Vema IT Department Boosts Communication & Morale In A Hybrid Setting

About the company

Founded in 1997, Vema is the largest cooperative brokerage association in Germany that provides online services for insurance brokers.

We recently spoke to Vema's IT department which is currently working in a hybrid set-up, with team members having to spend at least 2 days in the physical office and the rest working from home.

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The Problem

With Vema shifting toward remote work during the lockdown, the focus of their internal communication also shifted. Inhibited by the need to schedule meetings, non-work-related communication drastically decreased and spurred them to action.

Some old-fashioned managers may rejoice over the idea of employees not wasting company time on face-to-face communication by the water cooler. But they would be deadly wrong.

Non-work-related, honest communication has been proven time and time again to increase job satisfaction, knowledge sharing, and, consequently, productivity and motivation.

When left with scarce communication channels, remote employees miss out on these benefits while further deepening the feelings of isolation, that in worst cases can lead to absenteeism and even employee turnover.

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How Kosy Helped

In order to improve communication among employees and make employees feel connected to the company culture again, Vema decided to introduce Kosy -- a virtual office software -- into their hybrid work set-up.

One-click-meetings

According to research from Cushman & Wakefield, one of the top reason employees want to go back to a physical office is to socialize with their coworkers.

While remote work has been proven to improve productivity and engagement, in some cases, it completely changed how employees communicate. Where there once were spontaneous interactions, impromptu collaboration in the cafeteria, and efficient knowledge sharing with your desk buddy, there are now scheduled meetings and the dreaded small talk.

While working remotely in Kosy, Vema managed to get around this by being able to quickly start face-to-face meetings with just one click. Now, instead of scheduling a meeting in Teams and waiting for everyone to be available, employees can start an unscheduled meeting with whomever they want, whenever they want.

This has resulted in more serendipitous and efficient communication among employees as well as a stronger connection to the company culture -- something that is essential for employee retention.

Organic team-building

Team-building is essential for any company, but it can be a challenge to do when employees are spread out. While some team-building activities might be a total hit, other activities can fall completely flat and make introverted employees feel like they're stuck in their own personal nightmare.

Kosy has team-building built into the software itself. With features like the ability to navigate the office, start spontaneous conversations, and share virtual space, Kosy makes it easy for employees to organically find and connect with their colleagues.

According to MIT's Human Dynamics Laboratory informal employee communication is the driving force behind team success. Vema has found that Kosy is the best way to recreate these interactions in a remote setting and keep their employees engaged. Many employees are now happier, more productive, and report having a better work-life balance.

Upholding company culture

Apart from improved communication, Vema also invested time into decorating their virtual office. Pouring time and soul into making the office a place employees want to be in has been vital for upholding their company culture and team spirit.

In the physical world, this would be done by hanging pictures on the wall, adding comfy couches, or placing plants around the office. In Kosy, employees can do all of these things and more.

Now, their hybrid team feels more connected than ever and gladly logs in every morning into their virtual space, no matter where they are.

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The results

Kosy is a great way to not only improve internal communication but also to make employees feel connected to the company culture.

Vema has found that by being able to quickly start face-to-face meetings with just one click, Kosy makes it easy for employees to organically find and connect with their colleagues. This has resulted in more serendipitous and efficient communication among employees as well as a stronger connection to the company itself -- something that is essential for the success of hybrid teams.

We absolutely love Kosy and it's become essential for us even with working 2 times a week in a hybrid format. People are in a better mood and they actually talk to each other throughout the day

Stefan Morgenroth, head of IT department @Vema

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