At a time when many organizations are pushing for a return to the office, Yelp has not wavered in its commitment to remote work. Yelp transitioned to remote work at the start of the pandemic nearly four years ago and fully embraced remote work in June 2022. We believe we have succeeded in fostering a culture of flexibility and autonomy, while enabling our employees to balance productivity and career growth with the things that are important to them outside of work.
Listening to our employees and regularly gathering their feedback not only informed our decision to embrace remote work, but also helped us better understand their experience in a remote workforce. In a 2023 survey of our employees, 90% stated they found effective ways to collaborate remotely and 91% indicated they are confident that they can make career progress in a remote environment. Our accelerated product innovation also reflects the success of Yelp’s remote work posture as our teams rolled out nearly 60 new product features and updates in the last twelve months.
Prospective employees are also taking notice of our successful remote work model, which has enabled us to recruit the best talent regardless of location. I’ve experienced this first hand as a leader who joined Yelp remotely and was able to build a talented team with folks across the globe.
As we look to the future, Yelp remains committed to continuing to evolve the employee experience designed specifically for a remote workforce. Over the past two years, we’ve launched new professional development courses based on employee feedback and have enhanced our benefits to better support our global workforce, including support for individuals experiencing menopause and Low T as well as expanding retirement benefits. We also continue to invest in occasional in-person gatherings, as we believe these intentional events help our teams build even deeper connections. Four years in, we’re still at the beginning stages of our remote journey, and we are continuing to listen to our employees as we actively shape the future of work at Yelp.
