribute to Zillow’s firm tradition, the place 93% of staff at Zillow Group report it’s a excellent spot to work and 95% folks say they’re proud to inform others they work there.
Balancing asynchronous and synchronous communication
As evidenced from examples of Greatest Workplaces, working asynchronously doesn’t imply real-timecommunication shouldn’t happen. There are going to be important enterprise features that demand synchronous communication.
The important thing for leaders is to acknowledge the place work will be accomplished async and the place real-time interplay is critical, similar to complex-problem-solving or onboarding.
Whereas CrowdStrike helps an asynchronous work tradition, new hires are additionally required to attend three synchronous, digital workshops. These happen roughly 30, 60, and 90 days after new hires begin, and guarantee a steady journey of assist all through their onboarding course of.
Synchronous communication performs an important position in crew constructing, which is essential to fostering a robust firm tradition. Analysis from Nice Place To Work® backs this up: social connection and having enjoyable within the office driveincreased ranges of well-being for all ages of employees.
Lex Machina introduced their folks along with a digital “campfire,” full with an expert storyteller and camp singer who led staff in campfire songs. The corporate additionally mailed crew members kits with marshmallows and graham crackers so everybody may make s’mores.
Atlassian fosters a way of camaraderie with Atlassian on Tour, a collection of pop-up occasions in non-office cities around the globe designed to carry staff collectively with out the necessity to journey far.
Listed here are 4 methods leaders can maximize productiveness and foster connection in distant groups:
1. Allow your groups to fulfill their distinctive wants — Leaders ought to perceive the wants of every crew in addition to the wants of the enterprise.
2. Push for transparency — Make conversations about initiatives out there on a public platform, similar to Groups. This ensures everybody has equal entry to data and might make amends for initiatives organically.
3. Recommit to listening — Listening is likely one of the most vital high-trust management behaviors leaders ought to mannequin. Survey your folks and ensure distant work insurance policies have loads of enter from the individuals who can be affected by them.
4. Demand that in-person conferences are objective pushed — When individuals are coming collectively in-person, guarantee the assembly has a strong agenda, clearly talk its meant outcomes, and make each second depend.
Widespread pitfalls in asynchronous work tradition (and keep away from them)
Whereas staff need flexibility in after they work and the place, there are nonetheless pitfalls leaders ought to concentrate on in creating an asynchronous work tradition:
Delay in decision-making
Communication in an async work tradition isn’t swift, which may result in frustration when crew members want solutions in real-time. This delay also can draw out timelines on initiatives.
Set staff up for fulfillment by establishing clear expectations round response instances. CrowdStrike not solely provides staff the instruments they should succeed but additionally familiarizes crew members with how collaboration occurs and the place to entry data effectively.
Emotions of isolation
Loneliness at work is a really actual drawback. Async crew members could have much less real-time connection than their in-person colleagues and really feel this isolation extra. Gallup’s “State of the World Office” report discovered that absolutely distant employees not solely report decrease well-being, however increased situations of stress, anger, and loneliness.
Leaders play a job in supporting social interplay, construction, and psychological well being alongside flexibility. World Extensive Know-how addressed loneliness amongst their folks by implementing a storytelling program to assist staff join and guarantee every worker feels valued and related.
Communication silos
Whereas an asynchronous work tradition will be useful for targeted work, it may additionally result in communication silos, as crew members discover themselves working in isolation or have restricted communication with totally different departments or leaders.
Break down silos and foster a tradition of communication with common suggestions from staff. Pulse surveys play a job in making a responsive, employee-centric office tradition, whether or not folks work async or in real-time. Pulse surveys give leaders perception into worker sentiment and assist establish areas for enchancment.
At Brains, leaders carried out a “listening tour” and gathered suggestions from staff. The solutions helped them establish key priorities, similar to bettering collaboration and transparency.
Fostering inclusion and well-being in asynchronous environments
Some great benefits of asynchronous work environments transcend flexibility, higher deal with duties, and elevated productiveness. Reimagining the office the place folks aren’t tethered to a location or 9-to-5 schedule may also help stage the taking part in area for workers by decreasing bias and permitting different voices to be heard.
An asynchronous tradition fosters inclusion and helps individuals who could usually require lodging, together with folks with disabilities and neurodivergent staff. Divergent staff can battle with sure types of communication and an async work tradition helps accommodate by offering improved communication packages and extra inclusive collaboration instruments. Neurodiverse folks additionally don’t have to face uncomfortable social conditions like making small speak.
For folks with disabilities – a bunch of people with invaluable abilities and information – versatile work frees somebody with continual ache from driving into an workplace or an individual with a incapacity that stops them from working set hours.
Having an inclusive and versatile office tradition won’t solely provide help to entice a various set of expertise but additionally provide help to retain the varied expertise you attracted within the first place.
A versatile office is an funding in worker’s well-being. Workers who expertise excessive ranges of well-being within the office are thrice extra prone to intend to stick with their employer and thrice extra prone to suggest their employer to others.
A latest Worker Properly-Being Report from Nice Place To Work® and Johns Hopkins analyzes greater than 1.5 million worker responses collected from over 2,500 organizations through the Belief Index™ Survey. The analysis highlights how a optimistic office local weather drives well-being and actionable steps for leaders to enhance crew wellness.
The way forward for asynchronous distant work
Async work is formed by tendencies that can see it proceed to evolve:
AI-driven productiveness instruments — AI-powered instruments can improve asynchronous work by automating duties, similar to summarizing conferences so crew members gained’t have to attend in real-time, or utilizing chatbots to information staff by processes with out the necessity for human interplay.
World workforce administration — Offers firms a bonus in increasing their expertise and hiring folks globally, primarily based on their abilities, no matter the place they’re situated.
Final result-based efficiency monitoring — Helps outcome-based efficiency, minimizing interruptions, enabling targeted work, and supporting deeper engagement on outcome-based duties.
Encourage steady adaptation rooted in worker suggestions — Helps organizations unlock the complete potential of staff. Based mostly on worker suggestions, leaders can check new methods of working that enhance agility, innovation, and productiveness.
Construct a versatile, high-trust office with asynchronous work
The foundations of a profitable asynchronous distant office is belief, transparency, and employee-centered techniques. That begins by listening. Our worker survey resolution offers real-time insights to optimize async methods and construct high-performing groups.
