April 8, 2024

Distributed by design: How Liquibase thrives as a remote company

The ways professional teams work together are constantly evolving. At Liquibase, we don’t just adapt to change — we embrace and empower it. We’re committed to remote work, being a remote company, and hiring remote roles to attract impeccable talent and vibrant personalities from around the country and the world. 

We create remote environments where teams collaborate, innovate, and thrive. Whether Liquibasers work from home, on the go, at our Austin HQ, or a hybrid of all three, our remote-first culture enthusiastically supports them.

Remote work at Liquibase

Before exploring our remote-first work culture, it’s important to understand the distinction between a remote-friendly company and a remote-first company. While remote-friendly companies accommodate the 22 million+ U.S. adults working from home, remote-first organizations like Liquibase prioritize remote work as the default mode of operation.

Why? 

Because we not only respect the feedback and preferences of our employees, we also appreciate the foundational benefits of remote work, including:

  • Less time and money spent on commuting (and the environmental benefits, too!)
  • Comfortable, personalized workspaces
  • Flexibility to optimally integrate life and work schedules
  • Enhanced productivity and focus
  • Improved employee satisfaction
  • Opportunities for healthier lifestyles

Being a remote company also gives us an advantage in accessing a wider, global pool of talent. 

“As companies continue to promote a return to the office, we’re staying committed to a flexible work environment,” says Liquibase CEO Patti Soch. “Remote engagement isn’t easy. However, we believe that the benefits outweigh the additional efforts and tooling required to promote a high-performing, happy, and engaged remote team.”

Liquibase’s distributed workforce

While our original roots and headquarters are in Austin, Texas, our team of 70+ Liquibasers extends far beyond the city and state’s borders. Our teams live and work across the United States and the globe. Currently, about one third of our team is based in Austin, with another third distributed across the rest of the U.S, and the final third residing internationally. 

Our goal is to work with the best talent, regardless of where they are located, and the distributed workforce model allows us to do just that. Any time we open a new role, we cast a wide net to connect with candidates that best fit the needs of the organization – and who are excited to come work with us!

With talented folks from Ukraine to Spain to Canada (to name a few), our diverse team brings together unique perspectives and experiences. This not only creates positive friction and diversity of thought in a work setting but also creates a more interesting and varied culture interpersonally.

Space to gather

Liquibase has an optional workspace in Austin, Texas, that employees can use to collaborate in person. Local Liquibasers can drop in any time, while distributed teams use the space for events or to host local customers. We proudly host department and team on-sites, sales QBRs, and more from the Lone Star State! 

While we celebrate a remote work culture, we haven’t forgotten the value of in-person interactions and work to facilitate those as appropriate, including travel support. 

Empowering remote work

Enabling remote work isn’t just about providing the necessary tools and technologies. It’s about fostering a culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability. From flexible schedules to virtual team-building activities, we empower our employees to thrive wherever they are. Boasting a 4.3 out of 5.0 rating on Glassdoor, Liquibase is constantly seeking feedback to ensure we’re providing the best environment possible.

Our intentionally designed team structure ensures strong communication and coordination, bridging the physical divide and fostering a sense of unity from wherever our Liquibasers hail.

Some of Liquibase’s remote-focused perks include:

  • Home office stipend - To make our home offices as functional as possible and cover ongoing work-from-home expenses monthly
  • Equipment - We set employees up with a personalized welcome kit that includes a computer of their preference (Mac vs PC) and any additional equipment needed for the role.
  • Flexible schedules - Team leads establish clear working hours and time zones so we know who is online and when
  • Programming - We facilitate remote Hackathons, Team Building Days, and Volunteer Days, plus team-specific events
  • Diversity - We bring people together across the globe, enabling diversity of thought and perspectives.
  • Fun stuff - We make time for goofy weekly activities (think virtual Codenames and Geoguessr), plus other ways to engage with peers live and asynchronously
  • Thoughtful communication - We use Slack abundantly and thoughtfully, with rules and channel management that facilitate productivity and organization
  • Celebrating the ability to work anywhere - We have programs in place that allow you to travel to places other than your home base – with strong wifi connection, you’re in business!

These foundations of our remote-first commitment provide the support our teams need, and we regularly check in to find even more ways to make remote work more enjoyable and efficient. 

Building culture remotely

How does Liquibase cultivate a vibrant company culture and forge meaningful relationships in a fully remote setting? 

The answer lies in our unwavering dedication to connection and community. Through virtual games, online team-building sessions, and Slack channels where Liquibasers can showcase their personalities, we seek to build bonds that transcend distance.

Our onboarding programs are focused on thoughtfully getting new Liquibasers ramped up and plugged into our remote working environment. New hires go through comprehensive virtual orientation sessions led by key team members to foster personal connections and provide in-depth insights into the company culture and processes. 

Our leaders are intentionally approachable, and it is important to us that everyone in the organization feels comfortable and empowered to share their opinions. Fostering these connections early on helps to facilitate that relationship and create a more innovative and transparent culture, no matter how close or far we are from one another geographically. 

Crucially, we also have a healthy view on work-life balance ingrained in our remote culture. We encourage employees to tailor their work hours around their time zones and schedules,  setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. We also love to celebrate the cool personal endeavors we see Liquibasers undertake during their time off! 

Our continued commitment to remote work

At Liquibase, our commitment to remote work is firm. Remote work is at the core of Liquibase’s success. We will continue to invest in remote-friendly technologies, nurture our remote work culture, and champion the power of flexibility.  By embracing a distributed workforce, we’ve been able to recruit top-tier professionals regardless of geographic location. 

While we occasionally bring folks together for in-person collaboration, our primary focus is investing in our virtual ecosystem. We believe the best remote-first companies do everything in their power to make remote work a happy, productive reality while also providing opportunities to meet up, for those that value those in-person reactions, too. 

Join Us on the Journey

Whether you’re a seasoned remote worker or just dipping your toes into the digital realm, we invite you to join us! Explore our job openings

Documenting the people and culture that make the company such an unstoppable force, the Life at Liquibase series showcases employee perspectives on what it's like to build the future of database DevOps.
Adelaide Whitehead
Adelaide Whitehead
Human Resources Manager

Adelaide Whitehead is the Human Resources Manager at Liquibase, helping our remotely distributed teams function flawlessly. With empathy, energy, and enthusiasm, Adelaide drives professional development, company culture, and digital collaboration initiatives that unite and empower our teams to operate at their peak. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and worked in nonprofits, banking, and recruiting before joining Liquibase in 2019. A resident of Austin, TX, she splits her time between home, the Liquibase HQ, and far-flung destinations around the world. Follow and connect with her on LinkedIn.

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