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Mar 27 2024
Mar 27

Introduction

This article discusses the importance and ways of practicing openness for professional growth and success.

Companies want people with traits of openness, though they may not always spell it outright in job descriptions. 

Openness is one of our core values at Axelerant.

And we can't emphasize its importance enough, being a fully remote organization with distributed teams scattered worldwide.

Irrespective of where you work or what you do, how open you are at work can be the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful career.

What’s Openness At Work?

Openness at work generally comes from the top. 

The leaders of an organization that practices openness actively work towards creating a safe and open environment.

People feel free to communicate ideas, feedback, and concerns without fear of judgment or payback. 

There’s total—or near total—transparency in all matters and information about the goings on in the company. 

And that, in turn, boosts trust and mutual respect among colleagues, regardless of hierarchy or status. 

In the book Radical Candor, author Kim Scott states that consciously practicing traits of openness in an organization can help teams become: 

  • Productive
  • Efficient 
  • Caring 
  • Empathetic 

How Can Practicing Openness Ensure Professional Success?

According to a study published by the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, there’s a strong correlation between academic achievement and openness traits of a person.

That advantage applies at work, too. 

Openness is one of the fundamental traits of entrepreneurial success.

Here's how your chances of success at work increase by practicing openness.

Better Exposure

Everyone has a lot going on, and people rarely have time to see what others are doing.

Until they hear about it. And they can mostly hear about it—from you. 

When people are open, they allow others to see their work and its impact. 

Your colleagues will know about your efforts, ideas, and talents, increasing your visibility and recognition within the organization. 

Coaching team having lunch at an offsite

Insulation From Communication Gaps

Most communication gaps at work happen because people gravitate towards private, one-to-one conversations when they should've been done in open channels.

Misalignment and confusion set in. And accountability goes for a toss.

Honest, open communication helps uncover and address issues and gaps early on—preventing potential conflicts.

It also makes it more challenging for deceptive or dishonest behavior to thrive, increasing accountability for everybody.

More Opportunities

Logically speaking, who will get more opportunities? 

The person coming up with and sharing new ideas and working with everyone to implement them openly, or one who doesn't contribute (though they may have good ideas off their sleeves)?

By choosing to be open, you can contribute meaningfully to projects, initiatives, and decision-making processes. 

It lets your supervisors know you have what it takes to lead and solve problems for the team.

And that's a good sign for you and your career growth.

Apply at Axelerant by clicking here. We believe people grow better with kindness and support.

Better Growth

A significant part of practicing openness is being receptive to constructive feedback.

It shows your colleagues and supervisors that you want to grow and welcome guidance when needed.

You can proactively develop your skills and advance within the organization by freely discussing areas for improvement and career aspirations.

How Can You Practice Openness At Work? 

Fair warning: people who like to go back on their words, blame others for their shortcomings, and lack integrity might find you detestable.

But then, these practices will also insulate you from them.

Following these also ensures that your efforts get noticed by the right people at work.

How to practice openness at work

Being Accountable

Accountability and ownership go hand-in-hand.

And owning your work lets you reap the benefits of your work’s results.

Even when those results are not as expected, you can take responsibility for your actions, decisions, and commitments.

Admit mistakes openly and work towards resolving them with your team.

For instance, when encountering issues with code or project deliverables, you can demonstrate accountability by openly acknowledging the challenges, seeking help from your team, and collaborating to find solutions. 

Axelerant team member asking for help

Documenting Every Decision Context

The pace of work increases every day. People often have to make split-second decisions.

Keeping records of every small decision may not be possible, but you should try to document anything that affects your team's projects and work experience.

Note down decisions and their rationale in open, accessible channels. 

Documenting context promotes transparency and helps others understand your reasoning behind actions.

For example, when selecting a specific technology stack for a project, documenting the decision context may involve outlining the performance requirements, budget constraints, and scalability needs that influenced the decision.

Axelerant team member documenting work

Making Information Accessible

Ensure that relevant information, documents, and resources are easily accessible to all team members. 

This makes you and your work more transparent within the organization, and transparency builds trust.

It also ensures better collaboration by reducing dependency on your presence.

You can use centralized project management tools like Jira or Trello to store project documentation and updates. 

And maintain an organized and up-to-date shared drive (like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox) for storing project files and resources.

Communicating Proactively And Effectively

Constant, honest communication is the key to practicing openness.

Make it a habit of proactively communicating with your team members and stakeholders. 

Share updates, discuss challenges, and raise blockers in open channels regularly to ensure alignment.

You might struggle with negative emotions when doing these—because people aren't accustomed to openly discussing their challenges.

