NEXT Canada, GRIT Ed.06, Brain Gain vs. Brain Drain - Magazine - Page 21
WAVING TO THE FUTURE
Shawn
Hewat
Co-founder &
CEO, Wavy;
Next Founders,
2021
20
GRIT
O
ver the past couple of years, the landscape
of work changed drastically. People used
to choose where they worked, and that’s
where they lived. This is the underlying
trend that’s changing everything... because today, people choose where they live, and work
wherever they want. Employees are looking for
flexibility above all else when it comes to work,
which is a huge driver for the talent acquisition
and retention problems employers are currently facing. In Microsoft’s 2021 Work Trend Index
survey, the trends are clear: 73% of employees
want flexible work options for the long term.
So, what does this mean? It means that
where work happens is becoming a lot more
hybrid. Offices will remain part of the workplace environment but as something that’s op-
tional (or a ‘perk’) versus what’s expected.
Employers will continue to hire from a distributed, global talent market. And teams will
continue to engage online as much as they
do offline, which is what we’re focused on
here at Wavy. Providing the tools and technology needed to build company culture for
a distributed team! We’re looking to brands
like Shopify, Deloitte, TELUS, Sun Life, Google, Spotify, and more as great examples of
companies that are leading the way in what a
digital by default future looks like.
My co-founders, Neshay Ahmed and Peter Kotzeff, and I started Wavy with a mission
of helping people build relationships through
shared experiences. We’ve always been focused on this problem space, but gravitated
towards a solution for team building as the world of work became
more remote and distributed. Wavy
exists to empower people leaders
with the tools they need to plan,
manage, review, and improve their
company culture programs - wherever teams are located. We work
with 100+ global clients in technology and enterprise to help connect
their people through meaningful
experiences, whether that’s online,
offline, or asynchronous. If that’s
something you’re looking for, check
out joinwavy.com to get started
with your first event.
While we at Wavy are big believers that remote-first doesn’t
have to be remote-only. And that’s
especially important when it comes
to company culture. Clients can use
our Culture Management Platform
to plan, manage, and review company culture initiatives, no matter
where people are located. They
can plug and play options from
our marketplace, like an in-person
picnic, online painting & planting
class, or a comedy show. Most importantly, people leaders will get
data and insights on how their programs are performing over time,
such as participation, engagement,
satisfaction, and connection. Sharing employee feedback is equally
important. That’s often how we kick
off new programs at Wavy - with
a survey to learn about what team
members are most interested in!
Building distributed company
culture has to be more intentional and proactive than booking a
‘one-and-done’ event. We’re working with clients to create their ‘culture calendar’, customize their programs, and improve things over
time, based on results/feedback.
Our marketplace has ‘bookable
events’, which are starting to become longer-lasting than the live
event itself. We’re working on ways
to help teams stay connected once
events have finished, which is why
I love the painting and planting experience as an example. Post-event,
team members have a new desk
plant to care for and receive plantcare tips and tricks from Wavy. It’s
helping to create longer-lasting
shared experiences, which is really
at the core of what makes company
culture great.
ADVICE
Starting a company is so hard and
can often feel lonely (yes, even with
co-founders). I feel so lucky to be a
part of a tech ecosystem that’s so
collaborative and focused on lifting each other up. Across Canada,
there are so many amazing programs, regional innovation centres,
and fellow founders that are here to
genuinely help you. Be sure to look
into these options as you’re getting
started. Don’t hesitate to reach out
to folks who are in your industry
and/or have started companies that
you look up to! Usually, people are
happy to chat and point you in the
right direction.
GRIT
21