Better together – our tips on how to work 100% remotely

Some companies adopt a remote-first mindset and have their employees work either from home or from a non-centralized office setting. Others prefer a more traditional model, whereby the majority of the team is gathered in one place. At Merixstudio, we are supporters of the remote-friendly approach. We accept all workplaces as long as they’re comfortable and satisfactory for all parties involved in the software development process, including our employees and clients.

Although flexibility is one of the rules we try to live by every day, March proved that we’re more than ready to adapt to the changing conditions and requirements. Never before in the history of Merixstudio have we been made to change our working habits overnight. Yet, this unusual situation and the way in which we’re dealing with it convinced us that we’ve built a great team capable of being in control and learning from experience.

Why am I making an introduction like this? Although you can see me as the author of this article, I wouldn’t be able to write it but for the help of the entire Merixstudio’s team who offered their insights on remote work from a professional and personal perspective. Curious how we’re coping with the current situation? Let’s start by taking a closer look at the work culture.

Everyone’s voice matters

Some things stay the same regardless of what happens around us – one of them is the significance of knowledge-sharing in empowering teams. The belief that all people are equally valuable, capable of initiating stimulating conversations, and changing our point of view is what drives change. That’s why every team member should have the same opportunity to share their opinion and ask questions.

From the corporate perspective, we should be prepared to address these questions even if at a given moment the answer is “we don’t know now but we’re doing our best to cope with the problem”. Cultivating the culture of constant feedback, we’ll be able to react quickly, solve problems faster, and implement global changes. For this reason alone, giving employees a chance to air their views should by no means be an unprecedented event but rather a part of a company's everyday life.

At Merixstudio, we’re open to discussing emotions and moods. We’re not indifferent to our employees' needs also when it comes to access to benefits. In the current landscape, we particularly cherish medical care available to all employees. With doctors ready to give advice via telephone or online chat, we feel relatively safe and taken care of.

All problems are relevant, no matter how small they may seem

Sometimes the biggest issues are not related to achieving goals or improving client-team communication on a large scale, but just daily trifles, like sitting on an uncomfortable chair, not hearing our interlocutors well during the calls, or not being able to chat with friends over a cup of your favorite latte from the coffee machine standing in the office kitchen ;) In this case, the organization’s role is to bear in mind these small issues and think of the simplest yet most effective way to deal with them. Of course, it’s impossible to equip every employee with a coffee machine but holding virtual meetings to take a break and drink coffee together should help wipe your tears away (at least for some time).

Here’s our HR team enjoying a remote cup of coffee

Self-isolate but keep in online touch

The first message we received from our team was that they miss the office atmosphere and chatting with their colleagues in the morning. There are many options to cultivate friendly relations online, e.g. using Google Hangouts or Slack, and they all contribute to showing support for each other as well as maintain the high quality of communication.

We can say with great pride that Merixstudio is a fantastic group of people who enjoy spending time together and lending one another a helping hand whenever the need to do so arises. To celebrate that in these strange times, we hold a bunch of integrative online activities related to our passions and ideas for spending free time at home (more about that in the upcoming article by Aleksandra from our EB Team). We also have a special Slack channel dedicated to memes and fun facts – you can trust us when we say that we’re doing our best to look at the right side of life.  

Playing charades in the evening has become one of our favorite pastimes these days

Ours and every company’s goal should be to sustain the bonds within teams. Soon, all of us will be back to the office, to a normal schedule, to our habits – but for now, we need to reflect on the new experiences and use them to take our strengths to the next level.

The current situation brings the opportunity for rethinking the onboarding process as well – especially if your company hasn’t allowed for conducting this process remotely so far. To make it possible during the office lockdown, put special attention to educating individuals involved in introducing a new employee to the world of your company and be sure to keep in touch with those who make the newest additions to the team on a daily basis, e.g. by setting up regular meetings, drafting an action plan, or introducing additional surveys.

Communicate clearly and keep everyone up to date

Communication is key in all aspects of a software house’s life: internal affairs, daily meetings, client calls, workshops, etc. To be effective, however, it needs to be first and foremost transparent.

In this regard, transparency has always been a priority for us. So far, it mostly meant being honest, publishing announcements in a timely manner, responding to current needs, and sharing our insights. Currently, it also means keeping the team engaged, introducing new forms of communication, and checking if everything is going according to the plan.

We do our best to keep the team in the loop so that everybody feels confident and informed. We believe that it’s essential to let the employees know that the company is in control and has a plan for the future up its sleeve. And speaking of transparency, it shows not only in our relationships with the team and clients but also in our social media content.

Holding meetings for many people? Sure!

Continuing project work, leading workshops for 6 or more attendees 100% remotely, keeping the idea of internal and external knowledge-sharing alive. Yes, it can be stressful – but it doesn’t have to be if you’re following certain rules. The ones we always have in mind pertain mostly to  equipment, mindset, and goals. Here are the ones that we find the most effective:

• If there are more people attending the meeting, appoint a meeting moderator.
• Choose a brightly lit place for a call, ideally with a nondisruptive background.
• Position the camera in front of you. Unless you agree to switch off the cameras, do your best to be visible to your interlocutors – body language is really important in getting the message right!
• Ask everyone if they hear each other well.
• If you’re not speaking, mute the microphone. Of course, this rule does not apply fierce debates ;)

And speaking of your desks, which have recently become fully-fledged command centers – it’s time to discuss remote work from a personal point of view.

