Even remote-only teams need in-person touchpoints
With easy access to the Bainbridge – Seattle ferry and proximity to many of the good eats and drinks the island has to offer, OfficeXpats is a great place to host a team retreat. In early 2024 we hosted the Tor Project, and the more we learned about this group the more we were interested in getting the full story. The team—via Pavel Zoneff, Director of Strategic Communications—generously answered a list of questions, and many of the remote work elements are familiar to us all by now. What is interesting is the goal for the retreat and the value the team places of being in person from time to time.
Enjoy…
Q: Tell us a little about the Tor Project. Why does it inspire you/your team?
Our work at the Tor Project is to ensure that internet users continue to have access to the open web. We deploy free and open-source software like the Tor network and Tor Browser. Most people probably last heard of the Tor Project when whistleblower Ed Snowden used our technology to safely and anonymously communicate with journalists. Since then, more and more people have started using Tor to browse the internet privately, and share and access information online freely, including organizations who want to fortify their operational security. Currently, Tor Browser and the Tor network is the only user-friendly plug-and-play solution that helps news outlets, social media sites, collaboration and communication tools to bypass online surveillance and censorship.
Q: What does your team do? Do you all work remotely? Spanning continents, I hear! How well does that work?
We currently have more than 50 employees across 17 countries on all continents. Our teams, from apps and UX design, community outreach and advocacy, to anti-censorship and network-health, make sure that everything is running smoothly every day.
Q: I understand that a pending maternity leave was one reason for this in-person get together. Anything to say here about the team’s willingness to accommodate?
The Tor Project is experiencing a moment of growth and, therefore, it was important for the operation's team to meet in person. Our team member's family leave was only a contributing factor that served to highlight the need for in-person work and speedy alignment.
Q: What was the goal of your retreat? Was it intended for specific outcomes, or more about team building?
We are in the process of switching to a four-day work week, diversifying our leadership team, and advancing other employee wellness and organizational goals–getting together in one room was helpful to accelerate these initiatives and get everyone on the same page.
Q: How did the retreat meet your expectations?
As a fully remote and distributed organization, we try to make sure to select beautiful and inspiring places whenever we get together to prioritize both collaboration and fun.
Q: Was there specific support that you received from OfficeXpats that helped?
The team really loved the facilities and care of your team. We felt very welcome.
Q: What would you recommend to other teams if they wanted to do something similar?
At the Tor Project, we are fully remote and we love it. That does, however, not mean that we do not value in-person collaboration. Quite the opposite, we make sure to empower individual teams to get together at least once a year–whether it's for team building, working on new projects, or meeting with our global community of supporters and volunteers.
Q: What would you like to share that I haven’t prompted?
If you're reading this and haven't tried Tor Browser in a while, we encourage you to go visit our website, download it, and take it for another spin–it's just like any other browser, except we do not collect your data. Especially if you are an organizational or IT leader at your company and concerned about your remote workforce accessing your company's files at a coworking space or hotel, make sure to add Tor technology to your traveling teams' techstack. Tor Browser (for desktop and Android), Orbot (for Android), or Onion Browser (for iOS) will keep your organization's information safe and secure–and give you peace-of-mind.
