Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Centric Consulting is a business and technology consulting firm that employs over 1,100 people across the U.S. and India. It was founded in 1999 as a virtual-first organization. With more than two decades of success as a remote-first company, Centric offers valuable insight into how other organizations can continue to find success and retain top talent in a virtual or hybrid setting.

OBJECTIVE:

This case study unpacks the elements necessary for success as a virtual-first organization, explaining why each element is important and how business leaders can achieve them.

CASE REPORT:

This case study identifies the following factors as vital to success for remote organizations: trust in employees; embracing flexibility; strong interpersonal relationships; investment in quality tools and technology; hiring for culture fit; culture-focused mentorship; strategic in-person encounters; and continuous culture improvement.

CONCLUSION:

Remote-first organizations must prioritize relationship-building and culture. Leaders of remote organizations must focus on empowering employees.

Keywords

Work from home future of work hybrid workplace remote

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

The Next Great Disruption Is Hybrid Work-Are We Ready? [Internet]. Microsoft. Microsoft; 2021 [cited 2021Jun30]. Available from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work

Cramton

. The Mutual Knowledge Problem and Its Consequences for Dispersed Collaboration. Organization Science. 2001;12(3):346–71.

Bartel

, Wrzesniewski

, Wiesenfeld

. Knowing Where You Stand: Physical Isolation, Perceived Respect, and Organizational Identification Among Virtual Employees. Organization Science. 2012;23(3):743–57.

PricewaterhouseCoopers. Business needs a tighter strategy for remote work [Internet]. PwC. 2021 [cited 2021Jun30]. Available from: https://www.pwc.com/us/remotework?WT.mc_id=CT10-PL102-DM2-TR1-LS3-ND30-PR4-CN_ViewpointHighlights-

Kelliher

, Anderson

. Doing more with less? Flexible working practices and the intensification of work. Human Relations. 2009;63(1):83–106.

The Business Case for a High-Trust Culture [Internet]. greatplacetowork.com. Great Place toWork; 2016. Available from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.greatplacetowork.com/pdfs/Business+Case+for+a+High-Trust+Culture_16.pdf.

Zak

. The trust factor: the science of creating high-performance companies. New York, NY: American Management Association; 2017.

The Next Great Disruption Is Hybrid Work-Are We Ready? [Internet]. Microsoft. 2021 [cited 2021Jun30]. Available from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work.

Geue

. Positive Practices in the Workplace: Impact on Team Climate, Work Engagement, and Task Performance. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science. 2018;54(3):272–301.

Centric Consulting case study: Culture is the key to remote work success