The fear of being ridiculed, thought less of, or cross-questioned makes it hard to communicate openly.

Here are some pointers that come in handy.

  • Schedule regular updates: Set aside dedicated time for team meetings or status updates to keep everyone on the same page
  • Use clear and concise language: Avoid jargon and technical terms that may be unfamiliar to team members, and always try to be as precise and clear in your written and verbal communication as possible. Preparing your message beforehand helps
  • Actively listen: Practice active listening by attentively considering others' perspectives and providing constructive feedback when required. Don't listen to prove you're paying attention; genuinely engage in the conversation
  • Utilize collaboration tools: Communication platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams are ideal for real-time communication and streamlining information sharing; create dedicated project-related channels, tag people, and get the ball rolling

Being Open To Feedback

Contrary to what most workplaces believe and practice, feedback is an act of kindness

And it's as necessary as recognizing team members for their everyday wins.

Welcome feedback from peers, supervisors, and stakeholders with an open mind. See it for what it is—an opportunity for growth and improvement.

You can and should actively seek feedback to gain insights into your performance and identify areas for improvement.

A good way to incorporate this practice is by creating a feedback form template and sharing it with people you've recently worked with on a project.

Sharing Context When Delegating Tasks

When one doesn't share enough context for tasks, they set their team members up for possible failures and friction.

People can make independent decisions and fully own tasks only when they have the bigger picture.

When delegating any task, ensure that you mention the following details:

  • Context and purpose
  • Expectations in terms of quality and timelines 
  • Desired outcomes

You can also clearly outline who's responsible for what part of a project when delegating to multiple team members.

Planning And Booking Leaves In Advance

Abruptly taking leave can cause project disruptions.

I'm not talking about a day or two of sick leave—which is entirely unforeseen and out of one's control. 

An unplanned week of your absence can leave your team members running helter-skelter, trying to meet deadlines without you.

So, always share your leave plans in advance.

It will allow your team sufficient time for workload adjustments and resource allocation. 

Following this practice will prove your commitment to being open and show that you respect your team members' time and commitment.

Axelerant team member booking time off

Sharing Ideas Openly And Freely To Help Everyone Grow

Research shows that hiding knowledge and clamming up at work stops your chances of growth and can even backfire. 

It's in your and the company's best interest that you share your ideas openly and freely. That's what drives change, innovation, and creativity in a workplace.

Your supervisors will take notice, sooner or later, whether you share ideas or don't. 

And your professional trajectory with the company might be influenced by what they notice.

So, share your ideas, insights, and perspectives. Participate in brainstorming sessions, team meetings, and knowledge-sharing activities. 

Propose new solutions, suggest process improvements, or share industry trends and best practices with your people.

Start your openness journey today. You work and your career deserve it.

And if your workplace doesn't allow you to be open, you can join a workplace which does. 

Apply at Axelerant by clicking here. We believe people grow better with kindness and support.
Mar 11 2024
Mar 11

Introduction

This article shares a professional resignation letter format and tips on writing one that ensures a smooth job transition.

Given that millions search for "how to write a resignation letter," it can be said that the prospect is filled with dread and confusion.

Quite natural. 

A lot hangs by the thread—or the letter, in this case—if you want to ensure a smooth career move.

However, it can be pretty straightforward if you approach writing a resignation letter systematically. 

Here's what I mean.

What Is A Professional Resignation Letter?

A resignation letter is a formal document a team member submits to their employer to indicate their intention to leave. 

It expresses gratitude, provides notice period details, and often states the reason(s) for departure. 

This letter is vital to a professional exit strategy and kickstarts a team member's exit process from their current position. 

By the way, click here if you're looking for job-searching strategies to land your next dream job.

To Whom And Where Do You Send A Resignation Letter?

There are many ways to share your resignation letter, depending on where you work.

Usually, people share their letters with immediate supervisors. 

You also send a copy to the People Operations team (or human resource representative, as it's still sadly called in most companies).  

Here are some common avenues to consider:

  • In-person meeting: Schedule a face-to-face meeting to discuss and hand over the resignation letter to your manager
  • Email: Send over a formal email with the attached letter
  • Hard copy delivery: Deliver a printed and signed copy of the letter to the People Operations department or the supervisor's office
  • Registered mail: If working remotely, you may need to send a hard copy via registered mail for a formal and documented delivery (do this only if your company requires you to)
  • Company portal: Submit the resignation letter through the organization's online portal or People Operations system
Click here to apply for the Python staff engineer role at Axelerant

Why Do You Write A Resignation Letter, And When? 

You will have personal reasons for putting in your papers, like professional and financial growth, relocation requirements, experimentation with new job roles, emergencies, medical conditions, caregiver obligations, etc.

