Our take on the first four weeks of lockdown working.
Many of us now find ourselves working from home. And as we settle in to this new normal, for a couple of weeks at least, the way we interact with our colleagues changes too.
The concept itself isn’t an unusual one. Most businesses have advocated for some time the importance of flexible working for their employees. Reports show that up to 50% of businesses now do so and that it leads to happier, more productive staff and better mental wellbeing.
At Aire, this has always been an option for employees with those of us who want to, working from home a day a week, on average.
But what happens when that one day becomes every day?
Becci, our Office Manager at Aire, summarises it for us here:
I think of everyone at Aire as ‘my people’ so locking up the office last week felt sad. But we’re thinking outside the box to stay connected and I’m speaking to as many people as possible throughout the day, to check-in. Although it can feel fun at the start, I think the novelty of working from home will wear off and that’s when we really need to be there for each other.
What’s clear is that social distancing will test our culture and our relationships as we rely on technology, rather than basic human interaction, to keep us all connected. Video calls, slack updates and informal check-ins for many businesses will all form part of this new working reality.
This week at Aire, we’ve pulled together as a team to come up with a number of new initiatives to keep us joined up. Here’s a selection from our colleagues — it’s our hope they can offer you some handy inspiration for the weeks ahead:
The virtual DJ
Time: 08:16 — Rise and shine! Music forms an important part of the office environment at Aire and it’s our early risers who take control of the airwaves. We’re recreating the office playlist by nominating an album of the day, chosen on rotation by each of us at Aire, to keep us feeling whole.
The watercooler
Time: 09:11 — Something it’s much harder to recreate online are the conversations we have with colleagues as we unpack our tupperware and settle in for a day at the office. Not anymore — introducing the Aire watercooler: a google hangout, open to all, which offers a place for those connections throughout the day. An important opportunity to check-in and catch-up with our colleagues, but now online.
The home office
Time: 11:01 — Sharing our own office offers everyone a collective sense of environment. At Aire, we’re encouraging our team to post a snapshot of their desk setup on slack. Many have so far impressed with their innovative standing desks, their sun-drenched outdoor terraces and of course, the dogs.
A breath of fresh air(e)
Time: 13.16 — it’s lunchtime but taking a break when working from home can feel more difficult. The natural rhythm of a day in the office has been interrupted and this can make us feel the pressure to be ‘always on’ when working from home. Not at Aire — we’ve set up a #take-a-break slack channel, encouraging everyone to step outside during the working day and share stories of our downtime.
The check-in randomiser
Time: 15.33 — It’s often the individual interactions throughout the day in the office that keep us feeling most connected. We’ve recreated that this week with our check-in randomiser: pairing us with a different colleague each day to encourage us to reach out to them and see how they are.
The step challenge
Time: 18.02 — And what better way to stay linked up than a bit of healthy competition? We’ve set up a step challenge for those of us who want to test our activity levels each day. With a goal set of reaching at least 10,000 steps a day, we’re looking forward to crowning our winner at the end of each week (and benefiting from the exercise in the meantime).
— It’s now Week Two, and we’ve made some additions to our working from home environment at Aire. These are:
Thirsty thursdays
Time: how early is too early? — We’re recreating that house party feel at Aire by enjoying an after-work drink together while working from home. Kitchen, lounge, garden or crèche, the choice of which ‘room’ to join (via Google Hangouts) is yours.
The wellbeing survey
Weekly — Checking the pulse of employees when we’re all a little further apart is crucial. Aire’s weekly survey goes out to all of us with a simple question ‘How are you doing today?’. Charting both our mental and physical health, the survey also gathers feedback on what more we could be doing to improve collaboration at Aire at the moment.
Ultimately, what matters most to us at Aire is the wellbeing and happiness of our staff. And in uncertain times such as these, pulling together to feel a little closer is crucial. Whatever your working environment, we encourage you to do the same and to share with us what you’re up to — because, with a bit of extra effort, we can all stay connected.
— Onwards into Week Three:
While much of this blog features new initiatives we’ve taken on at Aire over the last couple of working from home weeks, some methods of communication at Aire contine but have been adapted to accommodate our ‘new normal’.
Mission Update
Each month at Aire we come together to share our progress, recognise our achievements and refine our focus — this activity culminates in our Mission Update.
Usually this means all of us brought together in the office, every fourth Thursday of the month. And while the experience this week may have have been a little more virtual, the sentiment remains the same with speakers from across the business introducing new joiners, providing market updates and presenting team strategies.
Doing this kind of meeting online no doubt requires a little more planning — but ultimately, done well, achieves the same outcome of knowledge and alignment across the business.
And while there can be no replacement for these kind of Updates bringing us together physically, there’s certainly something uplifting to see so many of us tuning in from our homes.
— Easter, and into Week Four:
With the warmer weather perfectly timed, all of us at Aire enjoyed the Easter weekend spent safely at home — and it would seem, in our kitchens.
Holiday baking
From hot cross buns to victoria sponges, some brilliant bakes appeared on our Slack channels over the holiday.
Office nostalgia
And with the return to work after the bank holiday, some office nostalgia kicked in. Particularly on discovery of this ‘I miss the office’ tool from Kids Creative Agency — an office noise generator, providing you with the soothing tones of modern office life to help you focus when working from home. A strangely calming concept that has been helping some of us at Aire stay focused this week.
Hungry for more? Check out Aire on Instagram and Twitter for further insight into our culture and values.
— Alex, on behalf of the Aire team.
