Zapier is a US based apps development company which is making headlines these days after it started offering $10,000 to its employees to help them move out of the Bay Area to Hawaii. Zapier makes software that integrate with famous apps and services from Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
According to Zapier’s CEO Wade Foster, the company has seen a massive influx of applications since it started offering what it calls the “De Location Package”.
Zapier is a dream-come-true company. All of its 85 employees work remotely. The company is insanely flexible when it comes to the working environments and culture. Every employee is given a MiFi device. This approach has let the company hire the very best talent from around the world. Last year, it ended up saving over $2 million just by avoiding costly Silicon Valley office rents.
Wade Foster thinks that a flexible lifestyle suits the employees of Zapier and their families. He thinks that Silicon Valley has become “unsuitable” for many people.
Darius Monsef is the head of growth at Zapier. His “De Location” is a case in point showing how cool and colorful the life could be if tech workers are allowed to work from, well, “anywhere”. Monself was living a grueling life in a startup in the Silicon Valley. He wanted to move his family out of San Francisco. He chose to work for Zapier. Monsef chose a small place called Waimea in Hawaii. He now oversees a ranch, and spends time with his wife and two kids. He had a dream of living a life surrounded by cows, under sun light and around wilderness. Zapier respected his dream and offered him a lucrative job.
Darius Monsef has four cows and several sheep. When offline and not working for Zapier, Monsef builds fences, tend to his cattle, grows flowers and vegetables near his ranch.
The most difficult thing for Zapier initially was to manage remote works. The difference in time zones was a key challenge. Monsef says that the best remote workers are those who are “self-starters” and empathetic. They have to care for others and pay close attention to scheduling and routine.
Zapier is also aware of the importance of the relationship between employees. That’ why the company organized retreats twice a year in which its employees from around the world gather at one place and socialize.