FullStorians can work from wherever they are most productive
Like companies around the world, the pandemic has forced FullStory to rethink (and rethink, and rethink again) the role our physical office spaces play for our employees. Here are some insights on the hybrid approach to work that we’ve developed for FullStorians, and our plans for how this will help accelerate us into the future.
Opening our doors while staying remote-first
Our Atlanta office’s primary purpose has shifted from being a place where FullStorians “go to work” daily to being an energizing space that incites collaboration, teamwork, and connection across the company. Working from the office—which we affectionately call HQ4—is entirely optional, and FullStorians are now more strategic in how they think about where they work.
We encourage our colleagues to think of the office as a tool in their tool box. You won’t need it for everything, but when you do, it's available. Under this opt-in model, 44% of FullStorians worked from HQ at some point in the three months between May and July, while 10% of FullStorians worked from HQ weekly. In order to be inclusive of all employees around the world, meetings and connection events remain remote friendly.
The flexibility to work from a location that sparks creativity, productivity, and joy
Rather than making plans and policies based on how we think FullStorians will prefer to work in a post-COVID world, we’ve intentionally stood back and watched how people organically use the office as it becomes an option for work again. We are starting to see three personas emerge: -- the remote worker who prefers to stay at home, the worker who craves consistent time in the office, and the hybrid worker who wants the flexibility to choose.
The next step is to “pave the cowpaths,” using these observed work preferences to inform the choices we offer FullStorians in the future and adapting our physical spaces to suit those needs. One thing is for sure: many FullStorians prefer to work from home, and that flexibility is here to stay.
Facetime isn’t necessary, but we also love running into each other
When it comes to a hybrid work environment, we’re committed to the belief that you don’t need facetime to be successful. But we also know that serendipitously running into people in a shared space helps build relationships and community.
How do we balance these two schools of thought?
FullStorians are defined by curiosity and empathy, and while these characteristics come alive when we gather, they also form the foundation for our virtual interactions. A remote FullStorian who recently visited HQ4 for the first time said it best:
Being at HQ4 for a week was awesome, but the best part was that the virtual culture FullStory has built 100% carried over to how I felt in-person. FullStorians are just as kind, hard-working, and welcoming IRL [in real life] as they are virtually.
The number one priority is keeping FullStorians safe
The pandemic has proven that FullStorians are productive and passionate from wherever they are, and that we can find creative ways to connect and bond even without being in the same physical location. We will continue iterating and adapting our policies to accommodate varying comfort levels and to ensure that FullStorians stay safe, connected, and productive during this challenging time. That said, we can’t deny that we look forward to the day when we can all gather once again—because after all, FullStorians are our secret sauce.
Dear COVID, please go away
Next year, we hope to be able to host occasional in-person all-hands gatherings and give teams the opportunity to gather a couple of additional times throughout the year. These gatherings will be times to connect, collaborate, and continue strengthening the bonds that we’ve built in the virtual world.
To the future!
