As companies have settled into remote working policies, the good and the bad have been highlighted. With many regions are inching their way into a post-pandemic society, leaders are wondering how to balance work arrangements in the future.
Issues with workflow, productivity, collaboration and isolation have always plagued distributed teams, but remote startup Gatheround is trying to tackle these challenges.
“For remote companies, a big challenge or problem that is now bordering on a crisis is how to build connection, trust and empathy between people that aren’t sharing a physical space,” said Lisa Conn, co-founder and COO at Gatheround. “There’s no five-minute conversations after meetings, no shared meals, no cafeterias — this is where connection organically builds.”
Conn adds that humans are innately social creatures, and as more companies adopt remote policies, it’s important for business leaders to ensure their employees are not experiencing feelings of isolation.
Gatheround aims to combat this by hosting real-time online events, such as chats and group conversation, in order to bring people together online. It also features templates for cultural rituals and learning & development activities, as well as all-hands meetings and DEI workshops.
Recently, the company received $3.5 million in seed funding as it prepares to rapidly expand its services and build on the momentum it’s seen in the past year or so.