Adjust the working space to your needs...

Your home, your desk, or your sofa will remain your workspace space for the weeks to come. In the office, most of us can change sitting positions a couple of times a day. At Merixstudio, for example, we are free to use standing desks, bean bags, or reclining chairs. Most people, however, prefer sitting at a desk and doing so at home seems only reasonable.

Everybody knows that you can’t work effectively without good headphones and at least two monitors

Backache is one of the issues most frequently discussed by remote employees and as such, it shouldn’t be overlooked. If possible, it might be a good idea to try renting comfortable office chairs to at least some of your employees. On top of that, let them take headphones, mouses, and monitors home. Another important thing is to take care of your team’s physical and mental well-being. Remind them to take breaks, clear their minds often, an exercise – the latter works exceptionally well if the employees inspire each other by sharing favorite routines.

As you can see, it all boils down to what we’ve said earlier: ask your people how they feel and act accordingly if you can – because sometimes, it’s up to your employees to cope with the situation...

… and to your family ;)

Remember the viral interview gatecrashed by professor Robert Kelly’s children? We bet you do – and we bet combining remote professional life with parenthood is just as challenging for you as it was for professor Kelly. In Poland, like in many other European countries, schools are closed so working remotely means staying at home with kids. Although we’re doing our best not to let this situation take a toll on the quality of our work, mutual understanding is a must.

As we discussed this issue on Slack, our employees began to exchange tips on working from home with children, like starting work earlier, focusing on the most important tasks during the toddler’s nap, or keeping older children engaged for longer with some educational activities. We also agreed that it’s worth setting clear rules within a household, dividing responsibilities, and trying to stick to a plan. While it won’t eliminate all stressful situations it will surely help you get used to the new reality.

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Post udostępniony przez Merixstudio (@merixstudio) Mar 19, 2020 o 7:28 PDT

Sometimes you need to ask pet coworkers for understanding as well

Once again, open communication is vital. If we’re informed of a given blocker, we can be sympathetic and ready to reschedule. We know that many parents around the globe are dealing with the same problem and we have nothing against seeing each other’s children on a call. The thought that we’re all in this together is definitely comforting.

Maintain work-life balance

Whether you're a parent or not, drawing a line between personal and professional lives will surely help you get back on track, especially if you’re having difficulty finding time for relaxation or following your passion.

It all boils down to getting priorities right. However trivial it may sound, it is extremely important to leave your workplace when the time comes – even if it means nothing more than shutting down the computer. Of course, as a company, we care about the satisfaction of our clients but it’s the well-being of our team we value the most. At the end of the day, every organization’s success depends on the fulfillment of our employees who have every right to recharge their batteries every day. Otherwise, they simply won’t be able to deliver.

When you care about your team, it shows – and clients appreciate it

Don’t forget about personal growth

Staying at home doesn’t mean that you can’t take your skills to the next level. On the one hand, you can increase your productivity by putting some of the best practices work working remotely into practice. On the other, you can still benefit from taking part in knowledge-sharing initiatives. Online courses, webinars, meetups, workshops – thanks to the power of the internet and social media, you can join all of them for a small fee, if not entirely for free.

Who knows, maybe you’ll even get inspired to launch your own online event using tools like Zoom or Webex. Before you do this, however, make sure you’re well-prepared. Servers are becoming more loaded every day so it’s worth testing their performance before the event and setting the participants limit.

Schedule, plan, and think about your goals

All we’ve said so far supports a single message: the rules of the game have changed but luckily, we have the means to continue living our lives, achieving goals, and working from the safe space at home. The current situation is challenging for all of us alike: employees, companies, service providers, clients. Now we can see more clearly than ever before that the IT industry has all the tools to help us keep in touch, lead fully remote workshops, share our knowledge with people inside and outside the organization. In practice, it means that we’re still one team, even though we can’t meet in person – although we won’t lie if we say that we can’t wait to return to Małachowskiego 10 and chat over a cup of coffee.

And now’s the time for big thanks to the Merixstudio’s team who foster the most supportive atmosphere of all. Now, we’re in the middle of an unexpected change that affects not only us but most organizations in Poland, Europe, and the whole world. Our priority is to deal with it well and treat it as a lesson. It’s not over yet so we’re still collecting feedback on the actions we undertake. We anticipate that many issues are yet to emerge but we’re also grateful that we work in an industry in which remote work has no negative impact on the quality of our services. At the same time, we support all those who find themselves in a less uncomfortable situation and hope they’ll be able to stand on their feet as soon as possible.

Hope you’ll find our insights and tips valuable. We’re in this together, so don’t hesitate to contact us and share your opinions on best practices for remote work.