Four Tips to Navigate a Remote Reality

Ask Omadans what they enjoy most about working at Omada, and our culture is often one of the first things they mention. This is no coincidence. We are guided by the belief that a strong company culture is rooted in the alignment of vision, purpose, and organizational goals. Omada’s People & Culture (P&C) team puts in significant time and attention into ensuring all Omadans feel a deep sense of connection to our mission of inspiring and engaging people in lifelong health.

When COVID-19 swept across the globe, our team was pressed with many critical and timely questions. When it came to Omada employees there was one fundamental query: How do we sustain our strong in-person culture and translate it into a remote reality? 

Ensure a Sense of Connection

First, we wanted to ensure that all Omadans remained connected to each other and our overall mission. Aware that Omadans may be feeling overwhelmed with a sudden shift in lifestyle, it was important that our values of connection & empathy were carried into our virtual workforce. For the first five months, every Monday, our CEO and co-founder, Sean, hosted virtual company-wide all-hands meetings to share company updates and information about the evolving situation. We found that Omadans felt more connected to one another and our mission as a result. We continue to host our Monday Morning Meetings on a bi-weekly basis. 

Enable & Empower Employees

Accurate and reliable company information is key to empowering employees. With so much information circulating, we wanted to ensure that all Omadans received one streamlined source of information. In between our Monday Morning Meeting updates, our Employee Experience Specialists created a twice-weekly newsletter to provide news on relevant topics and benefits updates, from a virtual Classpass subscription, to updating commuting benefits. 

Support Physiological & Psychological Well-being

Aware that many employees may suddenly be sharing work spaces with spouses, roommates, or even children, our tech team has been and continues to be committed to helping Omadans create work from home spaces that are comfortable and ergonomic-friendly. All employees have been encouraged to request tech hardware to be shipped to their home, and on top of this, Omadans have been offered a “work from home” stipend that allows for additional equipment.

Assessing the psychological work environment is as important as the physical. Increased levels of social isolation inevitably bring forward higher rates of mental health challenges. While Omada has an unlimited time off policy, we were aware that with travel no longer being an option, employees would feel less inclined to take time off to recharge. We wanted to encourage Omadans to take time off to recharge and spend time with loved ones, so we went a step further and offered all Omadans the opportunity to take part in a “Summer Slowdown” -- one week of screen-free time for their mental health and wellbeing. In November, we’re encouraging all Omadans to take off Election Day, with the goal of increasing ease and flexibility as we head to the polls. 

Have Fun!

Each month, the People & Culture team hosts either a virtual cooking session, happy hour with an executive member, or an information session on the state of COVID. We’ve had great participation and feedback on these events. As we transition to this new normal, our team is committed to continuing these sessions, and we hope to integrate exciting new experiences along the way.

Have an idea for the Omada People & Culture team? Share your feedback with us at people@omadahealth.com!