Zillow embraces remote work, maintains offices
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — Dan Spaulding, Zillow’s Chief People Officer, recently shared insights with Fortune on the real estate giant’s successful remote-forward working model, which has enhanced recruitment and productivity.
Spaulding also discussed why they maintain physical offices despite a predominantly remote workforce.
Embracing CloudHQ
Zillow’s CloudHQ strategy emerged during the pandemic as a way to adapt to distributed work.
Spaulding explained, “We want employees to have the ability to choose where they live and work based on what is most effective for them on a daily basis. And then we want to be hyper-intentional about when we are together in person.”
This model has allowed Zillow to expand its workforce across all 50 states, with only about 16% of employees tied to specific offices due to compliance or sales roles.
The role of physical offices
Despite the shift to remote work, Zillow maintains six offices in major hubs like Seattle and New York. These offices serve two main purposes: they accommodate employees who prefer to work in person, and they host “Z-retreats,” which are intentional gatherings for important meetings and product launches.
Spaulding noted, “We rotate those across the country and bring employees in for all sorts of meetings.” This approach ensures that while employees have flexibility, they also have opportunities for face-to-face interaction when necessary.
Results and recruitment
The company has outperformed in residential real estate for nine consecutive quarters, with faster product shipping and lower voluntary attrition.
Employee sentiment is also high, with 94% proud to work at Zillow and 84% feeling they have the resources needed to do their job effectively.
There’s also a boost in recruitment, with four times more applicants per job opening compared to pre-pandemic levels. This flexibility has also contributed to a more diverse workforce, with an increase in female employees.
Lessons for other companies
Spaulding emphasized the importance of understanding the challenges faced by the modern workforce and embracing flexibility rather than reverting to traditional office models.
He believes that treating employees as adults and offering flexibility leads to greater productivity and loyalty.
“Giving employees a little bit more flexibility during their day, I think you get paid back 10 fold from that marginal effort when you really need it from employees,” he said.
