Remote Work Definitions
A glossary of key terms and concepts in remote work, async culture, and distributed teams. Use these definitions to better understand modern workplace terminology.
Remote Work Knowledge Graph
All definitions on this page are part of the WorkAnywhere.pro Remote Work Knowledge Graph — a structured dataset for HR tools, documentation, and LLM integrations.
🌐Core remote work concepts
Foundational ideas like remote-first, distributed teams, async work, and global hiring.
Digital Nomad (Definition & How They Work Remotely While Traveling)
A digital nomad works remotely while frequently traveling or living in different locations.
Distributed Team (Definition & How Global Teams Operate)
A distributed team works from different locations or time zones without a single shared office.
Hybrid Work (Definition & Common Models)
Hybrid work blends in-office and remote work, giving employees a mix of on-site and remote days.
Remote Job (Definition & What It Means in 2025)
A remote job is a role that can be performed from any location without needing to be present in a physical office.
Remote Operating Model (Definition & Structure)
A remote operating model defines how distributed teams work, collaborate, and make decisions at scale.
Remote Work Policy (Definition & Core Elements)
A remote work policy documents expectations, guidelines, and requirements for employees working outside the office.
Remote-First (Meaning, Principles, and How Companies Apply It)
A remote-first company treats remote work as the default operating mode rather than an exception.
Remote-Friendly Company (Definition & How It Differs From Remote-First)
A remote-friendly company allows remote work but is not fully structured around it.
Timezone-Independent Work (Definition & Why It Enables True Global Teams)
Timezone-independent work enables global teams to operate without requiring overlapping hours.
⏱️Async work & documentation
Async practices, communication patterns, documentation, and knowledge systems.
Async Brainstorming (Definition & How to Generate Ideas Without Meetings)
Async brainstorming is a way for teams to generate and refine ideas over time using written or recorded contributions instead of live sessions.
Async Coaching (Definition & How It Works in Remote Teams)
Async coaching is coaching delivered through written or recorded feedback instead of live calls.
Async Collaboration Tools (Definition & Examples)
Async collaboration tools help teams work together without needing to be online at the same time.
Async Communication (Definition & Tools Used in Remote Teams)
Async communication lets team members exchange information without expecting an immediate response.
Async Documentation Reviews (Definition & Workflow)
Async documentation reviews are review processes done through comments and suggestions in written docs instead of live meetings.
Async Escalation Paths (Definition & Why They Matter)
Async escalation paths define how issues are raised and handled without relying only on urgent real-time pings.
Async Etiquette (Definition & Norms for Asynchronous Work)
Async etiquette is a set of norms that guide how people communicate and respond when they don't expect immediate replies.
Async Exit Interview (Definition & How It Works Remotely)
An async exit interview gathers feedback from a departing employee through written or recorded responses instead of a live meeting.
Async Feedback (Definition & When to Use It)
Async feedback is feedback given through written comments, recorded videos, or annotations instead of real-time conversations.
Async Leadership (Definition & Skills for Leading Without Constant Meetings)
Async leadership is the ability to lead teams primarily through written communication, documentation, and clear expectations instead of frequent real-time meetings.
Async Learning (Definition & How Remote Teams Learn on Their Own Schedule)
Async learning is self-paced learning that workers can do whenever it fits their schedule, without needing live training sessions.
Async One-on-Ones (Definition & When to Use Them)
Async one-on-ones are manager–report check-ins done through written updates and recorded feedback instead of live calls.
Async Recruitment (Definition & Hiring Without Heavy Live Scheduling)
Async recruitment uses written applications, recorded answers, and documented evaluations to move hiring forward without relying on many live interviews.
Async Status Updates (Definition & How to Keep Everyone Aligned)
Async status updates are written or recorded check-ins that keep teams informed about progress without live meetings.
Async Work (Definition & Why It Matters for Remote Teams)
Async work allows teams to collaborate without needing to be online at the same time.
Documentation-First (Definition & Role in Async Teams)
Documentation-first is a working style where teams default to writing things down before meetings or verbal explanations.
