Building Bonds Beyond the Screen: How Onsites Bring Our Remote Team Together

Building Bonds Beyond the Screen: How Onsites Bring Our Remote Team Together

At Empower, we’re proud of the flexibility and efficiency that come with being a fully remote, global team. Our success hinges on collaboration, streamlined processes, and the tools that keep us connected, no matter where we are. We believe that a healthy work-life balance is essential, and we trust our employees to manage their time in a way that works for them. Our Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy offers the freedom to recharge and prioritize well-being. With this in mind, we carry the same principles of flexibility into our onsites, ensuring there’s ample time for both downtime and meaningful connection.

As the world of remote work evolves, many companies find it challenging to build deep, authentic relationships across a dispersed team. At Empower, we’ve found that in-person onsites aren’t just “nice-to-haves”—they’re key to building trust, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and moving projects forward. There are moments that just can’t be recreated virtually—like the energy of brainstorming in person or sharing a meal with colleagues.

While our daily work thrives in a remote environment, onsites give us the chance to take relationships to the next level, spark strategic conversations, and build the connections that drive our collective success. Here’s how we approach our onsites to make them not just productive, but truly meaningful and enjoyable.

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Crafting a Balance Between Work and Play

Every onsite is a balancing act—ensuring that productivity, connection, and fun are seamlessly integrated. We design each event to include three key elements:

• Purposeful Work Time

We focus on sessions that align with Empower’s goals while allowing flexibility for team-specific priorities. Whether it’s brainstorming, strategy meetings, or deep dives into department initiatives, these sessions are productive and intentional.

• Unstructured Downtime

Not everything needs to be scheduled. We recognize the importance of unstructured time—whether it’s a spontaneous conversation over coffee or a quiet moment to recharge. This downtime is especially valuable for introverts or international travelers adjusting to new time zones.

• Team Bonding Through Experiences

Onsites are an opportunity to step away from the day-to-day grind and create lasting memories. From thrilling activities like ziplining in Vail to creative workshops like glassblowing, we tailor experiences to suit a range of interests and comfort levels. Or a local food tour or ATV ride in the desert in Scottsdale. Whether it’s exploring new tastes, adventuring outdoors, or learning something new together, these shared moments strengthen relationships in ways that outlast the event itself.

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Designing Unique and Inclusive Experiences

One of the most exciting aspects of planning onsites is curating activities that resonate with every team member. Empower’s team is diverse, and we ensure that each onsite offers options that are inclusive, accessible, and engaging.

For example, during our Vail onsite, we offered a “Choose Your Own Adventure” experience with activities ranging from fly fishing to wildlife jeep tours. For our all-company dinner in Vail, we went to a popular après-ski sports bar in Lionshead Village, while in Scottsdale, we embraced the local culture with a Western-themed cookout that included horseback riding and rodeo games. In Scottsdale, team members got to choose between golf, hiking various trails, or rock climbing. These activities take us beyond traditional meeting rooms and allow us to connect on a personal level—strengthening our relationships and building memories that last long after the event.

When selecting venues, we prioritize open spaces that foster organic connections, ensuring no one feels siloed. We also foster cross-department collaboration by creating spaces where employees can engage with leaders, exchange ideas, and explore new opportunities across the company. Whether it’s a relaxed conversation in a lounge or impromptu team brainstorming by the pool, the environment plays a key role in making these connections happen.

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Empathizing with Your Team: Thoughtful Planning for All

We know everyone’s experience is unique, whether it’s your first onsite or your fifth, so we try to make it as easy and comfortable as possible for everyone. From clear schedules to a landing page with all the details, we try to make sure you know what to expect and feel at ease.

Here are a few ways we do it:

• Pre-Event Communication: Clear schedules, FAQs, and updates are shared through Slack or a dedicated event landing page. Everyone knows what to expect and where to go.
• Name Tags and Onsite Landing Pages: New hires or returning employees can feel like part of the team right away. Name tags with their job titles and departments help everyone get to know each other quickly, and an onsite landing page provides essential details like the schedule and what to pack.
• Adaptability: We stay flexible, ready to make adjustments based on feedback, team dynamics, or unexpected changes. Each onsite is a chance to learn and iterate, ensuring we continually meet the needs of our growing team.

By empathizing with our team’s needs and staying open to change, we try to keep every onsite unique, exciting, and relevant. We carefully consider the feedback from each event to make the next one even better—whether it’s creating new core memories, strengthening colleague relationships, or curating powerful conversations.

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Measuring Success and Building for the Future

For us, a successful onsite doesn’t end when the event concludes. We gather feedback during and after each onsite to ensure we’re meeting our goals and continuously improving future events—whether that’s fostering cross-functional collaboration, strengthening relationships across teams, or exploring new cities for future events to keep each onsite fresh and exciting.

Post-event surveys help us assess what worked, what didn’t, and what we can improve for future onsites. This iterative process ensures that each event is better than the last, adapting as our team grows and evolves.

In-person onsites are not just a break from remote work—they’re a vital opportunity to strengthen our culture, align on shared goals, and create moments of connection that resonate long after the event is over. At Empower, we’ve seen first-hand how these gatherings can transform the way our teams collaborate and thrive.

We’re all about creating meaningful experiences that bring our teams together.

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About Heather Begley

As a People Ops professional in globally remote startups, my philosophy centers on positioning the People team’s operations to efficiently scale alongside the company’s growth and evolving needs while incorporating meaningful People practices.

I’ve always been passionate about creating supportive environments to make everyone’s life around me easier. By leading with empathy and encouraging continuous improvement, I focus on optimizing processes and enhancing team member experiences.

With a proven track record in scaling and overseeing critical areas within People Operations, Recruiting Operations, IT Operations, and Accounts Payable (Finance), I bring unique skills to the table. One of the defining moments in my journey was being the founding member of the People Operations team at Maze, where I supported their growth from >30 to <200 team members, spanning 35+ countries during onboarding, offboarding, and everything in between. I’m passionate about helping workplaces thrive in a fully remote environment. Let’s connect!

Connect with Heather