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Close to the beginning of the year, we were enthusiastic about our new and exciting  project. The opportunity to assemble two completely new teams, and hire 9 new colleagues that would work on a much anticipated project, got everyone excited. We were looking for 6 Software Engineers, 2 QA Engineers and one Scrum Master to join our efforts. However, the pandemic measures were quickly creeping into every discussion and people in the local software engineering community started to look for stability in their jobs.  

While a part of the potential candidates chose to strengthen the relationship with their current employer, others were strategically searching the market for companies that could grant the stability they wanted for this context and for the future. Considering the current circumstances, opening positions for hiring is a sign of encouragement for our business, and a proof that our company activates in a resilient industry, in which the pandemic crisis has little to no impact.

Leveraging the technology

Having the right technology stack in place for hiring remotely allowed us to keep the standards high in the interviewing experience.

Using video conferencing made the conversation more enjoyable, as each party could still assess the facial expressions and the level of engagement of the other participant. Instead of using whiteboards for sketching ideas and debating solutions, candidates were asked to use their preferred IDE for a live coding session. Using the resources they normally use in their daily work routines, on their own machines, results in a much more relaxed technical conversation.

Open Communication

As in a conventional face-to-face discussion, preparation is key. Surprises are not something most of us want to experience during the interviews. It was important to give candidates advanced notice on how the interview would be conducted, in order to set their expectations correctly and be prepared with the required tools. We also shared with them introduction articles about our industry that would give them a glimpse into what we are doing prior to the interview.

Adapt

We are building a culture where direct feedback is preferred. No matter the outcome, we made sure the candidates were informed about how their performance was evaluated. More importantly, it was essential to gather the candidate perception of our hiring process and to adapt our method. One example where we took the candidate feedback to improve the experience, was to reduce the interview duration. Even in a conventional interview, after a certain amount of time, it is difficult to remain engaged, and now, screen fatigue is an additional factor in the attention span equation.

We worked hard to find the right people for our project, and the next challenge was to have a successful remote onboarding. Most of our pre-pandemic methods were not applicable anymore. It’s tough to form bonds without desk neighbours and spirited social breakfasts in the office. Without these connections, the flow of questions between the new joiners and the team is not as smooth. 

Rethinking the learning culture

Now that all the discussions are done virtually, we have to make sure we don’t forget a key piece of information, so our goal is to make every type of communication deliberate, and gradually substitute the transfer of know-how that once happened organically in the office. 

To explain the details of our work to someone from outside the company, and many times outside the industry, we asked for the involvement of new stakeholders in this process, and product managers are now playing a big role in transferring the knowledge to the new joiners. They helped us with a series of introductory meetings and videos to explain the working parts of our systems. Aside from this, senior team members across the organization are conducting multiple online technical training sessions to get our new joiners quickly up to speed.

The Buddy Program

We already had a buddy system implemented in our company, so with minor modifications, it was comforting to know we could rely on established practices to transition us into the new status quo. We usually pair a current employee with a new hire to help them adapt easier to the organizational culture. For a change, we tried engaging newly hired colleagues to take the buddy role. This brought advantages to both sides. The new joiners were more comfortable asking questions to someone that went recently through the same process as them, and the new buddy gained more confidence in the fresh knowledge he acquired.

Patience

With all our endeavours to make the onboarding process as efficient as before, we have to admit that an online onboarding process requires tremendously more patience for all the parties involved. The pace is much slower than in traditional onboarding, and it takes a bit longer for the new team members to understand the technical aspects of the job, and embrace the culture and values of the company. Calibrating expectations from the beginning is extremely important, and it is better to start small with easier tasks and gradually move up in complexity.

Crafting a successful process for hiring and onboarding remotely a completely new team was the first chapter in this story. Moving forward, we are now focusing on understanding how we work together virtually as a team, adapting to the challenges of this uncharted journey.

People first

Not having the teams working in the same space meant fewer visual cues, and that inevitably  can create misunderstandings and a quick loss of engagement. 

The way we choose to communicate and the means in which we stay connected personally and professionally are at the heart of this performant team. Every person has a different preferred way of communication, so we are combining different meeting formats. Currently we are balancing 1:1 meetings, online team workshops and informal gatherings, with a continuous virtual open-door policy.

This is why managing a team I have never met in person is an exercise of agility, that favors adapting the processes to individual preferences and prioritizing people first.  

Focusing on results

With daycares and schools being closed, it is essential for many of the team members to have flexibility in adapting their work schedule. There was no surprise that this change didn’t translate into a productivity decrease. Actually, enough studies have shown that working from home has the opposite result. 

In order to measure our team success, we are using the same metrics as before the COVID-19 crisis. We focus on the deliverables. Is the work done at the expected quality? Are the deadlines met? These are some of the indicators that show we are heading into the correct direction, as we are now days away from having our first release with the US OMS team. 

Work life balance

Being more productive when working from home is definitely a good thing, but it needs to be managed carefully. The line between home life and work is getting blurred and we are tempted to cross it. This is why we are shaping a team culture where working extra hours is discouraged, and keeping a healthy work-life balance is considered vital for the success of our work interactions.