Unlocking Potential: The AVIV Flex Work Experience

In a recent LinkedIn post, the statement “Hybrid remote work is nonsensical” caught my attention, especially due to the numerous approving comments it received. The comparison was made with full remote and in-office policies.

Furthermore, we can observe several well-known USA-based companies such as Tesla, Amazon, Google, and more recently Zoom, demanding their employees to Return To Office (RTO), sometimes in a rather stringent manner. It is however essential to acknowledge that the situation in the US and Europe, where AVIV is based, differs significantly. After COVID, a considerably higher number of employees returned, at least part-time, to the office in Europe than in America.

I firmly believe that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to work policies; instead, success lies in crafting intelligent and context-specific strategies that are continuously refined and monitored. In light of this, I am delighted to share with you the progressive path we’ve taken at AVIV to implement a flexible work policy that has positively transformed our daily operations.

AVIV French office — Paris © AVIV Group

Understanding Our Context

AVIV Group operates as a Tech company, where our primary products include websites and mobile applications. With a workforce comprising two major segments: Product & Tech on one side, and Sales, Marketing, and support services on another. We recognize that the nature of work varies significantly between these divisions. Hence, this article specifically addresses the experiences of our Product & Tech teams, as their context differs from other areas such as Sales.

The Evolution of Our Work Policy

Over the past three years, the former companies behind AVIV Group have explored various work arrangements. The rapid transition to full remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic — even earlier in France due to major national strikes at the end of 2019 — was a considerable challenge for a group with over 2,000 employees. This experience taught us that regular face-to-face interactions were crucial, not because management mandated it, but because more than 70% of our employees expressed the same sentiment in our internal surveys.

Following the pandemic, we experimented with hybrid working, initially assuming that it would be most effective if team members synchronized their in-office days — with managers deciding whilst considering the size of the “team”.

We assumed that team members should synchronize their in-office days © AVIV Group

The Shift to Hybrid Working

The establishment of AVIV through a horizontal merger of four French, German, and Belgian main companies, led by new European C-level executives, provided an opportunity to formalize a default hybrid working policy, which we called AVIVibes. Managers, in consultation with their teams, had the autonomy to decide attendance days.

For our Product & Tech teams, consisting of approximately 1,000 employees, and operating in agile structures with international members (e.g. a German Product Manager, and French and Belgian developers), common in-office days became impractical. Still, as we embraced this new approach, we observed the following benefits:

• Chance Encounters: While not everyone is present simultaneously, unplanned in-person interactions still occur, fostering camaraderie and collaboration.
• Team Integration: Physical meetings across different teams remain essential, recognizing that fully autonomous agile teams are a rarity.
• Periodic Gatherings: To maintain strong connections, we organize occasional full team meetings, bringing everyone together for a few days a few times a year. Additionally, cross-functional meetings by department or program are held.

In addition to implementing a standard hybrid work policy, we have extended the option for individuals who desire it, subject to managerial approval, to work in a fully remote capacity. This approach ensures that each employee can opt for the work policy that aligns best with their unique needs and preferences.

Unplanned in-person interactions occur, fostering camaraderie and collaboration © AVIV Group

Undoubtedly, achieving a successful remote working policy necessitates a systematic and gradual approach, coupled with the provision of essential tools and guidelines to facilitate seamless remote operations. Key components include:

• IT Infrastructure: Ensuring laptops provisioning, efficient fleet management, and robust security software implementation are essential to safeguard data and maintain a productive remote environment. Bear in mind that some people may not fully understand the need for remote control of their workstation, which may require a bit of change management in some cases.
• Collaborative Suite: Equipping teams with powerful platforms such as Google Workspace, Office 365, or independent tools like Slack or Miro, to name a few, fosters effective communication, document sharing, and collaborative workflows.
• Progressive Rollout: Introducing remote work in stages allows individuals to adapt gradually and familiarize themselves with the collaborative tools, optimizing their usage for improved productivity. It might also be best to start with services that are already used to collaborative tools, such as the Product & Tech departments.
• Flex Office: All our local offices in different countries have been adapted to facilitate hot desking. We boosted the number of phone booths and meeting rooms, introduced the Office for a Day (OFAD) concept, integrated desk booking software, installed lockers, and redesigned floor plans to encourage spontaneous interactions among employees.

Team building events are key © AVIV Group

Conclusion

The success of any local, remote, or hybrid working policy hinges on its alignment with the unique context of the organization.

At AVIV, we have discovered that embracing flexibility, continuous improvement, and collaborative implementation is vital. While challenges arose through strikes, the pandemic, and the presence of international teams, we have ultimately found that hybrid work without forced common days can be highly effective.

So, as you contemplate your organization’s work policy, remember that with careful consideration, almost anything is possible.