For instance, one of the major reasons why workers quit their jobs during the Great Resignation was toxic work culture.

Many chose to change not only their jobs but industries—talk about being done.

Officially, though, these are the reasons why you must submit a resignation letter.

  • Formal notice: It serves as a formal notice to your employer, a part of fair professional etiquette
  • Documentation: Provides a documented record of your decision and the terms of departure
  • Maintains professionalism: Demonstrates respect for your employer and colleagues, creating a positive professional reputation
  • Legal requirement: In most organizations, submitting a resignation letter is a contractual or legal requirement

If you're waiting on an acceptance letter from another company, don't start the process until you get it.

Wait until you have an offer at hand.

Write your resignation letter first, discuss it with your supervisor to give them a heads-up, and submit it.

If you're switching jobs, consider the new date of joining and the notice period policy at your current organization.

You can negotiate timelines if you have a cordial relationship with your manager and can speed up the knowledge transfer.

Best Resignation Letter Format That Works In Any Situation

Here's a simple yet professional resignation letter format you can customize.

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

[City, State, ZIP Code]

[Email Address]

[Phone Number]

[Date]

[Recipient's Name]

[Company Name]

[Company Address]

[City, State, ZIP Code]

Dear [Recipient's Name],

Opening Paragraph: State Intention

Begin with a clear statement of your intention to resign. State your last working day according to the company's notice period policy. 

Middle Paragraph: Express Gratitude

Express gratitude for your tenure here. Optional: briefly mention why you resigned, focusing on positive aspects or personal growth.

Ending Paragraph: Offer Transitional Support

Offer assistance in the transition by training a replacement, completing pending tasks, or providing documentation to ensure a smooth handover.

Formal Closing

End with a formal closing (for instance, "Sincerely" or "Best Regards") followed by your full name and signature for a hard copy.

This format balances professionalism, gratitude, and a cooperative tone, making it suitable for various resignation scenarios. 

Here's An Example Of A Resignation Letter

Feel free to customize the resignation letter content according to your needs.

John Doe

123 Tech Lane

Cityville, ST 56789

[email protected]

(555) 123-4567

[Date]

[Recipient's Name]

XYZ Tech Solutions

456 Arrow Street

Tech City, ST 67890

Dear [Recipient's Name],

Please consider this letter my formal notice of resignation as a Software Engineer at XYZ Tech Solutions. My last work day will be on [Insert Last Working Date].

The collaborative environment and challenging projects at XYZ Tech Solutions have contributed significantly to my professional growth. And I'm filled with nothing but gratitude for this experience.

I'll be happy to assist in a smooth transition by giving a documented knowledge transfer to my colleagues of the projects I was associated with.

I have enjoyed my time here and would like to stay connected with the talented people I've had the pleasure of working alongside.

Sincerely,

John Doe

Mistakes You Want To Avoid In A Resignation Letter

The resignation letter is only a part of a larger career transition process.

The process will proceed smoothly, as it should, if you succeed in writing a respectable resignation letter.

But beware that the following points will not help your cause of an amicable departure. 

  • Negative tone: Don't share negative sentiments or criticisms about the company, colleagues, or management. Keep the tone positive and focus on gratitude.
  • Steer clear of blame: Resist the temptation to assign blame—however hard it might seem—for your decision to resign. Instead, focus on personal or professional growth and new opportunities as the driving factors behind your choice.
  • Oversharing personal details: While providing a brief reason for resigning is acceptable, avoid oversharing personal or sensitive information, especially if the reason for your departure is personal, like a medical condition.
  • Including too much detail: Keep the letter concise and focused. Avoid including unnecessary details or extensive explanations. A long-winded letter might backfire as you mention something out of place and context.
  • Lack of gratitude or boasting: We learn something from each professional experience, whether negative or positive, directly or indirectly. Express your gratitude politely and move on. And don't be coarse and boast about your new salary or position.
  • Ambiguous notice period: Clearly state your last working day. Ambiguity in this aspect can create confusion and disrupt the transition process.
  • Informal language: While the tone can be respectful, maintain a level of formality in language. Avoid using overly casual or informal expressions that may diminish the professionalism of the letter.

Isolate some time from your schedule, get a hot cuppa, and write that resignation letter.

With these tips, your resignation letter shouldn't get funny glares or frowns. You'll be soon on your way to a new and exciting opportunity.

And if you're still looking for new opportunities, you're at the right place.

Click here to apply for the Python staff engineer role at Axelerant
Mar 07 2024
Mar 07

Introduction

The article explores the meaning and importance of soft skills and how professionals can identify and develop soft skills gaps.

