David Casali @folletto AUTOMATTIC Lori McLeese @loriloo AUTOMATTIC Really big companies usually have workers in offices around the globe. But Automattic, the company behind WordPress, has its workers in home offices around the globe–with no central headquarters. At more than 230 employees in 30 countries and growing fast, the company is leading the way for fully distributed teams and has lessons for us all. Davide Casali, UX Redirector, will look at the key elements Automattic uses to support remote collaboration–not just the tools, but the way teams are organized and make decisions, all of which have evolved as the company has grown. Lori McLeese, HR Lead, will talk about the unusual, in-depth process that Automattic uses to hire people and ensure they’re a fit for a fully distributed team. Their talks will be followed by a joint Q&A with attendees.

1. Lessons from
the World’s Biggest
Distributed Company
Davide Casali
@folletto
Lori McLeese
@loriloo

2. CHAPTER 1
Hiring

3. What we’re looking for
Technical
Skills
Culture
Fit

4. Before
The Trial
–Test basic skills
–Interest in Open Source
–Humility

5. The Trial
Finite Project,
Paid
Communication
& Independence
Mostly
Text Based

6. Do I like the way they work and
collaborate?
Both parties get insights
Is the candidate able to work in a
distributed environment?
Is the candidate able to trouble
shoot on their own?
Can the candidate take a project
and run with it?
Do I enjoy working in a distributed
environment?
Do I feel I’m able to communicate
effectively?
CANDIDATE AUTOMATTIC

7. Meeting in person
All Company
Meetups
Team
Meetups

8. CHAPTER 2
Scaling

9. COMMUNICATION IS OXYGEN

10. Tools?
IRC / Skype O2 Field Guide
REALTIME ASYNC STORAGE

11. Team
Chat O2

12. Transparency

13. Culture

14. “
”
SCOTT ADAMS
Management exists to
minimize the problems created by
its own hiring mistakes.

15. Thanks
Davide Casali
@folletto
Lori McLeese
@loriloo