Team culture in a remote world
Building and keeping a strong sense of culture in a growing team is tough. Here's how Made Tech do it.
Hi, I'm Emma and I joined Made Tech last week as a UCD Principal.
One of the things that has really struck me about Made Tech is the strong sense of culture, community and support here. The way this has got me started and established in the team is unlike anywhere else I've worked.
So, I've spent some time trying to unpick exactly what it is that they're doing here that has given me the warm fuzzies and sense of belonging so quickly. Here’s what I’ve spotted:
How to use Slack guide 👩💻
There was really clear, friendly guidance shared with me on my first day about Slack etiquette – things like where to introduce yourself to the company, a nudge to add a picture and your pronouns to your profile (if safe and comfortable) and a plea to use threads.
It meant I didn't do any awkward newbie things like put stuff in the wrong channel or get swept up in work before making my profile. And love ’em or hate ’em, emoji use is rampant and a vital part of how we communicate. If a post doesn't need a written reply, some emoji interaction lets you know other people are out there and what they're feeling. I've spent the past year fighting with Microsoft Teams and I'm so here for dabbing parrots and dancing dinosaurs.
Branded templates are easily available 🎨
I'd not considered just how important this was to culture before starting at Made Tech, but there's something about being able whack a really crisp, high quality branded header on your LinkedIn page that helps you feel part of the tribe.
And I was buzzing to see that there are templates for everything. Everything! All of our presentations, reports and proposals have a really strong and consistent brand identity. It's quicker for us to produce things. And it makes what we're sharing and the quality of what we're sharing with our clients, super consistent.
Lots feedback and celebrating wins 🥳
One of the first things that I was told about working at Made Tech was what a strong feedback culture they have. And they weren't joking! It’s even part of onboarding, with a whole two hours dedicated to giving and receiving feedback.
You can see how easily it is asked for and given in conversations on Slack. There's a real openness and desire for feedback and the team have worked hard to make the space feel safe to make sure it happens well. There's a lot to be said for collectively celebrating all the good stuff that's happening around the business and giving people some virtual high fives and a bunch of emojis (see above). Really helps with those warm fuzzies and team bonding.
Lots of socialising 💃
I've picked up that the Made Tech lot are a pretty sociable bunch and there's lots of fun and mischief to be had. There's a good mix of online stuff to get involved in as well as in-person festive regional stuff happening, like wreath making and a Christmas Meal. What's a really nice touch is the festive activities are on the same night for all offices across the country. It’s a small thing but helps the different locations feel connected.
So whether you prefer something crafty, you like an evening in a pub or falling off a paddle board into Bristol Harbour, there’s something for everyone here.
People Team 🤝
And the thing bringing all of this together and holding up the culture here at Made Tech is a cracking People Team. They swept me up into the Made Tech tribe from the very first email, through to getting me ready to start. And now that I’m here, they make sure that I have access to the learning materials I need. They make sure our team and practices are inclusive. Plus they’re the folks organising all of the social stuff I mention above.
So I've had a cracking first week and I'm excited to get settled in and start sharing more about what I get up to here at Made Tech.
Have a great week and Happy Holidays folks!