At Fika we champion flexibility by being a remote first business. However, working remotely can be daunting at first, especially for new hires. So, we sat down for a conversation with one of our team members to learn more about his experience.
Getting started at Fika
Max joined the team a year ago straight out of university and has since leveled up to a new position as Relationship Manager. For him, entering a fully remote environment was not as complex as it might seem: “Onboarding into a remote team was actually very straightforward - it was made easy by clear and constant communication from Lauren (our People and Culture Partner) and it was obvious what was expected of me”.
Our people are at the heart of Fika’s unique culture where open communication is vital to ensure that everyone has a voice: “The best thing was the impromptu invitations to meet other members from the team. The effort made by everyone to get to know me truly made me feel welcome and onboarded into Fika”. At Fika every day is different and there’s always plenty of projects to get involved in: “The opportunities I get at Fika are unparalleled. I compare my situation to my friends and it’s incredible what Fika has allowed me to do with my career so far. I’m given responsibility and I feel trusted and valued to do the work. As a result, I reciprocate by giving my all.”
Keeping an open mind
When it comes to flexible work everyone experiences it differently, so it’s important to adopt a growth mindset and be open to new approaches when onboarding into a new team:
“Every workplace is different and so every manager and HR team will have different ways of working which you may or may not initially agree with or be aligned to. However, there has to be a degree of trust in the process involving giving up one's own preconceptions. For example, during the first two weeks of onboarding I spent a lot of time in meetings. I thought it would be better to spend more time figuring things out on my own, however when reflecting back on the process it’s those meetings and constant interactions with people which made it so smooth and enjoyable for me.”
5 tips to thrive in a remote work environment
Max’s 1 year Fika anniversary is an exciting milestone with plenty of key learnings and lessons for the long run: “It may sound cliche but I literally learn every single day from others and about myself!”. It’s hard to choose just one takeaway, so Max gave us five instead:
- “When remote working, make the effort to see people in real life that you work with. There is nothing better to give you a renewed perspective and a fresh rejuvenated attitude to work.”
- “Know what works for you. For me, Balance is everything. Working from the same desk every single day and not moving or having variety simply does not work for me. Likewise, going into the office every single day would not work for me either. Having a balance between the two is my Goldilocks zone. Socrates actually summed up all of philosophy pretty well when he said ‘know thyself’.”
- “When things are getting stressful or I feel overwhelmed, I go for a walk. I can’t explain how much a 20 minute walk in nature with fresh air can change my perspective on things.”
- “Be honest with everyone as soon as you can. Not only for yourself, but for the people around you.”
- “Try to be empathetic as much as possible. I think empathy is probably the most important human skill one can learn to develop.”
Hybrid and remote work can seem intimidating and although a new way of working presents some challenges, it can also be transformative. When we strive to build cultures where employees can do their best work, the opportunities for innovation and development grow exponentially. At Fika we live and breathe this principle, and we can help you build this culture in your teams too.
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