Team update: A lot has happened since this blog - all great things! We’re now in the United States and our new product launched in November 2021, helping teams in fast-growing organizations find and hire their best-fit junior and mid-level talent in Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Customer Success. Try it here for free. This means some of our articles before this date may have product shots that look a little different. That’s all from us, enjoy the blog.

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A lot of us are currently experiencing disruption in our workplaces. It is impacting our daily routine & pushing social norms. But it is important for companies to keep moving, with some changes.

At Hatch, we've been privileged enough to #WorkFromHome every Wednesday. Here's a few things we have learned along the way that might support you in setting up successfully.  

Packing up

Working from home starts at the office. Have a look around to make sure you gather everything you need to work from home effectively. First, think pragmatically - from laptops, to screens and keyboards, even your favourite mug. Make a list of items you use every day, stationary you always have handy on your desk. Decide what you need to work from home.

Then think about systems you log into daily, your remote IP and other programs you need access to. Don't know how to access that? Check with your IT team before you leave.

Staying in touch

Before you head home, share your mobile number in case others need to reach you urgently. Here at Hatch we also have documented people's home addresses! While you are at it, why not collect an emergency contact too? Especially people who live alone - they might appreciate someone checking in.

Communication

Now for the hard part - how to communicate. The lack of face-to-face interaction can take a toll on work relationships. Due to the nature of digital communication tools, it is often hard to convey the right emotions and tone.

Here are 3 things we're doing to communicate as effectively as possible:

1. Set rules
   We agreed on a few ground rules on the platforms we use to communicate, set expectations around responsiveness and adapted them per team. The goal? Finding a balance between actively collaborating and unblocking teammates while reducing the "noise" of chatter. One of our rules, for example, is checking Slack at the beginning, middle and end of the day. For any urgent communication, we will simply call each other.
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2. Be transparent
   Away for a while? Need to do some deep thinking without interruption? Off early? Let your team know - we usually update our slack status or mark it in the calendar. Because there is no "water cooler talk" when you are at home, it's even more crucial to share what is on your mind or plate.
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3. Set clear goals and expectations
   Our team got into the habit of sharing our plan for #WFH Wednesday. We set goals of what we want to achieve that day and can easily reach out to other teams if there are blockers. This also ensures visibility to everyone, and even lets you track your progress better.
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4. Over-communicate
   We repeat: over-communicate. Get into the habit of chatting online. Make it as simple as possible for others to ask questions - whether that's via emails, chat or text. Try and keep those informal conversations happening. Add an emoji, send a GIF. Do what you can from afar to connect on a personal level.

That brings us to our next point in this Hatch WFH guide. How do we "connect" remotely - on a personal level?

How to maintain team culture

At Hatch, we are ALL about the team. We cook lunch together on Mondays, we synchronously clap out each meeting, we zoom out on Fridays, we go on trips, we huddle, we retro. All amazing perks our tight-knit team enjoys – offline. Here's how we try and keep that spirit while working from home:

#random

We have a couple of dedicated channels that mimic office banter. It is THE place for a good reaction GIF or a little meme contest.

#video calls

Or what we are calling it now: COVIDEO-19. We dial in with a video chat every morning to set goals for the day.

#lunchclub

It's BYO Lunch, dial-in and eat with others, from the comfort of your kitchen table. This way, we can have conversations and check-in on each other.

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We hope these tips help you to start working from home successfully. If you have questions or need support during these uncertain times, the Hatch team is here for you.

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