On a normal day, we face our work desks and continue to enjoy the benefits of working from home. Beyond all the work that we do, we have personal lives that we “come home” to, whether it be our spouse and kids, our pets, or our hobbies. The opportunity to make the most of these is often rare, and thanks to a supportive work environment, we all get to live every version of ourselves seamlessly. Most of us at Partnear are parents. We all still feel tired and overstimulated as every parent does, but not having to deal with the stress of everyday traffic and rigid workday time pressure has definitely made our days better and more efficient. And that is the goal, isn’t it? To be more productive at work and still have the time to enjoy our lives outside of work.
The one thing constant in our lives is definitely growth. Partnear has instilled an understanding of flexibility into our culture, which has broadened and shaped through the years. The way we do flexibility at Partnear comes from an understanding of how we make use of time, while also being aware of how others make use of their time. We have established a culture where there is mutual respect for each other’s availability, while remaining collaborative within the workspace. Understanding flexibility in the right context allows you to interweave your personal and work life in a non-toxic way. Come to think of it, we strive for what work-life balance is all about! Our typical days accommodate our daily needs aside from working hours, so trips to the bank, any personal appointments, and even dropping off and picking up kids from school, all of which run the same business hours as any typical business, have not been difficult for us. This setup allows our work to match our productive energy, as some of us are morning people, evening people, sit and focus people or come-and-go people. Flexibility, being a core of the business’ nature, empowers our people, while also enabling our partners in life with their own productivity and experience, which ultimately improves our overall quality of life by challenging stereotypes and gender roles.
During the early days of 2024, one of the notable changes to our working conditions was the opportunity to have a 9 day full-time fortnight. This working scheme was new to many people, where the goal was to get a “one day off every two weeks”! The opportunity has allowed us a day to recuperate and prepare for a new work week. It is done with an extra hour a day, but it aims to recognise those times we have a push to get something done, or those moments of focus where we get ahead. We get more done in a day, instead of it being wasted dealing with heavy traffic or stop-starting with tasks.
Apart from the 9 day fortnights, there have also been a few improvements in remote collaborative working. Most days, just sitting in front of the computer, doing your dailies, reporting on your progress, can feel a little social isolated. Although we usually have Friday socials and a number of personal interests and banter groups in our virtual office space. Having started our remote working journey from the now old MS Teams prior to and during COVID, wanting to ensure remote work actually works, we have explored the use of alternative virtual working environments to make remote work feel like we are just beside each other, having a random chat. Other than being social, it has also served as our collaborative space where we gather and talk about projects, beyond what a typical meeting could be. Our virtual office enables continuous learning, like any personal interactions, and helps maintain each other’s accessibility through our daily updates. Those across the office pod chats, and accidental learnings are possible remotely too, with the right setup and culture.
It is not only the work we do and the services that we provide that contribute to the company, but it is also the time and soft skills we hone with the people we work with. Growth is a splendid thing, indeed, and we can say it in the sense that as the business grows over the years, the people who make up the group are also growing with it in various ways. And that is the important thing, isn’t it? It is one thing to help ourselves grow, but it is another thing to grow alongside people you like working with and enjoying the life you build with others.
