As the new Head of Team Anywhere, I’m excited to share an update about our Atlassians on the move. It’s been more than 18 months now since we introduced Team Anywhere – a distributed work policy giving our people more control over where they live and work, allowing them to make choices to support family, personal goals, and life priorities.
This has been a game-changer for many with some moving closer to home while others set off to follow their passions or explore new places.
We’ve heard heart-warming and inspirational stories about how this shift has helped our team organize work around their families and other important aspects of their lives.
Making moves
Christina Bell was a New Zealander living in Sydney during the pandemic. She was already missing home when her grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Team Anywhere means that Christina was able to relocate back to New Zealand and be with her family while still supporting her team. She now lives near a beach in remote parkland.
Kevin Bui has relocated from Sydney to Brisbane so that his parents can see their grandson every week; Alex Riegelman is hitting the ski slopes in Colorado; and Joff Redfern has left Silicon Valley for the beaches and national parks of Santa Barbara.
Time for what matters
Team Anywhere has also allowed employees to choose to stay put in their current location and regain the valuable time they would have spent commuting.
Nick Alesandro lives and works from a home office in San Francisco with his 13-year-old dog, Tilly. He says these twilight years of her life are a gift, and Team Anywhere means that they can be at her happy place on the beach every day during the time he used to spend commuting.
Jen Hamilton lives in the Southern Highlands outside Sydney and was commuting two hours each way every day to get into the office. Now, she gets to spend more time with her family and with her daughter, noting that she sees her more now than ever before.
Deeksha Sood is a working mother in India who won’t miss her baby’s first steps.
The Great Migration
We’ve been thrilled to see all of the locations that our employees have moved to, either to be closer to family or live the lifestyle that works best for them.
Almost 300 Atlassians have moved to a new country since we launched Team Anywhere!
In the US, more than 10% of Atlassians have moved to a different US state since we launched Team Anywhere back in August 2020. Texas to California has been the most popular interstate move, with almost as many Atlassians headed in the other direction.
A total of 176 Atlassians left California for somewhere else in the US or overseas, with many also putting Texas, New York, Washington, and Colorado in the rearview mirror. Many more relocated within California, mostly heading out of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Relocation Australia
More than 500 Atlassians in Australia (22%) now live outside of Sydney, up from just 7% before we launched Team Anywhere in August 2020.
Of more than 400 Atlassians who moved to a new city, the most common relocations were out of Sydney to Melbourne, Gosford, and Wollongong. Those moving interstate most frequently went to Victoria or Queensland.
We also have 10% of Australian employees who live outside of major Australian cities, with Queensland’s Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast the most popular destinations. Western Australia’s Joondalup is the furthest that you’ll find an Atlassian from Sydney HQ, more than 3,000 kilometers away.
Remote Hiring
Team Anywhere has had a positive impact on hiring, with a record number of new joiners during January 2022. Global staff numbers have grown to 7,388, up from 5,491 in August 2020.
From February 2021 to February 2022, almost half of our global new hires (47%) are living and working two or more hours away from an Atlassian office. Previously, we wouldn’t have been able to hire this incredible talent because of where they’re located. Being able to hire outside of our office locations has unlocked a way for us to scale at a speed previously impossible while continuing to bring great diverse tech talent through our doors.
What’s Next
With our offices starting to reopen around the world, Atlassians will be able to choose their preferred Team Anywhere style of working from home, in the office, or a mix of both. I’m excited to dive into understanding our employee preferences and building out incredible employee experiences for all Atlassians, wherever they choose to work. And of course, we’ll continue to share learnings along the way, so stay tuned for more updates.