What it takes to foster creativity on remote teams
With team members from coast to coast, CRI has long embraced the hybrid-work way of life. Over the years, we’ve come to learn the many benefits of this way of working. Access to a wider, more diverse talent pool? Check. Being more productive? Check. An ability to serve clients across time zones? Check. Better mental health and fewer sick days? Check. Less emissions, money and time spent commuting? Check, check and check.
At the same time, our distributed team means that we can’t just walk down the hall or pop our heads over a cubicle wall to ask a question, chat about weekend plans or collaborate with teammates. So, does working remotely mesh with a thriving creative culture? We believe the answer is yes — if you’re willing to put in the effort.
Here are a few ways CRI works to create a culture where everyone is inspired, engaged, and in the loop.
Stay curious.
Collaboration technology is the backbone of everything we do. We use it daily to meet and chat, as well as to share our work, provide feedback, manage deadlines and maintain repositories of our resources and expertise. And we’re constantly finding ways to improve, including through group training sessions on new tools and webinars on key topics. CRI offers a stipend that employees can use to invest in professional development or updates to their home-office technology. My team also invites guest speakers to our weekly calls to educate us on emerging ESG topics and design trends. By prioritizing continuous improvement in all of these ways, we nurture innovation and feed the creative process.
Share perspectives.
Has your manager ever told you they wish there were five of you? That might sound like a good thing, but I’d prefer five team members from different locations and walks of life any day. Diverse perspectives and experiences push each of us to think differently — which is why we create opportunities for every employee to share what interests them outside of work. Each week, one CRI team member gives a quick presentation on a recent trip, hobby or project. You never know whether photos from that trip to Iceland or work from your favorite artist might light a creative spark in your coworkers!
In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, CRIers share favorite recipes in one of our chat threads. One year, the design team decided to combine these ideas into a company cookbook. The finished product was a fun surprise for the rest of the team during the holiday season, and the process pushed our creativity, revealed hidden talents and created excitement and camaraderie.
CRI also loves a committee; and we have several — one on citizenship initiatives, one for social activities and one focused on technology. Our goal is to have members from every team participate in each. Having different viewpoints and skillsets encourages distinct approaches to tackling problems that we might miss if everyone was like-minded.
Support downtime.
While remote work can lead to an always-on mentality, we know that taking time to reset is essential not only for mental health, but also for being creative. We help people take breaks to rejuvenate their thinking in a number of ways. Beyond standard PTO, we give each CRI employee their birthday off, as well as an extra day to observe a holiday or volunteer. We also end our days early on Fridays when project schedules allow.
Connecting with your colleagues is important, too. My team has weekly coffee chats where we share our work and catch up with one another. We love posting pics of our menagerie of animals and kiddos in our team channel. It’s a great way to take a five-minute mental break and see some cuteness!
Celebrate successes.
Everyone likes to be acknowledged. Whether it’s a birthday, “workiversary,” learning achievement, or job well done, a little recognition goes a long way. On any given day, you can expect to see memes in our group chats celebrating a coworker’s birthday, appreciation to a team for earning a new training certification and kudos for a recently launched report. I especially like sharing our recently completed projects — they are a great way to let everyone see what a cross-department team has been creating for months. Those involved get recognized for their hard work, and others gain inspiration for future projects.
Learn more about us.
CRI has managed to create a culture that thrives because of our remote-first environment, not in spite of it. I’m proud to work for a company where hard work, out-of-the-box thinking, innovation and balance can coexist. Learn more about careers at CRI.
