After the confinement caused by the pandemic, we adopted a hybrid work model. It has many advantages (for both employees and the business), and it remains our model of choice.
We called our hybrid model Flexilobar (because we're a communication agency that names everything). Flexilobar consists of a flexible model with a minimum of 50% of the time in-person, where each person chooses the days they are in-person or remote, according to the type of work they have or their professional and personal commitments.
We set the minimum at 50% because it's essential to be with the team, create memories, and maintain the positive, informal, and collaborative culture that defines us. Additionally, we enjoy being with colleagues, sharing achievements, and helping each other. We established an unlimited maximum in-person time so that colleagues who, like me, prefer the in-person model can spend as much time as they want with their peers.
My experience with this model has been very positive. I have the autonomy to choose the days I work in person and the office where I work each day. Moreover, this model allows me to balance my professional and personal life better. I don't waste as much time in traffic, save money on commutes, and reduce my ecological footprint.
In the People & Culture department, this flexibility is desirable in talent acquisition, as opposed to the work models of other companies.
We have candidates who are 100% in-person and would like the opportunity to do some remote work. We have other candidates who are 100% remote and feel they need to be in person with colleagues for mental health reasons. They also need to create more meaningful relationships with others, share, laugh, and feel appreciated as individuals beyond their profession.
This work model has worked so well because there is trust.
They trust us to deliver good work and fulfil our responsibilities, regardless of where we work. Going to the office has a purpose: to make the most of the team we have around us and the culture we share. It's not about being in front of the computer with headphones all day. On those days when we need to do tasks that require more concentration, we choose to work remotely.
In addition to the team, which is undoubtedly the most critical factor, we have other benefits that make us feel welcome in the offices. Starting with kitchens stocked with fresh bread and fruit, the sweets and snacks that colleagues bring to share, gym classes or pilates with the team, the joint morning exercise moment, celebrating new projects, and many other office events.
The LOB’OFFICE DAY
We also created the LOB'OFFICE DAY, thinking about these team moments. We believe that by being together, we strengthen our value as a team and feel that we are part of a universe full of positivity and talent.
LOBA is made up of people.
One day a month, we gather in the nearest office. It's a different day to be with colleagues from other teams and departments, to exchange ideas and experiences, and to be present. This presence and interaction reinforce our culture and promote innovation, consolidating our strength as a great team of creativity and technology.
On these days, we work, of course, and add other dynamics. We work fewer hours (only 5 hours) and avoid scheduling meetings to be more available for colleagues who want to talk to us. We organize longer team lunches and snacks, where we take the opportunity to extend conversations, be with different colleagues, and in different places.
We also feel differences in productivity because not having meetings ensures that we are more focused. Knowing that colleagues are a few meters away from us, and also without meetings, allows us to resolve some work situations more quickly.
After 4:30 PM, we have dynamics with the whole team, which vary with each LOB'OFFICE DAY. In the penultimate event, we had LOBA Talks. LOBA Talks presents a topic relevant to the organization, to which any colleague can contribute their ideas—those who identify with the theme or have input to participate. We have discussed topics such as sustainability and best practices. In the last edition, we discussed how we could add more value to everything we do. These are exciting brainstorming sessions because they always result in many good suggestions.
We believe that these moments have worked very well because we have a defined theme, maintain an informal atmosphere, and have a diverse (for example, with different functions and areas) and voluntary group of people. There is a moderator with guidelines to guide the discussion, and we have more than 1.5 hours to discuss the theme without haste and avoid premature conclusions.
On other LOB'OFFICE DAY, we promote team-building experiences or other dynamics, such as PS tournaments. These moments have allowed us to get to know colleagues with whom we do not work daily, surprising us with different facets of colleagues with us so many days, sharing tastes and ideas, and learning.
As it couldn't be otherwise, it's a day full of food where colleagues share their culinary skills. The cherry on top? Ending the day with some cold beers to accompany a good conversation. There is never a closing time.
The day ends when the last person closes the door.
It is these different moments that allow us to create memories for the future and consolidate relationships that sometimes go beyond professional ones, which serve as motivation even for those most difficult days.
