The spread of the Covid 19 virus in Malta in early 2020 took most local companies off guard and forced with immediacy a new mindset where remote working is concerned because this option, for the most part, was not a concept employers embraced in pre-pandemic Malta. We at iMovo realised quickly that managing remote teams could pose challenges, but we also learned that most of these challenges can be managed and turned into advantages for all concerned if we worked smartly together and garnered the buy in from all our people. The teams at iMovo switched to a hybrid based remote working model and we discussed as a team on how to best implement strategies that would see us thrive as a company but most importantly not to lose our values and great team spirit along the way. Some key elements of our strategy:
- Communication – is key and without it, we cannot flourish. iMovo has distributed teams across 3 countries apart from Malta and collaborating through instant messaging and email apart from other platforms has become a way of life for us. We have implemented key virtual Company catch up meetings whereby all employees are kept abreast with the latest Company updates and ensuring that teams are always on the same page. But it is not all work and no play. We felt it important that teams should find time to interact with each other on a personal level so virtual coffee breaks are also held bi-weekly.
- Setting objectives & expectations – setting expectations for our people reduces confusion and increases the chances of them being successful in achieving the goals and targets set for them which benefits them and the Company as a whole. We embrace a 360 degree appraisal programme where employees have an opportunity to not just be appraised on their own personal performances and successes by their managers but to also appraise performances upwards and linear in a constructive and honest approach.
- Showing appreciation & recognition – iMovo promotes a culture of feedback and recognition. Recognition is very low cost but has high impact and is key in improving employee engagement especially in remote working environments as its effects are felt immediately not only by the receiver but also by the giver.
- Teambuilding activities – we are passionate about organizing fun events for our people to enjoy. For those working locally, monthly lunches and quarterly team building events are part of our calendars. For our colleagues overseas and we also organize virtual team building activities to further enhance the collaboration and team spirit prevalent within iMovo.
We are all the above and much more! Our core values of integrity, quality, employee wellbeing, ethos and customer satisfaction are very important to us and are the credo we follow daily. We impart these values in everything we do and transmit them to prospective candidates during our recruitment process because an academic fit is important but we choose our future employees also on the basis of shared values. These requisites together with our remote working flexibility have seen us successfully employ cross borders with staff based in Malta, Italy, Portugal and Lebanon in what is deemed to be a very challenging time of lack of resources worldwide.
We will continue to use our hybrid-based model of remote working for the foreseeable future. This is our way forward!
At iMovo we are always on the lookout for new joiners to form part of our ever-growing tribe. Have a look at our careers section and see if you’re interested in joining the iMovo family.
