Meeting coworkers virtually, doing laundry during lunch breaks, and wearing pajama bottoms for 24 hours straight - we all thought this was the new normal. We might have even enjoyed it. But after nearly three years of not seeing anyone except the people we lived with and hardly leaving the home office (which doubled as a kitchen, a school room, and a doggie day care), maybe it is time for us to consider that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
At Kaseya, those cherished water cooler catchups, traditional gatherings after work, and the one superhero with the snack drawer is still very much alive. According to CEO Fred Voccola, Kaseya is a proud work-from-office company, boasting more than 30 offices worldwide.
Working from the office establishes a shared purpose among employees and provides them with a sense of belonging. Kaseya proves that the best way to feel as if you are a part of something, is to experience being a part of it.
Voccola believes that when you are physically around your colleagues every day, instead of staring at them through a computer screen in your living room, it allows you to focus more on the task at hand. You get more done, and you get to enjoy your evenings and weekends away from the office.
Being around colleagues fosters an environment that cultivates the mentoring of employees and provides them with a pathway for promotion. This is incredibly important to Voccola, as Kaseya continues mass hiring amidst a world doing the exact opposite. In Kaseya offices, leadership doesn't hide - they are out on the sales floors interacting with employees every day. While this may seem trivial, it provides invaluable mentorship and opportunities to employees.
Voccola believes that you learn quicker and develop more skills when surrounded by senior people. This is mainly due to the constant and immediate feedback received when your team is sitting next to you. Leadership cannot see when new employees are struggling, and new employees don't always know who to ask when they are having trouble.
Working from the office also contributes to the success of Kaseya's "Grow Your Own" Program, an internal initiative to promote within the company. Leadership can witness an individual's work ethic and overall attitude firsthand so they can fill roles that, on paper, they might not be "qualified" for. Kaseya then mentors these individuals so they can thrive and advance within the company. Without working in the office, it's difficult to establish these personal relationships that supports employees with upward mobility.
"It builds a culture of collaboration and accomplishing common goals," said Fred Voccola.
There is also something to be said about working around people with a completely different skill set than you. You might learn things you have never expected to learn that will help you in the future.
Working in the office allows employees to not only collaborate with colleagues, but also to strengthen social bonds and make friends. When you're not only collaborating on projects, but also on what appetizer to order at lunch, employees are able to form alliances that can last for years. So many of us have done virtual team bonding exercises that didn't bring the team together in the same way having a meal at the same table can.
Kaseya also does some team building on the field (or court or course) with their offices around the world having office soccer teams, volleyball teams, cricket leagues, and even taking tennis lessons together.
As wonderful as our dogs laying at our feet as we worked was, nothing compares to the comradery that comes from going to work in an office with others. Voccola understands this better than anyone and that is why he is proud to say that Kaseya is a work-from-office company.
