At ClimateCamp, we have a remote-first working model, enhanced by regular in-person gatherings, our workations. As a company that started out during the pandemic, we have been iterating how we organize work from day one.
Gather Town has been our virtual office for nearly a year. It's our daily hangout spot, providing the freedom to work from anywhere. Sure, it looks a bit geeky (Pokémon, anyone?), but we all felt it's quite a magical experience actually. Gather Town has proven to be an effective platform for simulating a real office environment, which facilitates spontaneous interactions and structured meetings alike.
I would not know how I could even go back. It's like being in an office, without the office. Need a quick chat? See who’s around. Got a hot topic? Jump into the war room. For instance, after customer calls, the sales team quickly catches up to debrief for a minute. You immediately see who is around in the office. You see who is talking to whom. We even set up our recruitment interviews in Gather.
This flexibility on where we work comes with a structured approach to synchronous working hours. This setup is crucial for a young startup like ours, where quick iteration and real-time collaboration are key. We tried async, but that’s not fully working for us. The virtual office experience with Gather has been incredibly positive, enabling instant communication and a lively work atmosphere.
Quarterly Workations: Deep Dives into Collaboration
Every quarter, we take our team collaboration to the next level with an extended workation lasting 7 to 10 days somewhere in Europe. These workations are intense periods of creativity, planning, and execution. New team members often start their first days during a workation. Locations have varied from the sunny landscapes of Spain to an apparently more rainy Germany and beyond, offering diverse experiences that enrich our team's spirit and cohesion.
Monthly Mini Workations
Every month, we pick a cool Airbnb somewhere cozy within Belgium, France, or the Netherlands, and get all hands on deck for three epic days of brainstorming, building, and bonding. We somehow ended up calling it “farm-hopping,” as we tend to stay at renovated farms lately.
This initiative started after we ditched our office spaces in Antwerp and Luxembourg City, which we did not use often. Considering our multi-country team setup and the high costs associated with permanent office spaces, opting for Airbnb accommodations has proven both cost-effective and more conducive to our flexible work model.
Despite our enthusiasm for this hybrid model, I acknowledge it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some team members prefer more remote work with minimal physical gatherings, while others miss the constant buzz of a traditional office setup. I do recognize the various preferences, and we've designed our working model to offer flexibility, yet maintain the essence of a collaborative and energetic startup atmosphere.
