Why We’re Virtual First at One Concern
Our New Work Model Embraces Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
The pandemic has drastically shifted workplace environments worldwide while accelerating the adoption of and preference for remote work. Across industries, employees want more individual flexibility, greater personal choice, shorter commutes, and stronger work-life balance, including the ability to spend more time with their families and loved ones. After an employee-wide research survey to better understand our workforce’s needs, we’ve developed a new work model that aligns with our mission, values and workforce needs.
Today, we’re launching Virtual First, our new work model. As we strive to cultivate community and a sense of belonging at One Concern, while also continually placing employee safety and wellbeing at the forefront, we’ve developed a work model that aligns with our values and offers the flexibility demanded by a digitally transformed workforce.
Under Virtual First, virtual work will be the assumed primary mode of work for employees, regardless of their proximity to the office. Because we want our team to feel supported, no matter where they are located, employees will also receive wellbeing and connectivity stipends to enhance their remote working experiences.
More than supporting our current employees, a Virtual First model extends our commitment to equity and inclusion, further enabling us to recruit diverse talent. Virtual First allows us to meet employees where they’re at, as well as attracting prospective new hires beyond the traditional proximity of our offices. Virtual First is an imperative for achieving One Concern’s mission and improves talent acquisition, retention, and efficient collaboration.
In addition to expanding One Concern’s prospective employee base to a wider talent pool of diverse and talented candidates, Virtual First aligns with our core values of being honest, humble and open-minded to uncover biases within yourself and within One Concern; of fostering resilience in yourself and the people around you while working towards fostering that resilience in the world at large; and of being accountable to your word, your decisions, your wins, and also your losses.
From now on, our on-site will effectively become the new off-site, meaning that activities that would have previously been held off-site will become activities hosted on-site. While we hope to host our employees at interesting and fun locations around the Bay Area and Tokyo in the near future, when it is safe to do so, we now have a consistent location for strategizing, socializing, celebrating, learning, and community building.
Remaining as agile as our valued employees, further details about Virtual First will be announced on a rolling basis, and we will continue to survey team members about their adjustments to remote work in order to inform future initiatives.
Planetary-scale resilience starts with building resilient organizations, and Virtual First is a strategic imperative for investing in One Concern’s workforce and its future. We believe in recruiting top talent and empowering our employees to do their best work as they tackle our planet’s greatest challenges. In a world embracing new strategies for remote and distributed workforces, we’re excited to build upon this future of flexible work as we continue our mission of resilience.
