A Month In: What We've Learned About Working Remotely During COVID-19

At the time of publication, our team has been working from home for a month because of COVID-19. While all this is unprecedented and there are many unknowns, we wanted to reflect a little on what’s been working well for us as a team in the hopes that it might help other teams who are trying to get used to working remotely.

Ratio.City has been partially distributed for some time; we have team members who live in different cities and time zones (hi, Jonathan and Monika R!). Given that we’re a cloud-based platform and have always had a flexible work policy, our transition to working remotely was relatively smooth. Here are some of the things we’ve done and learnt in the last month.

Set the team up for working ‘normally’ and comfortably.

When the decision was made that we would start working from home to help flatten the curve, everyone was encouraged to bring home their monitors, keyboards, and any other equipment they might need to set themselves up at home. We didn’t know (and still aren’t sure) how long we would be working remotely. Having the option to bring home equipment to optimize our work spaces turned out to be crucial. It’s not particularly comfortable to crouch over a 13-inch laptop for hours every day. Helping your team to establish a dedicated area in their home where they can work can go a long way in helping them stay focused. While nothing is really ‘normal’ about what’s happening in the world right now, having a setup that resembles the norm can be a comfort in itself.

Adapt business goals to the circumstances.

While we are always busy and working towards deadlines, COVID-19 has forced us to reevaluate our goals and roadmaps. We’re taking this time to focus on R&D, improve our product, develop best practices, and be meticulous and mindful about what we’re doing and planning. If there was ever anything you wished you had more time for whether it’s documentation, reevaluating processes, brand development, or getting to know your team better, well, now is the time to do it.

Keep it real.

Our founders have been making extra effort to keep the team up to date, including being very transparent and communicative about the state of the business. COVID-19 has had dramatic impact across many sectors and it’s natural that your team may feel anxiety about the situation. Especially as a startup, being open and transparent about financial projections—what are our Plans A, B, and C?—and keeping a virtual ‘open office door’ have been instrumental in maintaining the team’s morale. If you’re in a leadership position, this is your time to step up.

Make time for each other.

The week we started working from home, we also set up virtual coffee breaks twice a week and decided to keep our Friday evening ‘Happy Hour’ time slot free. On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, we have optional video conferences where we get to hang out with each other and catch up. We realized quickly that this was helping us connect even more and have longer conversations with colleagues we perhaps didn’t have as much of a chance to speak to in the office (because we sat on opposite ends or didn’t work on the same projects). During Happy Hour, now dubbed ‘Quarantini Optional’, we play games online and sometimes we wear hats (because why not). In some ways, working remotely has made us more connected than before.

Prioritize mental well-being.

Mental health is health and this is an uncertain time that can bring about feelings of anxiety and fear. We’ve made Inkblot Therapy, an online therapy service, available to our team. Supporting your team and providing any resources you can to keep them healthy should be a priority. While ‘mental health benefits’ are not something commonly discussed, making them accessible to your team could make a huge difference. If your company already includes them in an insurance policy, make sure that your team knows the support is there, available, and not stigmatized.

The fact remains that we don’t quite know what lies ahead, but we do know that cities must grow and adapt to become more resilient—and so do we. As a team, we’re working hard to support our existing customers and each other. If you think there’s a way that we can help you and your business during this time, please reach out to us.

Tagged: COVID19, proptech, remote work, startup