Every professional faces experiences that highlight gaps in their soft skills. The wise ones work on themselves and improve. 

They understand the value and necessity of improving their soft skills.

Unfortunately, some professionals struggle to see these gaps in certain aspects of their behavior. 

Work becomes a struggle for them and the people around them.

And they find their careers stagnated. That's how important it is to have polished soft skills.

Make no mistake; there's nothing "soft" or secondary about these skills—because having these aptitudes can be the difference between an extraordinary career and one filled with friction and stress.

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills—or, more accurately, people skills—are personal qualities, behavioral patterns, and habits of a person that affect how one interacts and behaves while working with others. 

People need these skills to navigate everyday life at work, home, and other social circles. 

The more refined these skills, the easier it is for people to connect, communicate, and collaborate.

It's about how one carries oneself with other people.

Why Are Soft Skills Important At Work?

If we lived by ourselves, utterly independent of the world and its people, we probably wouldn't have needed soft skills at all. 

Humans are social beings. 

We work in groups and depend on each other for our livelihood and safety.

Learning to get along with people is a primary requirement—and everyone starts from scratch. (That's why these behavioral and personality traits are called "skills.") 

And nowhere is the importance more pronounced than at work; our livelihood depends on our work and professional growth.

Better Hiring Prospects

Recruiters and managers want people with proven soft skills.

According to this LinkedIn survey, people skills have become more important than hard skills, and recruiters will often reject a candidate—otherwise proficient at their core job related skills—for a lack of soft skills. 

They will intentionally test your level of mastery through subjective and situation-based questions during the interview.

Candidates who can conduct themselves professionally and collaborate effectively with minimum friction contribute positively to team dynamics.

Better Professional Growth

Some soft skills like communication, adaptability, collaboration, critical thinking, and decisiveness make one more suited for leadership roles. 

Demonstrating these skills in your daily interactions at work will put you as a front-runner when a leadership opportunity arises. 

Your leaders will feel more confident about project and team success under your guidance.

Good Relationships 

Businesses revolve around people. People run companies. People make up customers, investors, clients, and vendors.

Work revolves around people, too—to solve their pain points.

Polished soft skills, like communication, collaboration, and integrity, will enable you to connect and build strong relationships with others.

And strong relationships mean good work dynamics, access to willing help when stuck, and getting picked for better prospects.

Better Adaptability To Changes

Change is a constant in dynamic and growing workplaces. 

Organizational growth results in expansion, and expansion necessitates more change—in systems, people, and processes—to scale effectively.

Soft skills, particularly adaptability, empower you to navigate these changes frictionlessly. And fast.

Heightened Work Satisfaction

Better work satisfaction is a cumulative result of the positive consequences of having good soft skills, such as effective communication, friendly collaborations, and better leadership ability.

These factors eventually contribute to an overall sense of accomplishment and contentment.

Click here to check out our open positions.

How Are Soft Skills Different From Hard Skills?

Hard skills are specific and measurable abilities that one needs to do their core work. For instance, a software engineer's hard skills are coding, data analytics, programming, etc. 

Hard skills are directly related to one's work. 

On the other hand, soft skills are intangible qualities that influence one's behavior with others and how well one can thrive in a work environment.

Both are equally essential for long-term success, especially now, as organizations gradually realize the importance of having a supportive, positive work culture. 

What Are The Most Essential Soft Skills For Professional Success?

The following soft skills are often interrelated with each other.

Essential Soft Skills For Success

When you work on improving one skill, it might lead to improving others, too.

And you might feel it's like a lucky coincidence. But it's never so.

Each skill is a part of your character, and when you improve individual skill gaps, you'll automatically improve your personality—becoming a better, well-rounded professional.

Integrity And Dependability

There is hardly anything as crucial as integrity at work. 

It takes a long time to build and continuous effort to maintain.

It demands honesty, openness, and sticking to one's word. 

You connect the line between what you say and what you do, which includes meeting deadlines, sticking to agreements, and delivering on promises.

How do you practice integrity at work?

  • Plan your work and communicate what you intend to do
  • Execute your plans openly and stick to the mentioned timelines
  • Communicate openly about blockers and ideas and negotiate your work according to priority (don't try to do everything all at once—you'll either push yourself to burnout or miss the deadlines)
  • Own up to your mistakes and take responsibility for your actions
  • Stick to the company values and ethics, even while making tough decisions
  • Respect the confidentiality of sensitive information of your organization and team members

By sticking to these behavioral traits, you can establish yourself as a dependable team member, contributing to a safe, positive work environment. 

Communication

Many people need help understanding what effective communication looks like. 

Most of the confusion, conflict, and disorientation in a team or company stems from a lack of communication skills.

