The battle over remote work is far from settled, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear: companies that embrace flexibility are winning the talent war. That’s the message from my interview with Craig Crisler, CEO and co-founder of SupportNinja, a provider of agile, AI-enabled outsourcing solutions that’s deeply rooted in remote-first operations. In our conversation, Crisler made a compelling case that the future of high-performing organizations lies in understanding—not resisting—the shift toward distributed teams.
Return-to-office mandates miss the bigger picture
As some companies tighten return-to-office (RTO) mandates, Crisler sees the trend as more reactive than strategic. “I don’t think it’s about performance,” he said. “It’s coming more from macroeconomic and social dynamics than from data.” Whether it’s organizations reacting to the rollback of DEI mandates or business leaders seeking ways to consolidate operations, RTO mandates often seem less about employee productivity and more about appearances—like filling expensive, underutilized office space.
This signals a disconnect between corporate decisions and the lived realities of modern workforces. For many companies that resisted adapting to hybrid or remote models, Crisler suggests there may be a form of inertia at play. “They didn’t plan for it,” he noted. “So instead of investing in new systems and policies, they’d rather go back to what they know.”
SupportNinja, by contrast, was built from the ground up with remote flexibility in mind, long before it was mainstream. “We purposely did it that way,” said Crisler. “It wasn’t an afterthought.”
Remote-first, by design
SupportNinja’s workforce is over 60% remote—a statistic that’s not accidental, but intentional. The company works with clients across industries, including fintech firms that require on-site teams for security reasons. But the majority of clients now understand the operational advantages of remote work, especially after COVID forced a global reset. Within 30 days of the pandemic’s onset, SupportNinja moved all clients to remote setups without sacrificing performance.
“The work was just as good, sometimes even better,” Crisler explained. “It proved to our clients—and to ourselves—that remote work can absolutely deliver.”
That proof point gave the company the confidence to fully lean into remote operations, not as a stopgap, but as a strategic advantage. The result: happier employees, expanded access to talent, and a more resilient business model.
Remote work expands the talent pool—and the human connection
One of the strongest arguments Crisler makes is that remote work isn’t just about convenience—it’s about access and equity. “It’s specifically better for women, minority groups, and working parents,” he said. “It opens up the labor pool significantly.”
For companies that restrict hiring to people who can commute, the talent pipeline narrows. But remove geographic barriers, and you unlock a vastly more diverse and qualified set of candidates. This has tangible implications for performance and innovation. And for many knowledge workers, the option to work from home is no longer a perk—it’s a requirement.
Crisler believes companies that resist this shift are ignoring a fundamental change in employee expectations. “If you really want to find incredible people doing incredible work, does it really matter where they sit?”
But SupportNinja doesn’t stop at remote logistics—it invests heavily in the social fabric of a distributed workforce. From Workvivo-powered internal hubs that resemble social media platforms to weekly video updates and employee-driven talent shows, the company has built infrastructure that turns geographic distance into cultural cohesion.
“There’s real-time collaboration, morning check-ins, coffee chats—our leadership team talks constantly, even though we’re all in different countries,” Crisler said. “It’s a remote culture, but it’s connected.”
Transparency and trust make it work
Building this kind of culture takes more than tech tools—it requires trust and transparency. SupportNinja’s “Not So Friday Update” video series, hosted weekly by Crisler, offers updates, interviews, and recognition that keeps employees aligned and engaged. These communications aren’t just corporate broadcasts—they’re moments of shared experience that shrink the perceived distance between team members.
That consistency builds a shared identity. “Even though we’re spread all over the world, it feels like one company,” said Crisler. In one example, when flooding hit parts of the U.S., team members from the Philippines offered support and solidarity via the internal hub. “It shows we’re all navigating this together.”
This sense of community is crucial. Remote work, if done poorly, can leave employees feeling isolated. But when leaders prioritize inclusion and communication, it can actually enhance morale and collaboration.
The future belongs to flexible thinkers
Despite high-profile RTO mandates from major corporations, Crisler sees the pushback as temporary. “This is just a bump in the road,” he said. “The future of remote work is bright. More companies will continue to lean in as they realize they can find the best talent anywhere.”
Indeed, many firms are now discovering that their most qualified candidates aren’t necessarily local. This realization, coupled with increasing expectations for work-life integration, will accelerate the shift toward remote-friendly models.
But success isn’t automatic—it requires intentional design. From thoughtful onboarding to digital infrastructure, organizations must reimagine not just where work happens, but how. SupportNinja’s experience proves that when companies approach remote work with clarity and care, it becomes more than a solution—it becomes a strength.
So, as the future of work continues to unfold, one lesson stands out: flexibility isn’t just an accommodation—it’s a competitive advantage. And as Crisler puts it, “Talent will flock to the companies that get this right.”
About the Author
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, The New York Times, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, French, Vietnamese, German, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.
