At Logiwa, an e-commerce company focusing on cloud fulfillment software, the product team is based across Turkey, the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast regions of the United States. That kind of global team could pose challenges – in scheduling meetings, crossing cultural divides or best practices for communication. But, like other tech companies whose workforces stretch around the globe, Logiwa has found this diversity to be an asset.
“Having team members across the world also allows us to pass the torch to keep work moving throughout different time zones. We know we can rely on the next teammate to keep the momentum going,” Product Operations Manager Lidija Kamansky told Built In.
In addition to the time zone momentum, working closely with colleagues from varying cultures and languages offers a unique opportunity to expand employees’ global knowledge.
“One way that we encourage learning about one another is hosting regular Language Exchange sessions that allow people around the world and from different teams to interact and share their experiences,” Kamansky said.
The richness of global diversity and the logistical boon of work spanning time zones aren’t the only reasons that tech workers love being part of global teams. Built In sat down with several tech leaders to hear what they consider the best parts of working with people around the globe. Their answers, ranging from unique international friendships to the perks of trying new foods and even new dances, might just convince you to find a new global team of your own.
Tufin is a network security policy management company, managing and automating security changes across next gen firewalls and network devices.
Describe your team’s makeup. Where do employees sit around the world? What are the benefits of having a global team?
Tufin was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2005 and has headquarters in Tel Aviv and Boston, MA. With nearly 450 employees, teams are located in the Americas, Israel, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific across product, R&D, sales, channel, services, support, customer success, marketing, finance, revenue operations, HR, legal, and IT. Our key office locations include Tel Aviv, Boston, Ohio, London, Germany, India and Australia.
Tufin was recently named a 2024 Built In “Best Midsize Companies to Work for in Boston.” There are so many benefits of Tufin having a global team, but two that resonate with our company culture are enhanced innovation as well as adaptability and resilience.
Our diverse team brings an array of skills, expertise and perspectives. This diversity of thought fuels innovation, creative problem-solving approaches and innovative solutions and enhancements in software development, business strategies and execution. Additionally, our geographically dispersed team enhances our ability to adapt and respond to unexpected regional disruptions (e.g., war in Israel), ensuring customer success and service delivery to our customers and partners.
What are 1-2 ways you're encouraged to learn about the different backgrounds, experiences and cultures of your teammates?
Tufin’s headquarters is in Tel Aviv, and the ongoing war in Israel continues to be terrifying and heartbreaking, impacting all of us at the company regardless of our geographical location or background. During these tumultuous times, our global team has needed to stand together more than ever, offering support and understanding to one another.
As Chief of Staff, I help execute the CEO’s strategic vision by ensuring messages from the CEO are communicated throughout the organization and staying on top of follow-through. Two of Tufin’s values are to “treat others with respect and care,” and “move forward with resiliency,” which have become part of our company’s DNA.
Maintaining close communication across the company, proactively sharing the experiences of our colleagues in Israel and how team members have banded together to volunteer and support their communities during times of war have been eye-opening and educational for the entire company. This exposure and knowledge gives team members the compassion and understanding to support their teammates and to help them move forward with resiliency.
How does having teammates with diverse experiences enrich and influence your company culture? Has it shaped any specific projects or initiatives for the better?
Another one of Tufin’s values is “inspire collaboration and learning.” Many of our strategic programs are global and cross-functional. When teammates with diverse experiences feel their unique backgrounds are respected and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, committed and collaborative because they know their voices are heard.
“When teammates with diverse experiences feel their unique backgrounds are respected and valued, they are more likely to be engaged, committed and collaborative because they know their voices are heard.”
A strong example of diverse experiences and backgrounds shaping an initiative for the better is “Tufinathon,” our annual hackathon. Every Tufin employee has the opportunity to compete and have their idea brought to life and implemented if selected as the winner. Self-made teams, consisting of global, cross-functional colleagues, have precisely 24 hours to develop a new working feature, enhancement or process.
Employees with an idea need to engage developers and other colleagues to join their team. This requires a diverse set of skills, knowledge and experience to have as strong a team as possible to competitively execute in 24 hours and win. Tufinathon encourages innovation and demonstrates how we live by Tufin’s values in everything we do.
Leyton is a consulting firm specializing in cost optimization consulting.
Describe your team’s makeup. Where do employees sit around the world? What are the benefits of having a global team?
I am privileged to lead an extraordinary team that is a mosaic of talent and expertise, comprised of individuals from diverse corners of the globe. With members hailing from India, Brazil, China, Morocco and America, our collaborative efforts unfold daily within the dynamic workspaces of Leyton's offices in Casablanca, Montreal, Toronto, and Boston.
Each team member is a brilliant and motivating professional, contributing distinct perspectives and valuable insights. Together, we enrich the collective strength of our global consulting team, making it a truly inspiring environment.
What are 1-2 ways you’re encouraged to learn about the different backgrounds, experiences and cultures of your teammates?
As a consulting firm, our collective knowledge is our greatest strength. To unleash our full potential, we operate as a cohesive and unified team. The success of one is celebrated by all. This close collaboration demands a deep understanding of our teammates' unique workstyles, personalities and cultural backgrounds.
To foster this understanding within my team, we dedicate time every Monday to weekly team bonding events. During this dedicated hour, we engage in activities designed to build camaraderie, including team-building games and opportunities to connect on a personal level.