Remote Design Docs (Definition & Use Cases)
Remote design docs outline proposals, architectures, or processes in a format teams can review asynchronously.
Remote Documentation Standards (Definition & Guidelines)
Remote documentation standards establish consistent formatting, structure, and maintenance practices for distributed teams.
Remote Knowledge Base (Definition & Purpose)
A remote knowledge base is a centralized repository where distributed teams store documentation, processes, and technical information.
Remote Knowledge Sharing (Definition & Best Practices)
Remote knowledge sharing enables teams to exchange information, insights, and expertise asynchronously across locations.
👥Hiring, HR & people operations
Hiring pipelines, interviews, onboarding, offboarding, payroll, people ops, and performance.
Global Hiring (Meaning & How Companies Recruit Worldwide)
Global hiring enables companies to recruit talent from anywhere in the world.
Remote Career Growth (Definition & How Employees Advance Remotely)
Remote career growth is the process of developing skills, visibility, and opportunities while working from outside a central office.
Remote Compensation (Definition & How Pay Is Structured in Distributed Teams)
Remote compensation is how companies design salary, benefits, and incentives for employees who can work from anywhere.
Remote Employee Engagement (Definition & How to Measure It)
Remote employee engagement is the level of connection, motivation, and commitment people feel while working in a distributed environment.
Remote Engagement Surveys (Definition & Usage)
Remote engagement surveys gather feedback on morale, motivation, culture, and leadership in distributed teams.
Remote Hiring Pipeline (Definition & Stages)
A remote hiring pipeline structures how global candidates are evaluated through async and real-time stages.
Remote Job Interview (Types & Best Practices)
A remote job interview evaluates candidates using async tasks, written responses, or video communication.
Remote Mentorship (Definition & How It Works)
Remote mentorship pairs employees with experienced teammates through async and scheduled interactions.
Remote Offboarding (Definition & Key Steps)
Remote offboarding is the structured process of helping a departing employee exit smoothly while protecting company knowledge and systems.
Remote Onboarding (Definition & Best Practices for New Hires)
Remote onboarding is the process of integrating new hires into a company without in-person interaction.
Remote Onboarding Checklist (Definition & Key Steps)
A remote onboarding checklist ensures new hires receive the tools, access, and information they need to start successfully.
Remote Payroll (Definition & How It Works Across Countries)
Remote payroll is the process of paying employees and contractors who work from different locations, currencies, and legal jurisdictions.
Remote People Ops (Definition & Focus Areas)
Remote people ops manages the employee experience, HR processes, and culture for distributed teams.
Remote Performance Reviews (Definition & How to Run Them Fairly)
Remote performance reviews evaluate contributions and growth for employees who work outside a central office.
Remote Recognition (Definition & Ways to Celebrate Wins)
Remote recognition is how companies acknowledge and celebrate contributions in distributed teams.
Remote Team Building (Definition & Examples of Activities)
Remote team building includes activities that help distributed teammates trust, connect, and collaborate better.
Salary Transparency (Definition & Role in Remote Work)
Salary transparency is the practice of openly sharing pay ranges or actual compensation data within a company or in job postings.
🛡️Operations, IT & security
Operational processes, IT, security, governance, SLAs, and compliance in remote teams.
Remote Access Control (Definition & Security Requirements)
Remote access control governs how employees securely access company systems, applications, and data from remote locations.
Remote Asset Management (Definition & Best Practices)
Remote asset management tracks, monitors, and secures company-owned devices used by distributed employees.
Remote Async Security (Definition & Considerations)
Remote async security focuses on keeping data and systems safe when teams work asynchronously from many locations.
Remote Audit Logs (Definition & Usage in Distributed Teams)
Remote audit logs track user activities across systems to support security, compliance, and operational visibility.
Remote Change Management (Definition & Process)
Remote change management governs how updates to systems or processes are requested, reviewed, and deployed in distributed teams.
Remote Device Compliance (Definition & Requirements)
Remote device compliance ensures employee devices meet security and policy standards before accessing work systems.
