The culture and working environment within Concirrus allows us to innovate and produce great work together. It is the reason we can maintain our client focus and a huge attraction for those looking to join us. In March, offices around the world were forced to close due to the global pandemic. COVID-19 has dramatically shifted the way many of us work, with 60% of the UK’s population currently WFH. Whilst lockdown influences all areas of work, what is the impact on our corporate culture?
Remote working has many positives, from flexible working hours to less time spent commuting. The extra time allows us to look at how we manage our work-life balance. WFH also has it’s challenges, and each of us have different circumstances to deal with. The downside of WFH can include feelings of isolation, lack of team morale and motivation.
Company culture is ultimately fostered by the engagement of employees. Naturally, creating and maintaining corporate culture can become more challenging when distanced, but we must adapt. Culture can build morale in uncertain times, help retention and increase productivity. Therefore, now more than ever, it is important to invest in culture.
Feeling distant from your colleagues during this time can be tough. Social psychologists have found that “feeling a sense of belonging is an important intrinsic motivator”. Keeping social connections strong during uncertain times is vital as it impacts wellbeing and performance. The social side of your job doesn’t have to stop just because you’re remote working.
At Concirrus, we strive to have a community that keeps employees engaged. Our team’s talents help to create fun activities and events for all. Below are some examples of what we have been up to for the last three months!
- Lunch and learns – The chance to bring together people from different teams to learn and collaborate. Sessions can help to develop skills you might not be able to develop day-to-day. We have hosted lunch and learns on subjects such as Mental Health, Aspect-oriented Programming, Java Reflection and Designs Decoding. These sessions also contribute to the personal development of each employee.
- Concirrus Scramble – Last month we launched the Concirrus Scramble, an internal competition to uncover innovative ideas around improving Concirrus’ working methods and products. While WFH, the Scramble has been the perfect opportunity to harness the extra energy within the team, test new ideas and continue innovating.
- The Concirrus nightclub - We hosted our very first Concirrus nightclub! Our Corporate Development Officer, Craig, dusted off his DJ decks for the night! The set included a mix of disco tracks from the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, fused with a modern house twist! It was fantastic to get the team together to have a drink, listen to music and witness some unforgettable dance moves from the safety of a laptop screen.
- FedTalks - Lockdown has not stopped the tradition of our Friday FedTalks! Although, we haven’t been able to be fed. FedTalks are a chance for us to get together as a team, share knowledge and discuss topics such as environmental issues, mental health and technology. We have had some great talks over the past few months from both our internal team and exciting external speakers, including Actress Carmela Corbett to Psychotherapist David Mclean.
- Quizzes and Slack Challenges – Like many of us we have all hopped on the bandwagon with zoom quizzes, resulting in fun evenings for the team to enjoy! We’ve also supplemented each event with daily slack challenges, allowing for a chance to have some fun between work. Challenges include ‘pets at home,’ ‘guess the celebrity’ 'through the keyhole' and ‘name that song!’
- Mindfulness Sessions – It can be difficult to disconnect from work and stress whilst WFH. Not only has the pandemic somewhat impacted our physical health, but it has also affected some people's mental health too. We have had Mindfulness Coach Joanne Freeman hosting mindfulness sessions throughout the course of lockdown. This has been a great chance for the team to take 30 mins out of their day to relax and find balance.
- Exercise classes – We have had Lotte Berk teacher, Tina Roscoe, hosting weekly workouts for the team! It has been great to have Tina host these sessions as exercise is imperative right now for both psychical and mental health. It’s also a chance for us to see each other and have a bit of fun!
*A special shout out to our Social Committee for keeping the team at Concirrus entertained throughout lockdown and organising special events!
If you’d like to learn more about Concirrus, or an opportunity to join the team, head over to our careers page.
