Face the fact. We’re trapped at home because of the coronavirus, but it doesn’t stop us from delivering the highest value. We keep our daily routines on track and run our office habits, so the work keeps on going.
Remote work is nothing new for us, as everyone here has a chance to work from home a few times per month. Now everyone’s remote, so here’s how we organized our day-to-day working lives and adjusted to the new circumstances.
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Rules are rules
We use both chat and videoconferencing software. As we value the importance of face-to-face interactions, we introduced the principle that everyone uses a webcam during meetings, which humanizes and significantly improves communication.
To keep everyone posted about others’ availability, we use our #homeoffice Slack channel to inform one another about our working hours (our core hours are set between 10am and 3pm). We change our Slack status every time we have a break for lunch or some other activity. Plus, we send a notice in advance (at least 30 minutes before the meeting) in case of any absences, for instance when we can’t join the daily meetings, etc.
We put convenience and effectiveness first, hence every team member can drop by the office for the equipment they need, such as laptops, monitors, or peripheral devices, and take it home.
Remote meetings software
It’s no surprise that all meetings — both internal and ones with our clients — are run virtually. We use Google Meet or Zoom. Zoom’s integration with Google Calendar and Google Meet tools automatically adds a video conference to each event, so it streamlines our work.
Now it’s even easier, as Google has provided free access to its advanced Hangouts Meet videoconferencing for every user because of the coronavirus. We can then organize larger meetings and record and save them on Google Drive. A win-win!
Our team can still communicate effectively and keep all sides engaged in the project we work on. All the processes are going along as usual as we stay committed to our goals.
We’re still hiring!
The good news is that our recruitment process is still in progress. Again, we turned to technology and run online job interviews through video conference calls, so you can meet us from the comfort of your couch. You can also expect homework assignments, so it is similar to the traditional recruitment process.
Want to join us? Check the latest job offers in the Careers tab.
We remember about office coffee breaks
What connects people better than spontaneous face-to-face interactions during coffee breaks at the office? This is why we decided to bring coffee sessions to the remote workspace so that we can feel a bit like we would at the office.
We reserve several 15-20-minute slots for virtual coffee breaks, so everyone can connect through Google Meet to take part in chatter, water-cooler talks, and discuss any topic with the entire team or in smaller project groups. This is how we use technology to take breaks and socialize.
Some things never change
Even though we work remotely, we keep some things unchanged. We still use Jira to manage projects or Google Drive for storing and sharing files. We believe that several new rules don’t change anything, so we can retain the quality of our work.
Another positive thing is that we can see growing interest in our digital library, as now every team member has more time for reading. It’s another occasion for learning new skills, and having access to a number of titles keeps us updated and more willing to test new approaches in technology.
What helps us here is a motivated and success-oriented team of passionate people. A number of things we do together outside the office keeps us bonded and everyone feels like they are part of the company even now, thanks to technology.
And what about you? How do you deal with remote work during this virus craze? Stay well!
