Making ‘Work from Home’ work | Mirum India
Unprecedent times call for unprecedented actions. Being in a digital delivery business, having the team do Work From Home is not exactly a rocket science. But how do you ensure that the team continues to bond with each other, have those “coffee machine” gossip, stay in touch and feel motivated !! This is how we do it at Mirum :
1. The Cocktail Time
After a hectic day at work, you would like to relax and chill with your friends. Why should it be any different now? Every day at 6.30 PM, its Cocktail Time at Mirum, where everyone logs in virtually for an entertaining session of Standup comedy or a music performance or a game of quiz or a game of housie. And the star performers on the Cocktail Time are Mirum team-members themselves. The Social Hour also acts as a marker for employees to know that the workday is over, which helps in maintain Work-Home balance.
Tip: There is a performer in all of us. All it takes is a nudge
2. Speed Dating
Got your attention! During the lockdown, we started a pilot session to promote cross-team building on the lines of Speed Dating, where we got 6 people from different departments to meet virtually and get to know each other. It is generally seen that while people in a department know each other, bonding outside the department is much less. We received tremendous response to our pilot session, and now we are doing 2-3 sessions a day. Till last count half the company had speed-dated someone, and had made new friends.
Tip: Keep interaction structured to encourage participation
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
Like they say, during adverse times, there is no such thing as over communication. The more you communicate, the more you build trust with your employees. Apart from the regular email to the employees informing about the current situation and how as a company we are trying to handle it, our top management team at Mirum does virtual meetings with each department across hierarchies to informally interact with the team and check on their well-being.
Tip: Leadership team needs to lead from the front
4. Facilitate Change
‘Work From Home’ as a lifestyle is new to all of us, right from IT infrastructure to having a dedicated workspace at home. Our job is to facilitate this transition and make it as smooth as possible. We have moved all HR processes online to ensure employees do not face challenges with claims and reimbursements. Our IT Support contacts each employee regularly to check if the IT infrastructure is working fine. One of the employees was finding his home chair uncomfortable, we delivered his office chair to his house !!
Tip: Small gestures have a big impact
5. Celebrate Achievements
During difficult times, achievements however big or small, make us all happy. As rule at Mirum, we celebrate every achievement of a team member whether it’s a client appreciation or delivery of a great creative. A few days back we celebrated #Mirum #KindHearts…team members who are doing their bit for the larger society ..like someone who provides food to the policeman, or someone who delivers medicines to the homes of the aged, or yet another who is out on the road each night, feeding stray dogs and cats.
Tip: Everybody loves a pat on the back. Be generous.
6. Show Empathy
The lockdown has brought the country to a standstill. Most of the essential services are not available. Many of our employees are juggling multiple chores from household work, cooking to performing daycare duties. We need to show empathy and embrace this new reality.
Tip: Be flexible with your rules