Remote Governance (Definition & Role in Distributed Companies)
Remote governance defines how decisions, policies, and oversight work in organizations without a central office.
Remote Incident Management (Definition & Workflow)
Remote incident management handles operational or security incidents in distributed teams using documented runbooks and async communication.
Remote IT Operations (Definition & Core Responsibilities)
Remote IT operations support distributed employees with secure access, troubleshooting, and infrastructure management.
Remote Ops Runbooks (Definition & Usage)
Remote ops runbooks provide step-by-step instructions for executing operational tasks or responding to incidents.
Remote Security Policies (Definition & Requirements)
Remote security policies define the security expectations, rules, and controls required for distributed employees.
Remote SLAs (Service Level Agreements in Distributed Teams)
Remote SLAs define the expected service levels for support, IT, or operational processes across distributed teams.
Remote Zero-Trust Model (Definition & Key Principles)
The remote zero-trust model requires continuous verification for every access request, regardless of location.
💬Culture, rituals & collaboration
Culture, rituals, engagement, alignment, meetings, brainstorming, and team dynamics.
Deep Work (Definition & How It Drives High-Quality Output)
Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks.
Remote Alignment (Definition & How Distributed Teams Stay Synced)
Remote alignment ensures everyone in a distributed team understands goals, priorities, and expected outcomes without relying on real-time communication.
Remote Async Culture Deck (Definition & Purpose)
A remote async culture deck is a documented presentation that explains how a company expects people to work asynchronously in a distributed environment.
Remote Autonomy (Definition & Why It Matters for Distributed Teams)
Remote autonomy is the ability for employees to make decisions and move work forward without constant supervision or approval.
Remote Brainstorming (Definition & Techniques)
Remote brainstorming is the process of generating ideas asynchronously or through digital collaboration tools.
Remote Communication (Definition & Key Principles)
Remote communication is the exchange of information through async and digital channels used by distributed teams.
Remote Communication Pyramid (Definition & Usage)
The remote communication pyramid helps teams choose the appropriate communication channel based on urgency and complexity.
Remote Culture (Definition & How It's Built Intentionally)
Remote culture is the set of shared behaviors, values, and norms that shape how a remote or distributed team works together.
Remote Rituals (Definition & Examples for Distributed Teams)
Remote rituals are recurring activities or practices that create structure, connection, and culture in distributed teams.
Remote Team Agreements (Definition & What to Include)
Remote team agreements are shared guidelines that describe how a distributed team works together day to day.
Remote Trust Building (Definition & How Teams Build Trust Online)
Remote trust building is the process of creating reliability, safety, and confidence among teammates who rarely meet face to face.
Remote Visibility (Definition & How to Stay Seen in Distributed Teams)
Remote visibility is how clearly a person's work and impact are understood by their team and leaders in a distributed environment.
Virtual Meetings (Definition & How to Run Them Effectively)
Virtual meetings are live video or audio calls that bring remote participants together to discuss, decide, or coordinate.
📘Other remote work terms
Additional concepts that don't neatly fit into a single category.
Burnout in Remote Work (Definition & Warning Signs)
Burnout in remote work is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress while working remotely.
Contractor (Definition in Remote and Global Work)
A contractor is a self-employed individual or business that provides services to a client under a contract.
Coworking Space (Definition & Role in Remote Work)
A coworking space is a shared workspace where remote workers, freelancers, and teams can work outside of home or a corporate office.
Daily Standup (Remote-Friendly Version of a Check-In Meeting)
A daily standup is a short team check-in to align on progress, blockers, and priorities.
Employer of Record (EOR) in Global Hiring
An employer of record (EOR) is a third-party company that legally employs workers on behalf of another company in a different country.
Ergonomic Home Office (Definition & Setup Basics)
An ergonomic home office is a workspace designed to support comfort, health, and productivity while working remotely.
Follow-the-Sun Workflow (Definition & Use in Global Teams)
A follow-the-sun workflow hands off work across time zones so progress continues almost around the clock.