I take pride in the exceptional culture of support and inclusion that defines our team. This culture empowers each team member to bring their best selves to work, fostering open communication about new ideas, suggestions and opinions, ultimately creating an environment where everyone genuinely enjoys their job.
“I take pride in the exceptional culture of support and inclusion that defines our team.”
How does having teammates with diverse experiences enrich and influence your company culture? Has it shaped any specific projects or initiatives for the better?
Leyton is a company characterized by constant change and evolution, providing ample opportunities to learn new skills and tackle new professional challenges. In navigating these scenarios, our team, composed of individuals with diverse experiences and backgrounds, generates unique solutions born from a range of perspectives.
I attribute the Science Team’s tenure and success to our culture of open collaboration and understanding. This commitment to embracing diverse viewpoints not only enriches our company culture but also has significantly shaped many of our initiatives, from our team’s internal structure and operations to our deliverables and engagement strategies. The fusion of varied experiences has proven instrumental in fostering innovation and resilience within our team.
Logiwa is an integrated WMS and fulfillment system that makes it easy to run a digital warehouse.
Describe your team's makeup. Where do employees sit around the world? What are the benefits of having a global team?
My team is part of our Product organization, which is based across Turkey, the Pacific Northwest and Southeast United States. We stay connected through one-on-one meetings, team and project meetings, Slack conversations, and collaborating asynchronously on knowledge articles, documents, presentations to the company or customers and more.
We often meet to discuss difficult challenges that arise, allowing everyone an opportunity to share their thoughts and perspectives. In that way, we learn from one another, ultimately impacting each person's output. Having team members across the world also allows us to pass the torch to keep work moving throughout different time zones. We know we can rely on the next teammate to keep the momentum going. Logiwa has built a great culture of inclusion and belonging, where team members are always there to support each other, no matter in what part of the world they may sit.
What are 1-2 ways you’re encouraged to learn about the different backgrounds, experiences and cultures of your teammates?
One way that we encourage learning about one another is hosting regular Language Exchange sessions that allow people around the world and from different teams to interact and share their experiences. In these sessions, we focus on non-work topics, allowing everyone to learn more about each other and what our lives are like outside of the “office”
“One way that we encourage learning about one another is hosting regular Language Exchange sessions that allow people around the world and from different teams to interact and share their experiences.”
We also build connections through a few fun, casual Slack channels where we share pet photos and recipes, celebrate birthdays and other accomplishments, or just share random thoughts and experiences. These help us keep learning about each other even though we may sit miles (or more than an ocean) apart.
For those in the office, once in a while, our Turkish peers will bring in tasty treats to share their culture with us. Another high point for cultural exchange was our last holiday party in Chicago where the DJ alternated between American and Turkish music and those that wanted to participate were even able to learn some Turkish dances. It was a really fantastic time.
How does having teammates with diverse experiences enrich and influence your company culture? Has it shaped any specific projects or initiatives for the better?
A specific initiative that benefits from our diverse experiences is the presence of two DEI teams – one in the US and one in Turkey. The two teams sometimes work together, recognizing that each team has unique needs that also overlap in some areas. There is an openness from both DEI teams because of our company culture of inclusivity; everyone is willing to teach and to learn from one another, fostering a free flow of ideas.
Prove’s phone-centric identity tokenization and passive cryptographic authentication solutions reduce friction and enhance security and privacy across all digital channels. They also accelerate revenues while reducing operating expenses and fraud losses.
Describe your team’s makeup. Where do employees sit around the world? What are the benefits of having a global team?
Our global team is one of the things that makes Prove so special. We have employees based in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, India, Ireland and Italy.
Being a global organization means a broader talent pool and specialized expertise from professionals across different parts of the world. The collaborative synergy among our global team members fosters a dynamic environment where different viewpoints converge, allowing us to approach challenges with a comprehensive and nuanced perspective.
“Being a global organization means a broader talent pool and specialized expertise from professionals across different parts of the world.”
Additionally, a global team enhances efficiency by enabling continuous work across time zones. As one part of the team finishes their day, another seamlessly takes over, ensuring around-the-clock productivity. This 24/7 approach significantly shortens turnaround times, fostering faster innovation and problem-solving, including identifying red flags and potential hurdles.
What are 1-2 ways you’re encouraged to learn about the different backgrounds, experiences and cultures of your teammates?
At our core, we prioritize inclusivity, valuing every voice, while celebrating diverse cultural backgrounds. These principles deeply influence our culture, fueling innovation and steering us towards success.
Prove Power Hours are a great source of knowledge and insight for the employees to share & learn about other cultures, backgrounds and inspiring stories. For example, in October of last year, our local HR People Manager put together an interactive session all around Diwali. The session was live and recorded for all employees to understand and learn about Diwali and the importance of the Festival of Light.
Another way we recognize our global workforce is by highlighting holidays that members of our organization may not be as familiar with and providing resources for them to learn more.
How does having teammates with diverse experiences enrich and influence your company culture? Has it shaped any specific projects or initiatives for the better?
Having a team based across the globe means colleagues are enriched through a variety of new perspectives as well as personal and professional experiences which can inspire the team and workplace. The local workforce has an important edge when expanding into new markets, knowing a product or service needs to be adapted to succeed overseas.
Here at Prove, our diverse and inclusive culture means we can attract globally minded individuals. We honor global holidays and traditions while recognizing sub-communities such as the military and veteran workforce. This leads to a more inclusive employee experience.
