Seeing the silver lining
Like many companies around the world, Chime was recently thrown — quite suddenly, I might add — into our new reality of remote working in light of COVID-19. Transitioning into this workstyle has come with many challenges, like discovering the strength of the average home internet signal, finding workspaces in the nooks and crannies of small apartments, and for some, becoming full-time school teachers while still juggling full-time jobs. Despite these speedbumps, we’ve found a few silver linings in our new routines.
Virtual All Hands is almost better than the real thing
We held our first entirely virtual All Hands via Zoom during our first week as a remote workforce. Nearly 300 Chimers around the globe logged in for our highest attendance ever. And honestly, it may have been better than an in-person All Hands.
For example, the obstacles we often face during All Hands were nonexistent. Every person could see the slide deck and hear the speakers regardless of where they were sitting. Chimers who might not usually ask questions were ‘chiming in’ through Zoom’s chat tool. There was a smoother transition from speaker to speaker. To top it off, team members expressed feeling more connected with the company and reassured about the state of the business following the call.
Improved communication helps everyone stay connected
In addition to an improved All Hands experience, many Chimers have ramped up communication across their teams. They’re having stand-up meetings 3 to 5 days a week to discuss top of mind projects, their personal lives, and working through this time together. Many teams that have added near-daily meetings weren’t having stand-ups before.
For example, our Talent team implemented daily stand-ups and weekly check-ins and has since seen improved processes and their best hiring week yet.
Our Executive team launched a video series via Slack to share projects that are top of mind for the company, as well as what their lives look like at home. These videos, though they might not seem like much, have helped strengthen our sense of transparency across the organization by setting an example at the top level of leadership.
Homelife = Work life
One of our favorite parts of working from home has been learning more about the human side of our team members. In team meetings, employee’s kids now share the classwork they’re doing alongside their parents. Pets are adding important walk breaks to our calendars. And Slack has become more than just our coworking tool — we now use it to share tips for balancing childcare and work, recipes, fun dog pictures, and seeking support for the not-so-glamorous parts of being a completely remote team.
Adjusting to the new normal by prioritizing wellbeing
Our new way of working has reminded us all of the importance of mental wellbeing. And thankfully, we rely on a service called Modern Health to provide mental health resources to Chimers. Through the platform, Chimers can access teletherapy, text therapy, professional coaching sessions, and guided meditations. More than ever, we’re thankful to have this program in place and have seen many team members using the service.
To support every Chimer in putting their wellbeing first, we recently implemented a companywide meeting block 12:00 pm-1:00 pm to ensure folks take a midday break that won’t be interrupted by meetings. We’ve also required managers to work with their teams to schedule personal time blocks throughout the day so that everyone can take the time they need. As we adjust to this new normal, we’ll continue to look for ways to support our teams and prioritize their wellbeing.
The silver linings of our new normal
Sure, our new normal looks a lot different from what many of us are used to. Our commutes are shorter. We’re spending more time with our kids. Our coworkers are meeting our families and pets.
At a time of uncertainty and social distancing, we feel lucky to be so connected with our team. We’re grateful to be getting to know each other in ways our office life may never have allowed otherwise. And we appreciate the daily reminder that we’re human 🙃 — and we’re all in this together 👯.
Riley Nichols is a Growth and Analytics Recruiter at Chime.
The way we’re working may have changed, but the reason we do what we do hasn’t—and our team is still growing even though we’re working from home. If you’d like to explore becoming a Chimer, head over to our careers page.