Effective communication means one can clearly convey their intended messages, plans, ideas, project updates, and briefs to others. 

How do you practice and improve your communication skills?

  • Start by focusing on specific communication skills like writing, speaking, active listening, clarity, brevity, and comprehension (many will focus on improving their writing and speaking skills, but not so much on comprehending messages as intended)
  • Build your confidence in communicating by doing it more often, even when you feel that there is no need
  • Practice bringing clarity of thought before sharing any message. Write down the main points if required, and edit once more before hitting 'send'
  • Always ask questions whenever there is a doubt to avoid confusion and improve your comprehension and listening skills
  • If you are not sure about any communication skills gap, seek feedback from your team members

Collaboration

Collaboration skills help you work effectively in a team and achieve common goals. 

It also enhances your overall productivity because you get more done when the team works together by leveraging their strengths.

And it's one of the significant leadership skills: to be able to work with a disparate group of people and get results.

How do you improve your collaboration skills?

  • Develop a warm and friendly attitude; try to be humble in your interactions
  • Work on your organizational skills: prioritize tasks, break them down into manageable steps, set deadlines, and create schedules. Develop systems for managing information and materials and share access with required people
  • Be inclusive and open with work-related information so that it's easily accessible to all involved people
  • Develop the habit of proactive communication, and always stick to open channels to keep everyone in the loop about what's going on and bring accountability into the process
  • Understand the importance of integrity in all your communication and interactions because reliability and dependability are essential while collaborating

Problem-Solving

As your career advances, you will notice more hurdles and challenges coming your way.

That's what leadership is mostly about—finding solutions to problems to meet organizational goals.

It can be anything: getting more customers, increasing brand awareness, or establishing new processes for improved efficiency.

The more problems you solve, the more indispensable you become. And that means professional and financial growth.

How can you improve your problem-solving skills?

  • Develop your comprehension skills to understand the problem statement and formulate the right questions that you need to find the answers to
  • Improve your researching skills to sift through relevant information to your problem statement(s)
  • Embrace creative thinking. You can always take inspiration from others and customize solutions to fit your needs but don't shy away from finding novel ways of doing things
  • If it is a big problem statement, isolate a time in your calendar to strive for its solution—you might need to invest more time and energy than for usual tasks

Research And Comprehension

How often did you Google something related to your work this week alone? Knowingly or not, we all keep learning new things, however trivial or complex, to keep up.

Having a solid foundation of research skills is empowering. 

It lets you make informed decisions, adapt to industry trends, plan strategically, and have a competitive edge. 

How do you improve your research and comprehension skills?

  • Develop the habit of reading—things relevant to your industry and whatever else you find interesting. If it's work-related, practice summarizing key points and taking relevant notes during active reading for better retention
  • Develop a structured research method, set clear objectives, and organize information systematically
  • Explore reputable journals, industry reports, and diverse perspectives to gain a broad understanding and to keep yourself up-to-date
  • Cultivate a mindset of continuous learning: stay curious about industry trends and dedicate time to ongoing education
  • Apply what you've learned whenever the opportunity arises, like contributing to projects and solving problems at work

Self-Management

When you can drive yourself effectively, how your role needs you to, it increases your reliability score in front of colleagues.

It involves taking ownership of your objectives—without relying on constant supervision—and delivering high-quality work.

But that doesn't mean not asking for help or clarifications when needed.

People who can manage themselves and their work experience job satisfaction and overall well-being. 

How do you improve your self-management skills?

  • Pay close attention to your emotions and try to introspect the reasons behind them, especially about your work. If you find negative emotions taking control over you, especially when you're exploring new or challenging tasks, reach out to a performance coach or seek help
  • A big part of self-management is energy management: realizing how different periods of the day and different kinds of work affect your energy levels
  • Plan and prioritize your work and proactively communicate about your progress to your supervisors; ask for clarification or direction when in doubt
  • Create a schedule for your projects and try to stick to them

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, manage, and express our emotions effectively. 

It also involves being able to recognize and respond to the emotions of others skillfully. 

Emotional intelligence is becoming increasingly important for professionals in various fields, as it impacts one's ability to work effectively with others, communicate clearly, and manage conflicts. 

It can help you build stronger relationships, improve leadership skills.

How do you grow your emotional intelligence? 

  • Engage in regular self-reflection to identify and understand your own emotions
  • Practice mindfulness techniques to stay present and aware of your emotional responses in different situations
  • Recognize patterns in your emotional reactions and their impact on your behavior
  • Build your empathy by actively listening to others and seeking to understand their perspectives and feelings
  • Practice non-judgmental communication, validating others' emotions even if you disagree with their viewpoint
  • Learn constructive ways to express emotions, especially in challenging situations
  • Develop conflict resolution skills, focusing on finding solutions rather than placing blame

Broad Vision

Irrespective of where you work, it's necessary to have a big-picture perspective on the company, its goals, audience base, and your role in making it all happen. 

