Written by Brandon I 4 min read
What does this mean for the company culturally?
For years, our company has thrived as a fully remote organization, building an exceptional culture that has garnered praise from our employees and the industry alike. As we continue to grow and evolve, we are excited to announce that we have recently moved into a new office space where our team can collaborate and work together in person for the first time in Onova’s history. In this blog post, we're excited to share what this means culturally for our team, and how we plan to maintain and enhance our unique culture as we transition into a hybrid working model.
Maintaining Our Strong Remote Foundations
We recognize that the strong remote work culture we've built has been a key factor in our success. As we move into our new office space, we are committed to preserving the best aspects of our remote culture at Onova. This means we'll continue to prioritize flexibility, trust, and work-life balance, allowing team members to choose when and where they work best, whether that's in the office, at home, or a combination of both.
This will always be our default setting. Over our 5 year history, we’ve seen the positives in our remote working environment. On our social media, you may have seen us heading to our favourite activity of the year: our semi-annual cottage retreats! To complement our previously remote work arrangements, we organize fully in-person retreats that bring everyone together in a relaxed and rejuvenating setting. These retreats offer a perfect balance of team building, professional development, and leisure activities, allowing team members to bond, collaborate and get feedback on a rapid cycle , and recharge their batteries.
Our office space will serve to be similar to those retreats. By creating an atmosphere that encourages open communication, collaboration, and genuine connections, our new office space, just like our cottage retreat, will play a vital role in enhancing our company culture, keeping our remote team members engaged and motivated, and ultimately contributing to our ongoing success.
Aesthetics and Inspiration for the Space
Helen, Inoki and Onova’s co-founder, drove the interior design of the new space. Taking inspiration from Japanese and Scandinavian architecture - Japandi designs - the office space embodies a functional and cultural vibe. Our criteria of a high ceiling, brightly lit windows, and a large spatious place allowed us to find the perfect studio for the Onova and Inoki team to call home.
“From the artwork to the placement of furniture, I wanted the space to be welcoming and invite creative thinking” – Helen Yin, Co-Founder of Onova and Inoki Bathhouse.
Fostering Deeper Connections and Collaboration
One of the main reasons we've decided to establish a physical office space is to create an environment that fosters deeper connections and collaboration among team members. By providing a space for in-person interactions, we aim to further strengthen our culture of open communication, knowledge sharing, and camaraderie. This will also allow us to build stronger working relationships, which will ultimately lead to increased innovation output and better results for our clients and partners.
At Onova, we take immense pride in the positive feedback we consistently receive from our clients regarding their joy in working with us. This sentiment is a testament to our dedication to providing exceptional service, seamless communication, and innovative solutions tailored to their specific needs. As we transition into a hybrid working model and introduce an in-person office setting, we are confident that this already strong client sentiment will be further amplified.
The in-person setting offers numerous opportunities for enhancing our client relationships. Face-to-face meetings foster a deeper understanding of our clients' needs, as well as stronger rapport and trust. Additionally, the increased collaboration and knowledge sharing among our team members in the office environment will enable us to deliver even more innovative and effective solutions for our clients. This synergy will result in a heightened sense of partnership and satisfaction, further solidifying the joy our clients experience when working with us.
Moreover, our new office space will serve as a hub for hosting clients, industry events, and workshops, providing valuable opportunities for networking and relationship building. By inviting our clients into our workspace, we can offer them an immersive experience of our company culture, strengthening the personal connections that underpin our professional relationships.
Adapting and Growing Together
As we embark on this new chapter, we remain committed to investing in the personal and professional growth of our team members. By providing resources, opportunities, and an environment that supports learning and development, we're confident that our team will continue to flourish both individually and as a collective.
We understand that this transition to a hybrid working model will be a learning experience for all of us. As we navigate this change, we will listen to feedback, learn from our experiences, and adapt as necessary to ensure we continue to uphold our strong company culture. We believe that this ongoing process of reflection and improvement will only serve to make us stronger and more resilient as an organization.
At the heart of our company culture lies a shared passion for creating exceptional experiences and delivering outstanding results. As we move into our new office space and embrace a hybrid working model, we are excited about the opportunities this presents to continue building on the strong foundations we've established. We look forward to this next chapter in our company's story and the positive impact it will have on our team, our clients, and our partners.
