How to Maintain a Work Culture Whilst Hybrid Working
Can you believe that Neo PR officially closed its original offices over two years ago? Like a majority of businesses around the world, we instantly transitioned to a remote working culture when COVID-19 first hit in March 2020. Since then, as society headed towards the ‘new normal,’ we opened up the doors to our ‘Stables’ – a converted barn in Buckinghamshire – and welcomed the hybrid way of working with open arms.
Now, the Neo PR team heads into the Stables once every couple of weeks for our ‘All Hands’ days to get the team together. And so, comparing what once was a physical five-days-a-week working life to now, how has Neo PR been able to maintain its culture?
Hybrid Working = Finding the Right Balance
I personally favour hybrid working. I’m a fan of having some days at home, especially when I’m on and off meetings all day, and I maintain a good work-life balance. Equally, I enjoy going into a physical working environment, mingling with my colleagues, and having a change of scenery.
Understandably, however, it’s like marmite – some people love it, and others, not so much! This is why it’s incredibly important to have a balance to suit all of your colleagues’ needs. At Neo PR, we have an ‘open door’ policy – you can come into the Stables as much as you like, but as a minimum, it is once every two weeks for those who may prefer working from home. This helps us to maintain a fair balance!
Virtual Doesn’t Mean Unavailable
One of the most important aspects of remote/hybrid working is communication. On the days when the team is working from home, we keep in touch through RingCentral, our communications platform, where we can instant message and phone each other.
We are conscious of it becoming a habit that we only talk to each other about work, and we don’t want to fall into that trap. Therefore, it’s of equal importance to make sure we reach out to those whom we may not work directly with, check in on how their day is going, or find out what they did on the weekend.
Just because we may not be in each other’s physical presence, doesn’t mean that we want people to feel alone. With World Mental Health Day around the corner (10th October) and we feel it’s crucial that the team communicate with each other on both our good and bad days.
Social Days
The team really looks forward to our social days. As much as we enjoy coming in and seeing one another on our ‘All Hands Days’ – we still need to deliver seamless service to our clients! So once a month, we make sure to do something social on these days – even if it’s just for a couple of hours. From team lunches to a game of bowling, or outdoor crazy golf, it’s encouraged to take a break from our daily duties and have some fun as a team.
Our All Hands Social Days are on top of our Quarterly Socials, which are longer social days outside of the office. From our Summer Bash to going to the Chef’s Table at the Berkeley, to a Spa Night at Whittlebury Park, we’ve had some really great days out. These social events bring us closer together and allow us to bond as a team outside of work, which I believe is really important in maintaining our culture.
Neo PR is always recruiting, sometimes hiring. If you have experience in the world of Public Relations, or have a passion for writing and are interested in getting started, email us your CV at prworks@neopr.co.uk