When you see how your work fits into the bigger picture, it's easier to stay focused and motivated. 

Everything you do will be based on this vision: strategy, planning, prioritizing, and establishing targets or goals for yourself and your team.

This way, you can direct your efforts to where they'll create the maximum positive impact. 

How do you develop a broad vision?

  • Understand the organization's mission, values, and long-term goals
  • Align your professional goals with the strategic direction of the organization, and regularly revisit and update your objectives to ensure they remain in sync with the broader vision
  • Engage with colleagues from various departments to gain insights into their roles and responsibilities and build genuine relationships to avoid getting into a transactional mindset
  • Collaborate on projects that involve cross-functional teams, allowing you to understand the organization holistically
  • Stay informed about industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging technologies related to your work and the organization

Soft skills play a significant role in personal growth and professional success. 

They help us communicate, collaborate, and connect effectively with others in the workplace. 

It creates a mature work culture, driven by trust, care, and enthusiasm.

Click here to check out our open positions.
Feb 22 2024
Feb 22

Introduction

This article offers insights on how and where to find jobs, and the fundamental steps to get the job that aligns with their professional goals.

Some people remain stuck where they are to avoid the hassle of finding new jobs, even when they desperately want to leave.

No wonder there. Job searches can be overwhelming.

It was for me, and it's the same with most people I've encountered who went job searching. 

The thrill of new opportunities, the uncertainty of the future, and the occasional rejection can do that to people. 

In this article, I'll share practical strategies to help you find the job you want—that matches your aspirations, skills, and career goals.

When To Start The Job Search?

You might've noticed that there are certain months when hiring booms.

And months when hiring freezes over. Radio silent.  

So, it's important to know when to start the whole process. You don't want to begin looking for a job when all the positions have already been filled.

Be Mindful Of Hiring Patterns

Learn when companies in your industry and country usually start hiring. For instance, companies in the US usually start sharing their open positions from October to December according to the latest International Labor Organization report. In India, that happens from May to July after the start of a new fiscal in April.

Time Of Week

Job application activity peaks at the week's start, especially on Tuesday, making it strategic to send applications early in the week. Many positions receive hundreds of applications within 24-48 hours, and recruiters hit the pause button to process those first.

Avoid Holiday Seasons

If you've worked in an office, you know people look forward to holiday seasons to take time off work. Few companies would hire during those times. Post holidays, however, are a good time to send in your job application. 

Why Do You Want A New Job?

Everyone looking for a job has a reason.

And it's imperative to know what your reason is so that you can select opportunities that align with your needs.

As Simon Sinek says, Start With Why. 

Here are a few questions to help you understand your motives for seeking a new job.

  • Professional growth: Are you seeking a new role to advance your skills and take on more challenging responsibilities?
  • Values alignment: Are you looking for a workplace that better aligns with your personal values and professional aspirations?
  • Work-life balance: Are you striving for a better work-life balance?
  • Learning opportunities: Do you want to work where the organization invests in their people's learning and skills development?
  • Company culture: Are you dissatisfied with your current organization's culture and would like to be a part of a more empowering workplace?
  • Financial considerations: Are you primarily motivated by the potential for better financial growth and stability?

You may have reasons entirely different and specific to you.

However, knowing your reason(s) will increase the likelihood of finding a position that aligns with your goals.

You may also realize that you didn't want to change jobs and were only doing it because others were doing it, making you feel insecure and fearful.

Where To Look For A New Job?

There was a time when people would find jobs in newspapers and brochures.Thankfully, we've got better avenues to search for the jobs nowadays.

Here are some places you can look for a new job:

  • Industry-specific job boards. Platforms like Indeed, Monster cater to various industries and have customizable search parameters. FlexJobs has postings for remote and flexible jobs. But I'd suggest starting with LinkedIn, as more recruiters and job seekers making a beeline to it. And you get all these cool insights into the job market, too.
  • Attend industry conferences, webinars, and meet-ups to connect with professionals, build relationships, and stay informed about potential openings.
  • Explore Best Place To Work companies from your industry to identify which companies you can apply for. You can always directly check out their open positions on their website and contact their recruiters via LinkedIn if you know what you're looking for.
Click here to apply for the Python staff engineer role at Axelerant

How To Look For A New Job?

Once you know your reasons and have identified a few potential positions to target from your job search, it's time to apply for jobs. 

