One year later, our future of work is still PinFlex

The PinFlex story by Pinterest employees

On July 1, 2022, Pinterest introduced PinFlex, a flexible work model, to our globally distributed workforce. PinFlex promotes flexibility for employees, encouraging them to live and work where they choose. Our team logs in each day from where they are most inspired, whether they work from home, a Pinterest office, another virtual location or another country, utilizing our Work-From-Anywhere benefit.

It’s been a year of PinFlex, and we’ve gained many insights – about the program, its positive impact on employee experiences and beyond. Today, we’re excited to share some wins, learns and stories from our first year of PinFlex. 

Wins 

• PinFlex changed the way we hire. Employees no longer need to live close to a Pinterest office; in most regions, employees can live anywhere within their country of employment. Since embracing PinFlex, Pinterest has been able to hire more distributed and diverse talent. 
• PinFlex facilitates effective collaboration. We found that regardless of where people typically work from, our employees are effectively networking with their peers. Our research shows that those who go to the office less than one day per month regularly collaborate cross-functionally and demonstrate productivity with more focus time.
• Our global team shared that they love PinFlex! We’ve found that PinFlex is a key contributor to our culture and grounds our employee’s Pinterest experience in flexibility and inspiration. Questions measuring employee engagement with PinFlex consistently received the highest scores on our bi-annual Employee Voice Survey. Employees frequently comment about how they appreciate the support and flexibility PinFlex provides for their work and personal lives.

Learns

• Gathering for in-person experiences matters. The crux of PinFlex is bringing employees together at key moments for high impact connection and collaboration. Our teams used business rhythms to determine the best moments to bring their distributed teams together at a Pinterest office. These moments fuel the alignment and execution of our goals and help our teams deliver value to our Pinterest users. 
• We can bring our culture to life from anywhere. We’ve tailored our company events, such as Knit Con, Makeathon, Global Day of Service and company-wide meetings, to be more virtual so that all of our employees can experience what makes Pinterest’s culture so special. 
• Choosing where to work empowers our employees. Employees have the autonomy to make decisions that best support their working styles. We’re not always in the office, but the collaboration and connection of our teams is still strong. 

Our stories 

“PinFlex’s work model provided me with an opportunity to not miss important life moments! In October 2022, I worked from Kansas for about a month to support my sister who just gave birth to my adorable nephew! I’m so thankful for this flexibility because I wasn’t able to be there for her first born, so this helped me be super aunty and sister while still making an impact at work!” 

– Tracey Thong, Manager I, People Operations, San Francisco

“PinFlex revolutionized my life as a supporter of my family’s sports endeavors. With remote work, I accompany them to competitions, ensuring I never miss their achievements. PinFlex empowers me to cheer them on while excelling professionally. It’s about creating cherished memories, strengthening family bonds and striking a perfect balance.”

– Alberto Huerdo, Sr. Software Engineer, Mexico 

Watch this video for more PinFlex stories.

Pinterest is committed to creating a positive and inclusive culture where our teams feel empowered to set working boundaries and choose where to work to better serve themselves, their families and our Pinners. In 2022, we launched our new work model, PinFlex, with an overarching goal to give all employees the autonomy to live and work with flexibility. PinFlex is rooted in creating a supportive experience for all Pinterest employees. Our team has remained productive, inspired and connected – no matter where they join us from each day. One year later, our future of work is still PinFlex as we build a community of belonging where everyone is inspired to create a career and life they love.