Company Interview with Jan, founder and CEO of Rainmaker Solutions

At Rainmaker, we have always believed that work is about outcomes, not time or location.

Our teams had worked remotely since our inception ten years ago. Even now, with 100 Rainmakers, we still don’t have an office. It’s not so much a policy as part of our culture. Our working practices are at the heart of what we do.

What has been the benefit of allowing remote work?

Having a remote setup has allowed us to operate an agile and flexible working model that can be easily adapted. It has also enabled us to access a wide talent pool across not only the UK but globally.

One of our key principles is to ‘Work out Loud’, and during the current pandemic, our teams’ remote working skills, flexibility, and expertise have been invaluable, not just to us but to our clients as well.

Effective remote working requires more than great tech and tools; it requires the right working practices and behaviors, as well as a collaborative and transparent culture.

We avoid challenges by having a clear set of co-created Guiding Principles as a business that essentially sets out our rules for working together, transparently, and on the basis of outcomes.

Hybrid - Our teams are set up to operate remotely, and we do not have a head office, however as a consultancy, our staff does spend time on client sites, and we do hold monthly company meetings in London (the UK is currently on lockdown). So whilst the entire company is set up to work remotely, we do meet in person when needed.

We were early adopters of the collaboration platform Slack and are now one of only two official UK partners. Our teams also extensively use G-Suite, Trello, and Zoom.

I’m not sure there is a typical day, but we tend to start the day with a stand up/video call to ensure everyone is clear on our joint priorities and their individual responsibilities.

Apart from that, we allow teams to manage their own time and projects. The organisation completely buys into the concept of our people being responsible for delivering their own outcomes.

We have regular calls and video meetings and also utilise Slack and G-Suite for effective collaboration. We have online material and, of course, policy and governance in place to support these working practices. Most importantly, it is built into our culture.

Working remotely is part of our DNA, and all our teams can work from wherever they want.

We ensure our people utilise not only the best tools but also the right, agile working practices.

Ensuring that remote teams are aligned and motivated is vital. Our highly collaborative and transparent way of working we call: ‘Working out Loud’.

We have always operated remotely but also facilitated face to face meetings when required. Currently, our Head of HR has an active contact strategy with all staff to ensure everyone is coping with the pressures of the pandemic and maintaining their physical and mental wellbeing.

It is so important to keep a team spirit and a sense of fun, especially in the current circumstances.

We do this by holding regular virtual team drinks (sometimes in fancy dress!) and encouraging social interaction on Slack.

Furthermore, we have a partnership with virtual cycling club HotChillee and aim to support our teams to maintain both their mental as well as physical health.

But from the beginning, we implemented a truly transparent environment. That, a clear vision, defined and lived values, our approach to ‘working out loud’, and the Guiding Principles I mentioned mean that our workforce is both inspired, engaged, and clear on trust.

Yes, when we’re not on lockdown, our teams have the option of working on client sites or meeting at a London coworking club. We also hold a monthly Rainmaker Day that you can attend in person or remotely.

Our remote and agile operating model is very effective and productive. And ‘Working out Loud’ in a remote setup has also allowed us to maintain not only our own business continuity during Covid-19 but also support our clients’ organisations.