Embracing Change! How Going Remote Transformed Aramar.
As we approach the fifth year of Aramar leaving its physical office, I wanted to reflect on the moment that changed our company permanently and in such a positive way.
As we all know, the world changed overnight on 23rd March 2020 when the UK went into lockdown. Businesses that could were asked to work from home and this included the team here at Aramar.
Although we had a few remote workers, most of the team were office based, and the prospect of rapidly uprooting our entire operation and disseminating it into people’s homes was daunting.
None of us were convinced it would work, particularly not in the long term, but once the home set-up was complete it soon became clear that this way of working suited our business and the team:
- People loved the flexibility remote working gave them; everyone had a better work-life balance.
- Taking away the daily commute saved time, money and was better for the environment.
- Productivity and creativity increased with fewer distractions and better focus.
Before Covid, we always thought we had a formidable team, but the new situation showed that we had in fact been split: A team of regular office workers; and a separate group of remote workers who often felt isolated. In the new world everyone was in the same boat and as a result it instantly felt like a more united team.
When the Covid restrictions were eventually lifted, we resisted the urge to return to office-based or hybrid working, as so many employers did, and we monitored how things were going through staff surveys.
As a result of continued positive feedback, Aramar became a fully remote business in 2023.
But what does that mean?
- We have no physical office or headquarters.
- The team can work from anywhere in the UK with an internet connection.
- All our meetings, both internal and external, have been replaced with video calls.
- All our customer work is done remotely.
Although the team were fully onboard with the decision, we had to acknowledge that there could be some challenges to this approach:
- Loss of work-life balance, the lines become blurred between home and work life.
- Loss of human interaction.
- Negative health effects, less movement which can impact mental health.
We did not want these things to ever become an issue for our people, so we researched how we could set up to operate in the best viable way as a remote business.
We took inspiration from organisations that were remotely working by design, such as GitLab. These are some of the key factors that have helped Aramar thrive as a remote working business:
- It is essential that everyone is set up properly to work at home, with the right equipment they need and a dedicated space in which to work.
- Trust is essential. Our people are trusted to get on with their work, without managers feeling the need to check-up on them constantly.
- We introduced an etiquette code for MS Teams. This is an important protocol, so that everyone understands how they should interact with one another online. The use of statuses is important, and it is not allowed to call a colleague unexpectedly, without sending an instant message first.
- We introduced a flexible working policy; our team have control of their working day. Our unlimited holiday policy ensures that downtime can be taken when needed. If time is needed away from the home office environment, we have access to shared working spaces nationwide.
- We have a weekly Monday morning team meeting on MS Teams where the focus is not on business. This is the time to catch up with colleagues, what they have been up to, how the family are and most importantly what TV series we should be watching! It is the virtual equivalent to that time by the kettle.
- The whole team meets up at IBM’s office in London regularly once a quarter. It is a central location, so that people can travel during working hours where possible. The focus here is business, ensuring everyone knows what is going on and how the business is performing. Often, we then host a group event afterwards, so people can catch up on a social level. Past events have included Escape Rooms, Darts, a visit to The Tower of London and The Crystal Maze.
- The physical and mental health of the team is the most important thing to Aramar. We engage regularly with Suffolk Mind, a local mental health charity, and we provide private health insurance via Vitality where you are rewarded for healthy living.
Remote work might not be for every business but for Aramar it continues to be a tremendous success and has become a key part of our identity!
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