New Remote Job Search Tips (Beginner-Friendly Guide)
These tips help job seekers begin their remote job search effectively, even without prior remote experience.
Remote Async Handbook (Definition & Role in Distributed Teams)
A remote async handbook is a detailed guide that documents how a company does async work in a remote or hybrid environment.
Remote Async HR (Definition & Focus Areas)
Remote async HR adapts HR processes—like hiring, onboarding, and performance—to work primarily through async communication.
Remote Async Pipelines (Definition & How Work Flows Without Live Handoffs)
Remote async pipelines are end-to-end workflows designed so that tasks can move forward through clear steps without requiring synchronous coordination.
Remote Async Reviews (Definition & How to Review Work Without Meetings)
Remote async reviews are review processes done through written comments, annotations, and approvals instead of live meetings.
Remote Async Workflows (Definition & Examples)
Remote async workflows are processes structured so work moves forward through clear steps without needing frequent live coordination.
Remote Company Handbook (Definition & What It Contains)
A remote company handbook documents policies, processes, and cultural principles for distributed teams.
Remote Conflict Resolution (Definition & How to Handle Disagreements Online)
Remote conflict resolution is the process of addressing disagreements and misunderstandings in distributed teams using structured, respectful communication.
Remote Decision-Making (Definition & Frameworks)
Remote decision-making enables teams to make clear, documented decisions without requiring synchronous meetings.
Remote Equipment Provisioning (Definition & Workflow)
Remote equipment provisioning covers how companies deliver, configure, and maintain hardware for distributed employees.
Remote Etiquette (Behavioral Standards for Distributed Teams)
Remote etiquette defines communication and collaboration norms that help distributed teams work respectfully and efficiently.
Remote Expense Policy (Definition & Coverage Areas)
A remote expense policy outlines what costs employees can claim when working outside the office.
Remote KPIs (Key Performance Indicators for Distributed Teams)
Remote KPIs measure output, performance, and impact for employees working from different locations.
Remote Learning Hub (Definition & Purpose)
A remote learning hub centralizes training, skill development, and knowledge materials for distributed teams.
Remote Manager (Definition & Key Responsibilities)
A remote manager leads a team where members work from different locations rather than a single office.
Remote OKRs (Objectives & Key Results for Distributed Teams)
Remote OKRs help teams set measurable goals and track outcomes without relying on synchronous communication.
Remote On-Call Rotation (Definition & Best Practices)
Remote on-call rotation assigns team members windows of responsibility for responding to operational or technical incidents.
Remote Password Hygiene (Definition & Best Practices)
Remote password hygiene ensures that distributed employees use strong, secure authentication methods.
Remote Postmortems (Definition & Learning Process)
Remote postmortems review incidents or failures to identify root causes and prevent future issues.
Remote Project Management (Definition & Key Practices)
Remote project management is the coordination of projects in teams that work from different locations and time zones.
Remote Proposal Process (Definition & Workflow)
A remote proposal process structures how teams document, review, and approve new ideas asynchronously.
Remote Strategy Document (Definition & Purpose)
A remote strategy document outlines company or team direction in a format suitable for async review and alignment.
Remote Time Zone Mapping (Definition & Benefits)
Remote time zone mapping helps teams coordinate work and communication schedules across global regions.
Remote Work Productivity (Definition & How Teams Maintain Efficiency)
Remote work productivity refers to strategies and habits that help people stay effective while working remotely.
Take-Home Assignment (Definition & Role in Remote Hiring)
A take-home assignment evaluates job candidates through an offline task they complete independently.
Technical Screening (Definition & Use in Remote Hiring)
Technical screening evaluates a candidate's skills through tasks, tests, or interview questions before progressing in the hiring pipeline.
LLM & API access
Want to use this remote work taxonomy inside your AI assistant, HR product, or documentation system? WorkAnywhere.pro exposes the same definitions as a lightweight JSON feed.
Public endpoint: https://www.workanywhere.pro/llm/remote-definitions