Beyond buzzwords – what remote work really means
Before remote work became a global necessity, Openprovider had already taken the leap.
Five years ago, we committed to building a fully remote organization, not as a temporary fix, but as a long-term cultural foundation.
And what we discovered along the way was a better way of building a business.
With this article, we hope to inspire business leaders, HR teams and remote communities to take the future and the wellbeing of their businesses in their hands: the story begins at Openprovider, and it doesn’t end there.
It continues with a quiet nod to people in companies that are close to our vision, and to tools we believe in.
Flexibility is not a perk
For us, flexibility is a fundamental operating principle.
In a remote environment, traditional expectations around office hours and presenteeism simply don’t apply. Instead, we build our work culture around trust, autonomy, and rhythm, without devaluing the advantages of in-real-life connections. Here’s how.
No micromanagement
We don’t measure productivity in mere hours.
Filling in a timesheet wouldn’t take into consideration the full scope of our talents, and surveillance tools watching mouse movements are the ingredients of a toxic environment.
This is hiring responsible talents
Employees design their own schedules
Some of us are early risers. Others hit their stride at noon. At Openprovider, we embrace that. Employees are free to structure their day based on their own energy, lifestyle, and personal commitments.
This is particularly valuable for our globally distributed team where time zones stretch across continents and for team members with responsibilities outside of work, like parenting, caregiving, or studying.
As long as deliverables are met and collaboration remains smooth, your calendar is your own.
Working from anywhere is the norm
It’s common to find Openprovider teammates working from cafés, coworking spaces, or while traveling: we don’t necessarily romanticize the digital nomad lifestyle, but we do support mobility.
Whether it’s a cabin in the mountains or a quiet corner in your home, the only real requirement is a stable connection and a commitment to our goals.
Results matter more than hours logged
We’ve replaced the question “How many hours did you work today?” with “What did you do, learn and achieve this week?”
This is the thin line between appearing busy and getting things done.
Focus on results and proactivity
Remote work only works when people take responsibility for tasks and outcomes. At Openprovider, we’ve built a culture that prioritizes results over appearances and encourages everyone to own their piece of the bigger picture.
We care about ownership and outcomes, not availability
You won’t find anyone here “waiting for instructions” or trying to look online at the right time.
Our teams don’t need to be visible to be valuable. What we care about is whether goals are met and problems are solved.
That means we don’t measure success by who replies fastest on Slack or who’s logged into a meeting. We measure it by the work we ship, the customers we support, and the impact we create.
This mindset unlocks deeper focus. Team members can schedule their work around when they’re most productive, without the pressure of being “always on.” The outcome? Higher quality work and far less burnout.
Employees are expected to own their responsibilities proactively
Every role at Openprovider comes with autonomy and the expectation that you use it. Employees are trusted to define their scope, identify blockers, and push forward without waiting for permission.
That doesn’t mean working in silos.
It means coming prepared, asking the right questions, and not being afraid to make decisions.
Autonomy breeds accountability
We’ve found that proactivity flourishes when two things are in place: a strong culture of psychological safety, and clear communication norms.
That’s why autonomy can’t exist without trust and why trust must be earned and maintained by everyone.
Structured communication and a smarter meeting culture
When your team is fully remote, communication is the glue of the company: other than typical ways of connecting, like Zoom calls and Slack messages, physical cues or hallway chats find their equivalent thanks to virtual tools that augment the experience of remote connections.
As our team grew from a close-knit group of 50 to a multi-cultural group spread across 22 countries, we had to think more deliberately about how to maintain connection.
In fact, culture doesn’t scale unless you design for it.
That’s why we introduced lightweight rituals that create touchpoints across time zones.
Things like donut pairings—random, optional 1:1 chats that connect colleagues across departments—or virtual pizza nights where people share a slice and a laugh on camera, as well as F**k-up Fridays where we speak about our failures constructively, with honesty and positivity.
Process documentation as a North Star
In a distributed team, writing process documentation is critical for having a silent point of reference.
This practice has done two important things for us: it forces clearer thinking, and it makes knowledge available to everyone.
Beyond processes, culture and vision
In the early days of remote work, some companies tried to replicate office culture by mailing swag boxes and hosting forced fun via Zoom.
In our mission to deliver a trusted digital identity for every business, we pair up our dedication with a cohesive vision: taking care about each other’s talent and nurturing personal inclinations to achieve shared goals.
Corporate social responsibility and work ethic for stronger teams
We encourage people to bring their whole selves to work, including socially responsible initiatives for the well-being and thriving of communities.
Being wolves means that we don’t wait for others to take the initiative; for instance, we support some of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, encouraging people to work with us regardless of their nationality, gender, and background.
Conclusion: remote culture doesn’t happen by default
Five years in, we’ve learned that remote work doesn’t weaken culture, it clarifies it.
Every policy signals trust (or a lack of it). Every tool either empowers autonomy or undermines it. That’s why we’ve built our remote-first model around flexibility, outcomes, structured communication, and human connection.
It hasn’t always been easy. But it has been worth it.
If you’re a leader building or scaling a remote team, we hope our experience offers practical inspiration.
And if you’re looking for tools to support structure, clarity, and cultural alignment in an async-first world, platforms like Sevv.com support remote work at scale and bring novelty in how people interact remotely.
