See you at the Cafe: iWorks Employees Connect Virtually

iWorks Employees Connect Virtually

By: Ciara Kalf

iWorks is proud of our company’s culture of community. We have a team dedicated to planning events, contests, health challenges, etc., to ensure our family of employees can take a break from their regular work to build and maintain relationships with one another. We weren’t about to let the Virginia COVID-19 stay at home order change that!

Beginning in April 2020, we began holding weekly Virtual Cafes in which employees join a group video chat for an hour after work and discuss a given conversation topic. Some topics have included sharing your favorite time period of your life, your favorite book or movie, and an object that reminds you of someone important in your life. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President, Jothi Radhakrishnan, remarked on the third topic:

“I was amazed to learn about this simple, but creative and thoughtful gift my colleague received from her mother that brought together family memories across generations. I believe opportunities such as this are possible only in a virtual cafe setting, which enables us to invite our friends and colleagues quickly to our homes without much planning and effort.”

In addition to the iWorks Virtual Cafes, we have also implemented other platforms to stay connected, including a virtual game week, fundraisers to support local food banks, and healthy lifestyle contests Samantha Strasser, an employee with three years at iWorks, responded to these events, “I like that it bonds and provides social interaction even though we can’t actually be there in person!”

We have already learned so much about one another, and the ability to see the faces of our work family, laugh, and share memories helps close the gap of social isolation. Chief Operating Officer (COO), Charlie Sowell, sums it up best: “I love the iWorks Virtual Café format because it makes me feel closer to everyone who joins. Seeing everyone’s face is great, but hearing their stories is what really makes it special.”