As part of our ongoing hiring effort, we have received numerous applications from individuals who lack prior experience with remote work. In this article, I’m hoping to provide extra context around our decision to become an office-less organisation.

Joyz Inc. has implemented an office-less management system that embraces the distributed/work-from-home style of work company-wide.

The 2020 pandemic started it all

For Joyz, like many other companies, the direct impetus for moving to office-less management was the outbreak of the COVID-19.

The initial indications of a widespread epidemic emerged in southern China in January 2020. As the virus spread to Japan, elementary and junior high schools nationwide were closed in February. During this time, Joyz had rented an office in Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa Ward, with enough space for up to 30 people. In the fall of that year, our headquarters moved to a smaller office in Mita, Minato Ward, with a capacity of less than 10 people. Since then, we have operated as an organization without a physical office.

We were aware of companies like GitLab, a software development platform company, that operated without a physical office and had a fully remote workforce. However, when it came to implementing this approach ourselves, we had to start from scratch and tailor it to fit our own business and organisational needs.

The following are some of the benefits to business operations that have emerged from our experience of running an office-less organisation for the past three years.

Benefits, as expected

  • Ability to recruit the best talent regardless of where they live.
  • Grow the teams without friction, without having to move offices, change desk layout, etc.
  • Maximum performance from each member of the team, regardless of their life stage.

Unexpected benefits

  • The organisation feels less siloed because we aren’t affected by physical distance
  • New ideas automatically get incubated because of a slightly higher friction in communication, allowing us to focus on the core.

Unexpected disadvantages

  • A structure is needed for effective people management from the early stage.
  • Lead time for processing paperwork increases by one to two weeks

We are developing an AI-based English learning product for local governments and schools across Japan. Our main customers are the 1,700-odd local governments across the country, so it is physically difficult for us to operate mainly in urban areas, and we tend to spend more time travelling than in general B2B sales.

Since the pandemic, there has been a significant decrease in resistance to online business meetings and sales in the public sector compared to before. However, participation in classroom visits and local teachers’ workshops remains essential for promoting our products. Our value proposition includes the ease of use in the classroom.

To cater to this market with an office-centric organisation, we need to establish an office in the center of each region. Setting up an office involves an initial investment in equipment and interior design, as well as annual local tax payments. Additionally, it’s worth noting that office properties typically require a larger security deposit (approximately 12 months) compared to renting a private residence.

Furthermore, as the number of people at a particular location increases, the demand for office space will also increase, eventually necessitating relocation. While services like Regus and WeWork cater to smaller office needs, they are currently only available in large urban areas. Adopting an office-less management approach, where employees work remotely from their own homes, reduces the challenges associated with expansion and enables a more efficient use of time and resources.

As for the disadvantages of office-less management, members of our company have taken the initiative in running weekly company-wide meetings for team building.

The company-wide meetings are also conducted online. We follow a two-stage structure: information sharing and team building using breakout rooms. This format allows us to accommodate any number of participants, whether it’s 1,000 or 10,000 employees, and ensures effective communication with all teams in the company. This is something that would be very hard to do in a pure physical or hybrid setting.

Planning to keep the meetings fresh can be challenging, but the leadership team has put a lot of thought into it and has successfully cultivated a positive company culture. Joyz is a bilingual company, which sometimes presents communication difficulties when using both English and Japanese simultaneously. However all participants seem to enjoy this as a challenge rather than a hindrance.

Qualities needed to excel in an office-less organisation

However, it is not true to say that office-less organisations are suitable for everyone. Firstly, there are only a limited number of business models where work primarily involves computers and remote interaction. We also strive to evaluate candidates who are a good fit for this highly opinionated way of working.

One important aspect is a strong work ethic. This entails being self-disciplined and capable of performing the required tasks. If you rely solely on an office environment and the presence of others working towards the same goal in order to achieve high performance, you may not be well-suited. On the other hand, if you can motivate yourself without depending on social pressure or emotional stimulation from others, a remote work environment allows you to fully tap into your true professional potential.

In addition to communicating effectively through messaging tools like Slack, it is important to have proficiency in written & asynchronous communication. This includes utilising tools like Notion to leverage relational databases and create manuals for routine tasks. We take pride in the extensive collection of high-quality internal documents relative to our workforce size.

A workplace for every lifestage

Personally, the birth of my twin daughters a few months after transitioning to office-less management also influenced my management decisions.

While it is important to avoid personalising the entire company system for my own convenience, I strive to maximise the value of the VC-funded company and, above all, its contribution to English language education worldwide. I must fulfil both my professional and personal responsibilities. I am determined not to give up anything or make excuses to anyone.

I feel that working in/for/on an office-less organisation is a viable option for people who want it all.

At Joyz, we are currently hiring for various positions as our business in public education continues to grow. If you align with the company’s mission, working style, and culture, we would love to have a conversation with you.