Working from home: the balancing act

The Recognition Group closed its offices in March 2020, moving to a fully virtual model in response to the pandemic. We had already embraced a freeworking model over the past 13 years, with many of our employees working remotely across Australia. However, working remotely was a new experience for many of our team members, and we had to learn how to engage our entire team. This was a critical turning point, particularly as we had some new starters that had joined right at the beginning of the pandemic, and more that joined over the course of the past year.  

For our team members that are spread across different cities and states—including Hervey Bay, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Bendigo, Sydney, the Northern Rivers, and more—keeping connected and engaged goes far beyond regular video calls.

Here are just five of the many things we’re doing at The Recognition Group that focus on keeping our team connected and encouraging our group to grow: 

1. Keeping the team connected 

In addition to our regular client and small team meetings, we make sure to catch up regularly as a wider team with both scheduled and ad-hoc meetings. We have virtual drinks and run a regular buddy program, where we meet virtually one-on-one with a different team member each fortnight to learn about what they’re working on and what drives them at work and at home. This lets each of us enjoy the opportunity to speak to our team members that we wouldn’t usually have a chance to work with and engage with them on a more personal level.  

2. Greater flexibility to do what you love 

The pandemic has really driven home what’s important for our team. Whether it’s spending more time with our families and friends, spending more time in nature, or being able to change our scenery while we work, we want to be able to offer the team the opportunity to enjoy flexibility wherever possible.  

We offer flexible hours, the ability to purchase additional leave, support for educational pursuits, time off for volunteer work, and the opportunity within the organisation to focus on the work that interests people the most. We’re focused on creating a culture where outcomes are the most important performance indicators. We know our team members are juggling families and other interests and we also know that they’re happier and more productive when they know those commitments and interests are fully supported by the business.  

3. Personal and professional growth  

Working from home also lets us ensure that each member of our team has access to the same training and support, regardless of location. We provide online team training sessions that can be recorded and shared so no one misses out.  

We run regular training sessions on everything from how to understand the changing Australian media landscape and write high-quality professional content, to how to build good habits and maintain excellent nutrition. This helps us expand our work- and life-related skill sets. In addition, we also maintain a virtual book (and podcast) club that provides us with more opportunities to chat informally and share our experiences.  

4. Recognising Recognition 

As we are all working independently from our home offices, it’s important to our team that we don’t gloss over achievements, be they personal or professional. When teams are working remotely, it can be easy to overlook the times people go the extra mile, come up with an exceptional solution or idea, or delight a client.  

At The Recognition Group, we celebrate each other’s achievements at work and in our personal lives. We have created a mechanism to give each other ‘shout outs’ so colleagues can draw the team’s attention to the great job people are doing. By making sure we recognise those efforts, we show our team just how much we value them. We don’t limit that recognition to work achievements; we also share details of sporting or educational achievements, as well as key personal milestones like birthdays. We’re invested in making sure that everyone feels seen, even if we don’t see them in the office each day.  

5. Building teams beyond borders 

A number of our team members have moved interstate to spend more time with family throughout the pandemic and have been able to continue working seamlessly thanks to our freeworking model.  

In addition, we’ve grown throughout the pandemic. We can efficiently onboard new team members, regardless of their location, giving us access to great talent as we continue to build a strong team that is unlimited in its potential. We’re also invested in helping to build our team members up by developing their strengths. We regularly check in on their interests and where they’d like to grow in the business, as well as discuss how we can all best work with each other to make the greatest team we can.  

The Recognition Group has a strong team with a collegiate culture based on our shared passion for our work, not a shared office. Our culture continues to strengthen as we grow into our expanded virtual workplace. We continue to find opportunities to help grow our clients and our team.  

For more information on how we can help your business grow with our marketing and public relations expertise, contact the team today.

Or, for more information on current job opportunities and how we can help you grow your career, contact melissa_andrew@therecognitiongroup.com.au.