Resolute Software is a two-time Heartcount “people-first” award winner

It’s our ambition to keep our happiness level high in the long run. We continue to build upon our culture based on employee assessment, learning and mentoring, real-time results measurement, transparency, and on-time communication. In these constantly changing times, our firm commitment to our values remains the same: winning by empowering professionals to act creatively and innovatively deliver 100% client satisfaction while promoting integrity and honesty above and beyond. A part of this equation is Heartcount, which allows us to monitor the “heartbeat” of our team and act based on AI-driven insights. We use the data to check on progress, cross-company relationships, and our team’s personal fulfillment quickly and anonymously.

How Resolute Software maintained its “people-first” culture amid a year of added distance

In early 2020, companies worldwide participated in a massive undertaking: Change how we have done work to keep employees safe and healthy amidst a global pandemic.

Like us at Resolute Software, many tech companies embraced a remote-first, “work from home,” or “work anywhere” policy and invested in what we needed to keep our employees safe and happy. We were fortunate to have already much of the necessary infrastructure to support a fully remote workforce before the pandemic took hold, so becoming remote-first was not challenging from a technical perspective. The true challenge was understanding and recognizing the human effects of distance and isolation on newly-remote team members and maintaining high employee satisfaction through a crisis. It was indeed a team effort to collaborate and implement solutions to maintain our high level of work while empowering our team members to thrive individually over the last year.

Remote work and productivity

It’s hard to browse LinkedIn or other professional publications today and avoid seeing something about the effects of working from home on individuals and businesses. And, as more data is collected over time from the thousands of companies that have shifted away from the office, we get a clear picture that some people are more compatible with WFH than others. It is in every company’s best interest to be conscious of that.

As we packed up our desks and computers to move them to our spare bedrooms and dining tables at home, questions about how we would collaborate from afar started to pop up. How would we work together when we can’t simply look over our shoulders and ask a question? It didn’t take long for us to embrace new tools and procedures to be more connected than before.

In our case, we gained productivity overall through the shift to remote work because technology facilitated a new normal. All of our meetings became online video conferences, including our daily stand-up meetings, giving everyone the chance to share their current tasks and roadblocks and the view and vibes of their current location. Remote stand-ups introduced a new element to meetings that humanized our relationships, allowing us to glimpse into our colleagues’ lives and an opportunity to share more than just the work to do.

Health, safety, and flexibility

With heightened attention around health and safety, we changed how we communicate and behave. Coming to work sick is no longer seen as a “Badge of Honor” or an indicator of dedication, but a possible infection vector and a detriment to the company.

For us, updates on the worldwide virus situation became a part of our daily routine. We invited recognized medical professionals to speak to the team and advise on how to stay safe and how to react in case of COVID-19 symptoms. Additionally, we set up a 24/7 medical hotline for all team members experiencing virus symptoms and needing immediate consultation. We wanted to give our team peace of mind by providing all the necessary resources they might need in a challenging situation.

For many, working remotely is the ultimate freedom, the mark of trust and autonomy. But for some, shifting to remote-only was not what they signed up for. Many of us thrive in a communal environment like an office, and the idea of working from home without face-to-face interaction brings anxiety and ideas of isolation.

To combat these feelings and ideas, we restructured our office and built a flexible, safe workplace for when our teams felt that in-person collaboration was more effective. We stocked our office with appropriate PPE and sanitizing supplies and encouraged their proper use. All in-office meetings are now scheduled and coordinated on a community calendar for maximum visibility, and work areas in the office are appropriately spaced.

Together while apart

One immediately apparent thing was the lack of ad-hoc meetings, casual office banter, and other activities we became accustomed to in the office. Add to that the inability to gather in modest groups for things like conferences, parties, or team building activities, and what do you have left? Just work?

We did our best to create a sense of belonging within the team by organizing a few outdoor picnics and walks in the park in the summer. We shifted our Secret Santa gift exchange online using Elfster, and everyone shared their gift surprises on a video call. And, instead of hosting the team somewhere, we celebrated Christmas virtually, organizing a DJ streaming party during which everyone sent in their home party photos to share. It wasn’t the same as years past, but it was certainly fun all the same.

Without any doubt, our weekly virtual coffee meeting is the social event everyone looks forward to most! This time is not structured and has no agenda. We use this time to discuss personal experiences on various topics, play fun games, and get a good healthy laugh. It’s a time to just connect and chat. Some of our team do morning calls over coffee to kick off the day, and we certainly don’t discourage that.

Throughout the entire year, our recruitment process was at full-speed, and we have welcomed new professionals into our family, some of whom we haven’t met in person yet. Nonetheless, the active daily communication and involvement of our team has shown to help our new hires get ramped up open projects faster, helped them stay on track, and feel that they can rely on the team support at any time.

We are beyond excited that our growing team of experts has been recognized our second year of operations by Heartcount for being а top people-first company! It was a great year to experience and witness our teams achieving and exceeding company goals while keeping peak happiness. We feel validated in what we’re doing, and it makes us feel more than ready for 2021!