This part, where you apply for jobs, requires a blend of digital finesse and real-world networking.

How To Look For A New Job_

Research The Organization And Its Culture

Before applying or attending interviews, thoroughly research the company, its values, and workplace culture. 

Explore the company's website, read recently published articles, and follow them on social media. Check Glassdoor reviews, too.

If something feels off, make points to clarify during the interview.

But if a lot seems off, you're better off not applying there. It will save you time and energy that can be better spent elsewhere.

You can also tailor your application according to their values. For instance, if the company values innovation and collaboration, tailor your application and interview responses to these cultural aspects.

Leverage LinkedIn Effectively

Most hiring managers look for candidates using LinkedIn. 

Unlike most job search portals, LinkedIn allows you to contact recruiters directly.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile to showcase your skills, experiences, and career aspirations. You can take a course to learn how to do this. 

Here are some steps you can take right away: 

  • Use the right keywords in your industry and job domain. Or the keywords for the job you're trying to get.
  • Include a professional summary; write in the first-person narrative—that's how you own your story
  • Use short, concise paragraphs and bullets to highlight key skills, accomplishments, and results
  • Connect with professionals in your industry
  • Join relevant groups and engage in discussions to expand your network

Network Strategically

Connect with people in your industry and the job roles you want to be in.

This step takes a continuous effort and genuine interest in people.

It's not a quick, immediate fix for when you need a job.

Your network will include people in your industry whose work and character you admire and learn from.

One way to identify the people you want to connect with, on LinkedIn or other socials, is to see where they work and what that work entails.

If you have applied to an organization or plan to apply, connect with your potential colleagues and have casual (with a hint of professional tone) conversations with them.

Ask them about the organization, their experience, and their work. Share your aspirations with them, too. 

Axelerant team members connect easily

Tap Into Your Network for Referrals

Use your professional network—consisting of people you've connected with strategically—to seek referrals within their companies once you build a rapport.

If you have a connection at a company you admire, express your interest and inquire about potential opportunities.

Referrals often carry significant weight in the hiring process.

Plus, if the company has a referral program, the person referring you gets a bonus if you make it in. Quid pro quo done right. 

Engage In Informational Interviews

An informational interview is a great way to gain insights and advice about your desired career path. 

It's a friendly meeting with a professional, perhaps someone whose work you admire, to learn about career paths and work experiences. 

Unlike a job interview, the focus is on gathering valuable information, expanding your network, and building relationships. 

Requesting these interviews can lead to potential job opportunities and a better understanding of your desired field.

But not everyone would be willing to engage with you; be prepared for rejections and stalling.

Vivek out having lunch with UN colleagues

Craft Tailored Resumes And Cover Letters

Recruiters and hiring managers usually spend a minute or less browsing a resume.

So you want to highlight your achievements, experience, and skills that align with the role you're applying for.

And make the resume as skimmable as possible.

Include facts and numbers to highlight the impact of your work in your past position.

For instance, if you were a web developer, highlight how your contributions increased the clients' website traffic, engagement and conversation rates, etc.

Showcase Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are applicable across various roles and industries. They are abilities and knowledge gained from past experiences that can be used in any job, such as time management, prioritizing, problem-solving, good verbal and written communication, etc. 

These differ from core job skills, like coding for an engineer or accounting for a chartered accountant.

These skills show hiring managers that you're adaptable and versatile. 

For example, if you're transitioning from a project management role in IT to a similar position in marketing, emphasize skills such as organization, communication, and the ability to meet deadlines. 

Surabhi planning an offsite

Build An Online Portfolio

There are tons of websites that you can use to create your online portfolio.

Explore creative portfolios on Behance to get a reference. 

Once you get a general idea, build a simple and elegant portfolio with Wix, Weebly, WordPress.com, or Cargo. And add your work that you're proud of.

It allows you to display your skills, experience, and accomplishments to potential clients or employers easily and effectively, anywhere in the world, anytime. 

You can even include your portfolio link in your resume, guaranteeing a better interview chance. 

For instance, graphic designers can display their designs, writers can feature published articles, and programmers can link to their GitHub repositories.

Set Up Job Alerts

Job portals and professional networks have this incredible system for job alerts. 

Anytime a recruiter posts a job opening in your industry and interested domain, you get a notification on your chosen device.

To get the most out of this feature, set up your job alert with the right keywords, or else it can get annoying after a while.

For example, a software engineer would use keywords like Software Development, Programming, Coding, Web Development, Full Stack Development, Front-end Development, etc.

Here's how you can do it on LinkedIn.

Follow Up Thoughtfully

Not many people will send a thoughtful follow-up email after the interview.

