At Agilx, we pride ourselves on the tight knit team atmosphere we have purposefully curated. Through weekly team lunches, celebrations and happy hours, we embrace a “work hard play hard” philosophy. When we grow our team, we proactively share details on the Agilx culture and ensure the new addition will be a great fit for us. So when a global pandemic struck and threatened our ability to work closely together, we had an unexpected curveball to navigate. The plans for an open house to showcase our new office space were put on pause as we made new arrangements; team members’ homes now became their daily offices.
From the start, Agilx CEO Dustin Clonch made it clear that Agilx places great value on the peace of mind of its employees. Through regularly solicited feedback it became evident that many team members were not comfortable with the current state of the pandemic. Amidst a time of turmoil and extreme anxiety, the leadership team at Agilx was certain that employees’ work environment was not something that should be adding stress to anyone’s life.
This was new territory, as Agilx had not previously had any remote employees. All of our team members are hired locally to help foster a great work culture together. However, the health and safety of our employees is of utmost priority, so the necessary steps were taken for what everyone assumed would be a short lived predicament.
It quickly became evident that our employees appreciated this offer immensely and were not afraid to step up to the plate to ensure that clients continued to receive the same level of care and commitment they had grown accustomed to through their partnerships with Agilx. The transition proved almost seamless as communication quickly transitioned to a live Slack channel. Team members replied in real time to their colleagues asking questions or seeking help with any issue.
Rather than using this as an excuse to slow down, we saw efficiencies improve thanks to the responsiveness of the team. We began brand new projects, took on new clients, and held virtual kick off meetings, all from the comforts of kitchen tables and living room couches.
Now, six months later, the majority of our team have yet to return to the office. We’ve enjoyed virtual happy hours, a distanced pizza party at the park, online game nights and a myriad of other COVID inspired activities. While we look forward to the day we are reunited together again, we are so fortunate to have a solid team in place, a team who not only easily adapted to these changes, but embraced them with open arms. Every person has stepped up to the plate to keep progress moving forward without interruption.
It’s become quite apparent that choosing the right people from the start has been key to the success Agilx continues to enjoy. Our team has proven to be trustworthy with the freedom extended to each person time and time again. We see that our team culture established an excellent foundation for our working relationships to continue to thrive, no matter where we are located. Focusing on our people has been a priority from day one, and it will continue to be a value Agilx holds throughout this pandemic and beyond. Whether writing code at our space in the Haymarket or with our pets as co-workers in a home office, we are excited to see how our team will continue to meet the challenges the future brings.