Start.ca adopts flexible work environment in wake of pandemic

Earlier this week, Start.ca congregated in a new way for our Annual General Meeting – a company-wide video conference. Although we missed the in-person laughs and high-fives, there was some much-needed excitement stirred up across our home offices, as Start.ca CEO, Peter Rocca, unveiled some game-changing news.

Moving to Remote amid the Pandemic

With the arrival of COVID-19, and the health restrictions attached to it, we learned a lot in two months. Things we thought we could never do, were possible in just days. We accomplished the unthinkable by moving nearly 200 employees from our office at 700 York Street to their own personal remote offices. In some cases, we even delivered chairs and desktop computers right to their doors.

We’ve also learned a lot from our people during this period. Recently, we reached out to staff with an online survey to gauge how everyone was feeling about working remotely. After considering this feedback, alongside all the lessons learned over the last couple months, we have decided that we will be adopting a flexible work model going forward. This means that even after restrictions are lifted, staff will have flexibility to work from home when it suits them.

Flexible Workspace

Start.ca President and CEO, Pete Rocca shared his observations at the AGM,

“today we still face challenges, but many of these are not because we are working from home – rather, they are because we are working from home during a pandemic…we need to be forward and realize that the physical office building is just an available tool, and not the exclusive place where ‘work gets done’.”

Before COVID-19, many at Start.ca had experienced workspace flexibility in a limited capacity. In those times, we believed that while some were capable of effectively carrying out their duties away from the office, others might not be able do the same. Moving forward, it is clear that we need to embrace the fact that we are collectively a group of smart, responsible adults, who are capable of knowing when, where, and how it is appropriate to perform our work duties.

We understand that with more personal control, autonomy, and responsibility – comes self-motivation, adaptability, and the accountability to be honest, reliable, and successful. Success is not the lack of failure or fear of making mistakes. Success is about achieving the goals we have set out for ourselves, and our organization – in spite of, and sometimes because of, making mistakes or failing.

The switch to a flexible workspace model will require a shift in thinking across the organization; every person, including every leader, will have to adapt and make changes to accomplish this transformation. Even though we may not have all the answers yet, we know that this is an important step in the evolution of our company. We also know that when we support each other and work collaboratively, our team can do pretty much anything.

Find out more about working for Start.ca and how to apply here.