As jarring as the transition to remote work was during the coronavirus pandemic for most of us. Ever wonder what will it be like to work remotely... permanently?
Thomas Edison once said - “Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.”
True isn’t it? At QED42 we believe there is a time for everything. A time to relax and a time to be busy, a time to frolic with family & friends, and a time to work.
And hence, remote work has never been a perk or benefit at QED42, but a way of life.
Pre-pandemic our employees had the flexibility to choose a model of work that best suited their needs. We had folks working from the comfort of their homes, from our offices spread across the country, and some oscillating between the two! When the pandemic struck, we hopped from going 100% remote to virtual hybrid working models.
Organizations thrive through a sense of belonging and shared purpose that can easily get lost when two cultures emerge. Luckily that did not happen to us!
This being the third year into the pandemic we all have come across a lot of ideas and misconceptions about remote workers: people sitting in their PJs, not having showered for days, increasingly losing their ability to communicate with humans 😄
credits - the oatmeal
Let me be honest with you: that is not at all what remote work at QED42 is like!
There are certainly pajama days and days when we crave more human connection, but the beauty of remote work is that you get to design your ideal work schedule, environment, and life really. That means everything is in your control.
For 12+ years we’ve worked harmoniously with geographically distributed teams and we’d like to bust some remote working myths by sharing a glimpse of - what is it like to work remotely at QED42.
Creating your space for work
The very first step to remote work is providing all the necessary infrastructure one needs to create their space of work. Be it an internet connection, a desk, or an office chair. We make sure that all our existing employees and our new additions to the team have everything they require to set up their working corner. We also have a bunch of really cool co-working spaces in different cities where our people can choose to work from.
Remote work - a threat to social ties?
Scary as it may sound, hybrid virtual models or remote work models have a bad reputation for cutting the ties that bind a company’s people.
credits - the oatmeal
At QED42 we dedicatedly make efforts to fill in the void of ad-hoc team meals, discussions around new tech, movies, books, birthday celebrations, festivities, and more. While each team devises its own way/style of staying connected with its team members through daily zoom calls, slack channels, organizing fun activities & workshops, we also ensure that they do not do so in isolation. We foster communication across different team members through virtual meetups, slack channels themed as per our employee's interests, mixing members from random teams to connect over a casual video call, just to get to know each other, virtual birthday celebrations, and more.
Productivity and speed
We believe it is very important to go beyond the impulse of monitoring outputs and activities as a proxy for employee productivity.
Inputs or volume of activity has always been a poor substitute and so we channelize our efforts toward improving the real productivity that boosts outcomes and results. Our teams have been thriving with the help of techniques and programs that are empowering and less controlling. For instance our Professional Development Ladder, we call it the PDL. Wondering what it is?
PDL is a program that will allow our employees to have career growth discussions, skill enhancement feedback/follow-ups, and a way for us to be in regular touch with team members. This is a sincere effort toward the holistic growth of our employees.
Apart from this we also have regular check-ins and informal discussions to ensure that all blockers or issues at work are addressed.
Moreover, our buddy system is a hit among the new team members who have joined our remote culture. We have turbocharged decision making and with compassionate leadership, we ensure that no form of disconnect arises which could hamper the productivity and speed of our teams.
Awards & Recognitions
“When working remotely, it isn’t as easy to say a quick ‘thanks’ or ‘good job’ to a teammate,” says Google.
At QED42 we love celebrating our people and their achievements would it be towards their own learning & development, project work, a new initiative, a successfully delivered workshop, work anniversaries, birthdays, and the list goes on. We also appreciate our people by sharing kudos in team meetings, company meetings and even have a Slack channel dedicated to it.
Making well-being a priority
In the midst of a pandemic, mental & physical well-being are more important than ever. Apart from helping set up comfortable office space and organizing various activities to foster communication. We strongly believe in the need for ‘buffer time’. Our flexible work hours enable employees to block time in their schedules for a quick walk, run, meditation session, or do anything else that helps them decompress. We also schedule mental well-being sessions and provide free access to healthcare apps.
We surely know how to unwind
One thing we QEDians know is how to unwind. We have virtual meetups to chat after a long day of work, game nights, in-person getaways when we can, celebrations for different festivals, and more. Basically, we find ways to have fun would it be virtually or in person!
Picture this: You have a productive morning, energizing meetings with your team at the office or on Zoom, grab lunch with your coworkers or family, head out for a walk, finish up your day, spend time with your loved ones, volunteer in your community, or indulge in a favorite pastime! This is what remote working at QED42 is like.
If you like what you read, then you’d absolutely love to be a part of our team. Go ahead and check out our job opportunities here.