Why This People Leader Champions Adaptability for Remote Work Success

“Set clear expectations with your employees, over-communicate and be transparent,” said CyberGRX VP of People Operations Colleen McGarity.
Written by Stephen Ostrowski
August 25, 2021Updated: August 29, 2021

The ability to acclimate to change on the fly is a hallmark for any successful organization, but it’s an imperative that’s been even more pronounced over the last year-and-a-half. It’s a truth that’s rang true for people leaders like Colleen McGarity, who helped spearhead CyberGRX’s implementation of a remote-friendly policy.

“It’s been a significant shift for CyberGRX, previously having an in-the-office mentality with a small percentage of distributed employees,” said the VP of People Operations at the Denver-headquartered cybersecurity company.

For McGarity’s team, shifting to remote work didn’t just entail figuring out relevant policies — but, compounded by the other stressors of the Covid-19 pandemic, required experimenting with new ways to maintain employee engagement, deter team member burnout, encourage ways to focus on mental health and wellness, and more.

While transitioning to remote work might be a departure from the norm, McGarity said that it’s beneficial for both flexibility-seeking team members, while also letting CyberGRX expand its talent pool beyond the Mile High City.

 “We believe this will allow us to be more competitive as a company, hire the best talent and enhance diversity across the organization,” McGarity said.

Below, McGarity shared how the company weathered the challenges of the pandemic and her advice for other leaders navigating the evolving workplace landscape.

 

Colleen McGarity
VP of People Operations • CyberGRX, Inc.

Tell us a bit about what life has been like at CyberGRX since the pandemic began. How has the company responded to the changes brought on by remote work? What does the future of remote/in-office work look like for CyberGRX? 

CyberGRX implemented a remote-friendly policy, allowing most of our employees to choose the amount of time they would like to return to an office. We also saw many employees wanting to go fully remote, moving out of the area to be closer to family and friends. Our new remote-friendly policy allows our employees the flexibility to choose an environment that is best suited for their work and lifestyle.

Our office lease ended during the pandemic, so we are currently without a permanent HQ. We are actively searching for a space that will accommodate our local Colorado employees and the new remote-friendly policy. Once we acquire an office, we will also be experimenting with the new policy and how best to roll it out. One thing we know is that this will be an iterative process; if something isn't working, we will move quickly to adjust, just as we did during the pandemic. 

 

What challenges has the company faced when working during the Covid-19 pandemic? How has the company overcome those challenges? 

The two biggest challenges we faced were keeping employees engaged virtually and combating burnout. I think we did a great job keeping team members engaged through initiatives like encouraging more one-on-ones and providing a budget for teams to hold virtual events and managers to send out care packages.

I think most companies have faced a burnout challenge. We found that employees were working very early in the morning or late at night to accommodate their personal schedules, which lends itself to more off-hours communications and feeling the need to respond. We ended up giving additional company holidays because we noticed burnout and people weren’t taking time off. Some of our teams adopted every-other Friday-off policies to combat the burnout as well.

 

How has the company continued to engage employees? How do you think the company culture has changed since the pandemic?

We have a significantly higher percentage of employees who will remain fully remote or who were hired outside of the Denver market, including two new executives (one in California and one in Connecticut). I believe that not having all executives in the Denver office, but distributed all over the United States, will help us embrace the new remote-friendly policy.

Culturally, we rely more heavily on technology. We all learned how to navigate our communication styles, whether it be via Zoom or Slack. A lack of in-person interaction has made it more difficult to make personal connections. You have to be more intentional about it — something our employees have done a great job doing. 

 

Additional CyberGRX Remote Initiatives

  • Held wellness-focused events like virtual workout classes, meditation workshops and stress management workshops
  • Conducted cross-functional offsite events to drive team camaraderie

 

Why is an evolving culture important for employees, and the company as a whole?

I think that the most successful companies are able to adapt to the times. We saw this more than ever this past year. Companies who successfully adopt either fully remote or hybrid environments to afford their employees flexibility and choice in their work environment are going to be at the forefront of best places to work. 

 

 

Our remote-friendly policy allows our employees the flexibility to choose an environment that is best suited for their work and lifestyle.”

 

What have you and other leaders learned from the pandemic? How will those learnings shape future policies at the company?

Leaders who took a more human approach to their leadership really came out on top. Their teams performed better, they saw less attrition and their employees remained engaged. Leading with empathy and compassion has been the most important trait of our best leaders. I think leaders who witnessed this have started incorporating it more into their everyday leadership style and will continue even when we go back to normal. 

 

What is your advice to other leaders hoping to boost the culture and forward-thinking policies of their own organization?

Leaders need to have empathy and compassion for their employees. Give employees the choice to work remotely or decide the working environment that best suits their lifestyle and supports their productivity and well-being. Set clear expectations with your employees, over-communicate and be transparent. Focus on goals and outcomes. 

 

 

 

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