The best are everywhere

It's crazy not to hire the best people just because they live far away. Especially

now that there's so much technology out there making it easier to bring everyone

together online.

Our headquarters are in Chicago, but more than half of our team lives

elsewhere. We've got people in Spain, Canada, Idaho, Oklahoma, and elsewhere.

Had we limited our search only to people in Chicago, we would have missed out

on half of the great people we have.

To make sure your remote team stays in touch, have at least a few hours a day

of real-time overlap. Working in time zones where there's no workday overlap at

all is tough. If you face that situation, someone might need to shift hours a bit so

they start a little later or earlier in the day, so you're available at the same time.

You don't need eight hours of overlap, though. (Actually, we've found it

preferable to not have complete overlap--you get more alone time that way.) Two

to four hours of overlap should be plenty.

Also, meet in person once in a while. You should see each other at least every

few months. We make sure our whole team gets together a few times a year.

These are great times to review progress, discuss what's going right or wrong,

plan for the future, and get reacquainted with one another on a personal level.

Geography just doesn't matter anymore. Hire the best talent, regardless of

where it is.