We do our best to be able to hire from anywhere, but sometimes we are not in control of the limitations in place. At this time, we have reached the maximum number of people we can hire in Portugal and are actively looking for solutions that will open up more hiring for us and the wonderful citizens of Portugal.
I will address the concerns around compensation. I appreciate the comments and understand that working remotely is not valued the same by all and has its own unique challenges. However, the challenge of location influenced pay is not unique to remote companies. I worked at large, traditional companies for years who had different pay for team members in the Silicon Valley, and those in other offices. Of course, with team members in so many different locations, many without meaningful local compensation data, the challenge grows. We don't have it perfect at GitLab yet, but we continue to try to make it better. It's a complex topic, but I will add some thoughts to the discussion.
We do look at rent index as a factor within Compensation. It is not the only factor but it would be unfair not to take it into consideration. Afterall, there are not many locations in the world where $117,000 is considered low-income. (https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/06/26/hud-117000-low-...). I'm thrilled that we can provide team members with a meaningful career without forcing them to move to a high-cost area. I have often seen cases at other companies where we make a great offer to an out-of-area candidate. They think the compensation is amazing and jump on a plane to start their new job in the Silicon Valley only then realizing that they can't afford a home here and may need to get a roommate to pay the rent unless they live far enough away and endure a long commute. The big salary suddenly looks a lot smaller after seeing the cost of living.
However, it is not the only factor we look at and we are continuing to improve the model we have for compensation. We also set a minimum rent index so those very low cost areas are actually paid above market. We do this to ensure that the gaps are not too large. We also pay the market data for a region widely. If you're within a 90 min. commute of San Francisco, for example, you would still make the SF pay.
Where you see region broadly represented (like the example of "the rest of the UK), that is because the rent index across the region was less or equal to the minimum rent index set. When you see a location that you perceive to be a lower rent index, getting higher compensation, that could be because we also add a contractor factor in those locations where we are hiring as contractors, knowing that there are often additional expenses to cover as a contractor.
With that being said, we are constantly trying to get meaningful compensation data in various locations so we can rely more on the market data and less on the rent index. It is my intention that if we see that the market is changing with more remote companies, we will also adjust our benchmarks to be an accurate reflection of the market. I know that there will always be a company out there willing to pay more and that we will lose some talent because of that. I also know and have seen, that GitLab is able to attract and retain some of the best engineers I've seen (and I've seen some great engineers!) due to its product, culture, and all remote work life.
> If you're within a 90 min. commute of San Francisco, for example, you would still make the SF pay.
Is that anywhere near the calculation information? I didn't see it. This is very helpful if you are looking for people in the DC area, particularly Northern VA as you have the Rent Index as:
Washington DC - 0.780
Virginia - 0.488
Northern VA, even a bit further than your 90 min number, can still be on par with DC pricing.
Gitlab, thank you for posting your handbook that can be reviewed transparently ahead of time by prospective hires.
The complexity of hiring in various countries and jurisdictions is often completely under appreciated by anybody who hasn't had to set up or wind down an entity. GitLab's page[1] gives a flavour of the machinations required to for a legal entity that represents your company to process payroll and adhere to local and regional labour, tax and medical insurance regulations and practices.
I'm very appreciate of companies committed to remote work, especially more so when they are receptive to hiring international staff due to the extra non-trivial administrative overhead required.
When joining any company, I recommend understanding the values, culture, and work environment. It is not one size fits all. You should ensure that you would enjoy working with the people, values, and environment you are joining. Remote work may not be for everyone, and doesn't need to be, however it can be wonderful! It has been life-changing for me and my family. My son's math scores have gone up 30% since joining GitLab, because I now have time in the afternoon to dedicate to helping with his homework, before he's exhausted after his latest sports game/practice. That is just one example of how it has impacted my life, but there are many more. I'm home for dinner. I have more time for my friends, but I also have more time for work (I had a 3 hour commute before GitLab). My health has improved. I am happier. At GitLab, we take steps to make remote work successful. In addition to our daily "social" call together, we also enable our team members to rent space at a co-working facility (we work, for example), or work from anywhere with an internet connection if that is preferable for them. It is not unusual for my teammates to see me taking Video conferencing calls from the beach. It has been proven that humans do their best thinking surrounded by nature, and I try to take advantage of that. I love the freedom that remote work gives me and my fellow team members. But I agree that we must always be thinking about how to maximize the benefits of this arrangement and decrease the downsides. If you are willing to put in the effort, which includes changing the way you work and communicate, as asynchronous communication is required to make remote work successful, it can be very rewarding. I don't feel that I have less human contact, I feel that I have more but different contact. I definitely get more direct time with my friends and family, but I also get to know more people at work. In an office building, I tended to only spend time with those who sat near me or interacted regularly with me. Occasionally it ventured out passed that if I joined the SCUBA group, or something similar. At GitLab, our team calls, our meetings, and our summits allow me to get to know people from around the world that I would have never had the opportunity to learn from before. We have different experiences and perspectives and it is fascinating! If you know that remote work isn't for you, that you love decisions being made in hallways vs. organized communication, for example, then it is great that you know that. The wonderful thing is that there are many companies conducting their business in different ways, that we should all be able to find the one that matches our needs and values. I'm thrilled to have found a company that matches my needs, to balance wellness, work, family, and friends, while making an impact in our industry. If you are at a remote company and feel that things could be done better, I hope that they are willing to hear your recommendations. I wouldn't give up on the model without trying to make it work. If you work at GitLab and have recommendations, I'm happy to hear them!
I just started working remotely, after a year plus of a three-hour commute.
My quality-of-life improvements have been very similar to yours. I cannot believe how much happier I am now, on a daily basis.
I have written some of the best code of my life while sitting on a picnic table in a park. I see my friends more. I see my family more. I have more energy to put into my work, which results in better work satisfaction.
