Workplace Culture in Transition by Juliana, Kyle, Mallory and Stefanos
Throughout the past year, Shift Digital’s workplace culture transitioned from in-person teamwork to virtual collaboration. Our various management teams are continuing to dedicate resources for effective work-from-home habits to meet our clients’ goals while keeping the “play hard” mentality alive. In the role of leadership, we know that one size does NOT fit all and that each team operates and communicates differently. Below you will hear four differing perspectives regarding Shift’s culture, how it’s changed since working from home, and even a fun fact about each manager.
Mallory Tiernan
How would you describe the Shift Digital culture prior to working from home?
Pre-Covid/WFH, when I think back to being in-office, the words that come to mind regarding Shift culture are energized and dynamic (see what I did there?) Our in-office culture was so focused on connection; connecting to each other and to the community. From group lunches, to morning coffee, to sports events, to Earth Day volunteer outings, to arts & craft gatherings- there was a constant element of connecting as people (not “just” employees) and celebrating our differences.
While the connection was such a focal point to our culture- the ways in which we did that were always evolving. It can be hard to connect and collaborate when a company sees such substantial expansion- but our culture (in-office and out) has continued to evolve and adapt.
How has the Shift Digital Culture evolved over the last year? How have you kept the Shift culture alive while managing your team remotely? Are there certain tactics that have been staples to you during this time?
It’s probably easier to answer what HASN’T changed/evolved in terms of our culture over the last year which has been that overall dynamic/adaptable approach and the desire to connect.
That connection piece has been the biggest area of evolution for our team in terms of maintaining Shift culture. Since we aren’t face-to-face, we have to be creative about how to engage. Whether it’s random Buzzfeed quizzes we take as a team, or photo updates on our “Pets/Fun Life Things” channel, virtual happy hours, or just someone throwing a random conversation prompt out on a Friday- constant communication has allowed us to keep that energized feeling of Shift culture alive.
From a management perspective, prompting those convos/being the first to turn on your camera/sending out a team quiz- those little things all give the team an “okay” to take a mental break and connect on something not work-related at all. Those micro-moments really bring us all back to the reality of being a connected team.
What TV show would you star in and why?
This is tough! I’d love to be someone who thinks they’re cool enough to star in something like Breaking Bad or The Sopranos- but I’m self-aware enough to know I’d make a terrible main character in anything intense like that. I think it’d be fun to be on Portlandia. It seems like Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein just get to be goofy and have a great time- which seems like an ideal gig. Clearly I’m stuck in the past, realizing now that all of these shows are over!
Juliana Attard
How would you describe the Shift Digital culture prior to working from home?
The culture at Shift has always been very collaborative and fun. From catered lunches, dog visits, fun events like the holiday party and kickball tournament- the list goes on. What truly made all these events and culture so special is all the amazing people that work here!
How has the Shift Digital Culture evolved over the last year? How have you kept the Shift culture alive while managing your team remotely? Are there certain tactics that have been staples to you during this time?
Although the culture has changed since we are all working from home, it is evolving in new ways. On the Subaru Concierge for Service team, we have tried our best to keep the Shift Digital Culture “alive” as much as possible. A few ways we have been able to accomplish this are weekly status meetings, fun incentives, and happy hours. On our weekly status meetings, we encourage our team to turn their video on so we are able to see each other and interact as if we are in the office! Since our team is always on the phones, we try to implement fun incentives such as daily winners on who takes the most calls. At the end of the month all those winners go into a drawing and are eligible for a prize. In addition, we have Coffee Catch Ups every Thursday with about 4-5 people. This lasts about 30 minutes and gives the team some time to connect with their co-workers about non-work-related items. Lastly, we have scheduled virtual happy hours, virtual Family Feud, and now that it is getting warmer out hopefully a park meet up. Between all these items, I feel as though it keeps the team close and morale high.
What TV show would you star in and why?
Most likely The Office so I could eat lunch with Kevin, watch Andy perform, and just hang with everyone!
Stefanos Thomopoulos
How would you describe the Shift Digital culture prior to working from home?
I would describe the Shift culture prior to working from home as fun, supportive, team-oriented and innovative.
How has the Shift Digital Culture evolved over the last year? How have you kept the Shift culture alive while managing your team remotely? Are there certain tactics that have been staples to you during this time?
The culture has evolved to be more adaptable to the ever-changing situations both in life and in the industry that we are in, while still providing great service to our clients. Our team as a whole has done a nice job coming up with creative ideas for virtual happy hours or even our weekly 15-minute stand-up to keep us feeling close while being remote. My tactic is setting up a game plan for each day with my team and myself to accomplish our goals and set us up for success, which has led us to do awesome Shift 😊.
What TV show would you star in and why?
I would star in Ted Lasso, because I would love to live in Europe, I’m a footballer and who wouldn’t love to be coached by Jason Sudeikis?
Kyle McBride
How would you describe the Shift Digital culture prior to working from home?
The culture is everything that you could ask for in a company. The people are all like-minded with the same goals! It made the working environment enjoyable and made you feel right at home!
How has the Shift Digital Culture evolved over the last year? How have you kept the Shift culture alive while managing your team remotely? Are there certain tactics that have been staples to you during this time?
With everything that has happened over the past year or so, the Shift culture has stayed the same but adapted to the WFH lifestyle that we all became accustomed to. We try to uphold the normal office day-to-day, except now it’s all virtual. Keeping our team culture to what it was before the pandemic has been our main goal and to do this we still continued to have multiple video chats during the month along with in-person team outings (if everyone is comfortable) so we can continue to see everyone’s smiling faces!
What TV show would you star in and why?
The first show that pops in my head is The Office. Why? Because I like the “Work hard, play hard” mentality that Michael Scott brings to the table along with his constant antics to keep his workers entertained during the workday.