'How To Hybrid' With Justina Lloyd, Head Of People At Resonate

Jules Robertson 3 minute read

Justina Lloyd, Head of People at Resonate, tells us all ‘How to Hybrid’:

Explain a little about your company and the 'why' behind the company for those who aren't familiar with you guys.


Resonate are all about getting connected, Unified Communications & Collaboration is about empowering individuals and groups to collaborate effectively across organisations, partners and customer eco systems. We’ve helped organisations consolidate several communication and collaboration channels into a single company wide platform that is accessible from all devices. Even before a global pandemic this has transformed businesses into modern workplace environments.

 

What has been your role in shaping the hybrid policy of your team?


Resonate by the nature of it’s business is a huge advocate of collaborative working tools. We have the working from home part nailed. My role along with my Leadership team has been to listen to what our employees wanted from the new workplace possibilities and then work out how best to accommodate everyone whilst keeping a great sense of belonging in our teams.

What is your team's hybrid strategy?


Resonate’s leadership team believes that this is a great opportunity to change the old constraints of 9-5, allowing employees to choose whether they work from home or from an office increases flexibility which in turn means that career options that previously may have felt unattainable, perhaps due to family commitments or travel difficulties, open up across our employee divisions. We don’t believe in presenteeism and this is a great way to empower our employees to take control of their work life balance.


 

What is the main challenge of having a hybrid team and how have you overcome it?


The biggest challenge is making sure the technology is accessible regardless of location, and creating a level playing field so that people who are remote do not feel excluded. We’ve deployed Microsoft Teams with the full feature set, including telephony so our employees have a single tool for all communication and collaboration, moreover we’ve driven adoption to drive a collaboration culture among the business which ensures ideas and information are shared openly with the whole business as opposed to privately, so information is easily found. 


What do you find are the best types of spaces for your team to come together and collaborate?


Having spent the last 14 months locked away at home in our own workspaces we’ve become collaboration ninjas on Microsoft Teams, and having developed a strong ‘video on’ culture really do squeeze the best value out of online meetings. It’s been great to see colleagues as we’ve made tentative steps towards going back to the office and the most effective spaces when we do are huddle spaces where small groups can get together face to face but at the same time include colleagues who are remote.

If you could share one piece of advice with others about moving to a hybrid model, what would it be?


Pick one technology for collaborative work across the entire business and make sure people understand the capabilities and how to use them, adoption is fundamental in ensuring everyone, regardless of location, gets the best out of the tools.

What does an ideal workday look like for you?


For me it’s all about communication, so having great tools that enable me to keep in contact with my team and share, in real time, the projects that we are working on has been invaluable. My ideal workday is one where I know that my employees have everything they need to live their best work life. It’s all about getting a job done when it’s best for you to do it.


What's one habit or ritual you need to start and finish your day and why is it non-negotiable for you?


A cup of builders tea starts my day and when I switch my laptop off at home I like to light a fragranced candle to mark the start of relaxation. If I am in the office the end of the day is marked when I decide what I’m having for dinner. It’s all about the downtime at the close of the day for me. Everyone should switch off, it’s so easy to feel like you have to be contactable 24-7.

 

With Tally Workspace, we can find your team a private office to call home or you can instantly book meeting rooms and desks.