Recently, Built In, a well-known online tech community, profiled our own Vice President of People, Andrea Lampert, SPHR, to get her take on how companies can continue to build a culture while working remote that will last for the long-term. Her responses were both interesting and noteworthy, all the while shining a light on several of the ways Perficient’s culture has acted as a foundational support system through our seamless pivot to remote delivery, as shown below.
You can read the full article here and enjoy her takeaways below.
BONUS: Meet Andrea. Perficient Continues Investment in Employee Culture with New Vice President of People
Don’t pause culture activities, adapt them
“There’s nothing quite like shelter-in-place orders to remind us that culture isn’t limited to an office,” says Andrea. “Our teams have embraced the new digitally-centered culture, with regular events like virtual lunches, themed happy hours, book clubs, game nights, and retirement parties as a substitute to in-person contact.”
Steal this idea for a team building event! How a Perficient Team is Tackling the Slippery Slope of Declining Penguin Counts
Tip: To contribute to the team culture, the first step is to show up. Simply by participating and being yourself, you are playing a vital part in developing the experience for each person. Everyone has something unique to share!
Listen to the voice of the people
“Colleagues are also driving conversations both internally and externally through personal anecdotes posted on the Life at Perficient blog and our dedicated COVID-19 response hub,” continues Andrea. “Topics have included tips for preserving mental health, how to remain physically active while working from home, favorite hobbies, and everything in between.”
BONUS: Let’s Manage the Information We Consume
Tip: It’s not too late to share your own perspective. All Perficient colleagues are encouraged to blog and have a team in place to help you succeed. (Here’s proof!) Not ready to blog but have an idea or experience that others could benefit from? Share it privately with your team leader or anonymously with HR.
Maintain regular communication
“Our leadership recognizes the importance of ongoing communications. They have a regular cadence of communication with colleagues, commending their efforts and providing timely business updates,” explains the VP.
Tip: Keep your lines of communication open by actively maintaining your availability status on collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams.
BONUS: Top 10 Tips for Microsoft Teams
Don’t let proximity keep you apart
“A large portion of Perficient’s workforce was already working remotely prior to COVID-19, which helped our transition to a fully remote company,” Andrea shares. “The sudden lack of in-person social interactions can have a negative impact on the well-being and productivity of colleagues.”
Hats off to this crew! “It feels like we’re all in the same space even though we’re meeting through a screen.” — Eric Cho, associate technical consultant You can see more of our remote onboarding experience here.
Tip: Miss bumping into someone in the hallway but don’t have a reason to set an official meeting? Reach out anyway! Sharing a helpful article, funny thought, or simply saying hello and checking in with someone can go a long way.
Make time for the human side of business
“Leaders would do well to give their teams the space and time to chat, empathize, and check-in with one another,” she encourages. “Simply building in an extra 15 minutes at the end of a meeting for small talk or giving colleagues a platform to share their insights with one another can empower human connection, enable collaboration, and reinforce a company’s culture around the value of its people.”
Leaders like Paul Griffiths, GM of the Digital Healthcare Solutions, find unique ways to entertain and engage their teams.
Tip: Just because you are leading others doesn’t mean you are invincible. Make sure to check in with yourself and reset when needed. You can also remind your team to take advantage of the benefits Perficient offers to support mental and physical health.
Working remotely can be convenient, but does have its challenges, as well. While our colleagues around the globe rally to motivate and inspire each other, it is a humbling reminder about the power of collaboration and the unbreakable strength of team culture we are lucky to have.
