Why Atom became a remote-first organisation

During the pandemic, Atom Learning was one of hundreds of thousands of businesses that closed its office doors and asked employees to work from home. But in 2021, as an increasing number of organisations asked their workforce to come back to the office, Atom maintained a remote-first policy. This means that while we do still have a physical office in Old Street, London for those who wish to use it, most people work from home as a default and all communication happens online.

With 55% of our employees favouring a remote-first approach to working (and the remaining 45% fulfilling their needs with a hybrid style), we take a look at the importance of autonomy when it comes to your work environment – and why Atom became a remote-first organisation. 

Meeting external demand

Recruiting great employees is no mean feat, and not all company benefits will suit every individual. But with 71% of workers desiring a hybrid or remote working style, it’s clear that remote working (or hybrid as a minimum) is the workplace benefit most people are looking for. 

With many businesses still battling the Great Resignation, listening to employees’ desires (and implementing positive changes) is key to sustaining business success. Atom employees love that our company is remote-first – so it always will be. 

Diversifying our talent

Office-only working may suit some businesses, but they will never truly be able to diversify their employee intake. 

By going remote-first, Atom has opened its metaphorical doors to employees from across the globe. 36% live in London, but we have colleagues working from their homes in Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, South Africa and India – to name just a few locations. Recruiting without geographical boundaries means we can tap into a much larger talent pool, ensuring that the people we recruit really are the best for the role.

Democratising education for children from all backgrounds is key to our mission at Atom, so it’s vital that the people working for us can contribute a range of ideas, skills and experiences. By creating a workforce that actively welcomes and encourages applicants from a range of cultural backgrounds, we can be sure that we’re one step closer to fulfilling our mission. 

Increased productivity  

At Atom, we have a culture of freedom and responsibility. We have decentralised management, treat employees as adults and trust that every individual will fulfil their role as they think best. This translates into how we choose to work – and giving employees the opportunity to decide the location of their work is empowering. 

In a study of 2,050 full-time workers in the US, it was found that working from home increased productivity by a whopping 90%. While working from home can suit a lot of people, we know and appreciate that every individual is different. Some people are stimulated by a busy office where they can bounce ideas off one another, while others prefer to work in studious isolation. 

By being a remote-first organisation, working away from the office is the default. But our London office is still there for employees who need the coffee machine chat to get their creative juices flowing! 

Improved wellbeing

‘Wellbeing’ might be the business buzzword of the decade, but it’s for good reason. Plenty of studies have highlighted the benefits of remote working on peoples’ mental and physical health. 76% of individuals state that working from home would make them happier (Owl Labs) and 80% of businesses have used staff wellbeing as a reason for giving employees this benefit (Office for National Statistics). 

© Office for National Statistics – Business Insights and Conditions Survey

Common reasons for how remote working improves employee wellbeing include the feeling of having more ‘time’. Working from home can give workers back, on average, an hour a day from not needing to commute to the office (gov.uk) – and even more for Londoners. This extra time is valued by parents with young children too, as remote working means they’re already at home to take part in dinner, bath and bedtime. 

Remote working also gives us more opportunities to look after our physical health. It’s easier to squeeze in the doctor’s appointment you’ve been waiting weeks for when the GP practice is a short walk from your desk, and a run around your local park or a lunchtime gym class is much easier to achieve. 

At Atom, we value our employees’ wellbeing – and we know that remote (and flexible!) working is key to keeping our employees physically and mentally healthy. 

Come and join us

Are you looking for a remote-first role in a mission-driven, award-winning startup?

Atom Learning is growing and we need brilliant people to help us deliver a high-quality online learning product to children around the world. Whether you’re an education specialist, know Python from React or you’ve got your account management skills down to a T, we’ve got a role for you.

Visit https://jobs.lever.co/atomlearning to see our current vacancies.