If you feel that the organization you interviewed for is a place you can work in, write a follow-up email or drop a LinkedIn message to the hiring manager. 

Don't make it too long or flowery. The goal is not to fawn over the person.

Express your gratitude for the opportunity and reaffirm your interest in the position by briefly highlighting how your skills and experience align with the company's needs.

That's sure to make you stand out in their mind.

How Do You Deal With Job Rejection?

Many people do not talk about the toll job searching can take on a person.

You can read Arzoo Tomer's story here, where she narrates her journey of dealing with interview rejection at Axelerant. 

Arzoo worried about her future, sitting in front of the laptop

After tens of rejections, you might receive one or two job offers aligning with your goals.

These rejections eventually add up, creating self-doubt and a dent in confidence.

And when one internalizes rejections, their brain activates its threat response, releasing stress hormones like cortisol.

Here are some steps you can consciously take to protect your well-being and peace while searching for jobs:

Practice Self-Compassion And Self-Care

Recognize that job searching can be challenging. Be kind to yourself and celebrate small victories, like submitting a tailored resume or securing an informational interview. 

And remember self-care, whether through exercise, mindfulness practices, or activities that bring you joy. 

Create A Support System

Share your journey with friends, family, or mentors. Having a support system provides encouragement, insights, and a valuable outlet for expressing your thoughts and feelings.

Set Realistic Goals

Break down your job search into manageable goals. Don't target applying to 20 companies in one night.

Setting realistic and achievable milestones helps maintain motivation and prevents feelings of overwhelm.

Establish A Routine

Maintain a daily routine to provide structure and stability to the process.

Set a particular time for job searching activities within the day, as you'd probably have many other things to take care of—like your current job responsibilities! 

A well-organized day keeps stress at bay.

Build Your Growth Mindset

A growth mindset allows you to view setbacks and rejections as opportunities for growth and realignment—instead of personal failures. But it does need some practice and reframing of our internal dialogue to see substantial results. Here is a video by psychologist Carol Dweck that explains this concept in more detail.

[embedded content]

Finding a job that you deserve and aligns with your professional aspirations can be difficult.

But if you go at it with patience and the right strategy, you'll land the job you've always dreamed of.

Click here to apply for the Python staff engineer role at Axelerant
Feb 21 2024
Feb 21

Introduction

This article offers the benefits and ways of practicing kindness within organizations and teams.

People deserve and expect kindness. It’s human nature. 

Whether it’s at work or home (or in any other place).

Kindness makes all the difference between a workplace people want to join and one that gets a bad rep on Glassdoor.

The culture within teams, the well-being of its people, and even the quality of work produced take a hit in the absence of kindness. 

And so, consciously practicing kindness is non-negotiable for long-term success.

What Does Kindness Mean?

Kindness is acting from a state of mind where one wants what's best for others—with empathy, consideration, and much humility—without expecting favors in return.

(Quid pro quo exchanges don't count as being kind.)

When one chooses to be kind, they let go of their ego, envy, and selfish behavioral and thought patterns.

Kindness is often confused with being nice, rooted in a yearning to be liked and accepted by others. 

One can continue to be nice and not care about others' well-being or growth.

And even granting people what's rightfully theirs, like letting teammates go on leave.

What Does The Opposite Of Kindness Look Like At Work?

The opposite of kindness at work looks like fear, insecurity, and heaps of self-centeredness.

Scenario 1:

Here's a recent incident that an acquaintance faced at a reputed company.

A woman came down with a fever at work. It was 11:30 AM, and she decided to soldier on and take half a day off. 

At 1:30 PM, she requested leave from her manager.

Manager: "Have you finished today's assignment yet?"

Woman: "No, I started it this morning. But I'm almost done."

Manager: "Good, then it won't take much time. Please finish the assignment and then take the leave." 

Scenario 2:

A virtual meeting room in one of the biggest global IT giants.  

I heard the feeble voice of a man (possibly over 40 years old)—speaking directly from the hospital bed—in a scrum meeting. The man had suffered a heart attack the day before.

If this wasn't enough, someone had the gall to ask when he would "tentatively" be able to rejoin work.

When people don't practice kindness within teams, it creates a culture of viewing human beings as little more than mere resources.

Apply at Axelerant by clicking here. We believe people grow better with kindness and support.

The Importance Of Kindness In The Workplace

The practice of kindness can help create emotionally mature organizations.

By transforming its team members, right from the top.

According to the American Public Health Association, practicing kindness can:

  • Improve one's mood and self-esteem 
  • Boost immune system 
  • Lower blood pressure 
  • Relieve anxiety by increasing the body's release of feel-good chemicals, like dopamine and endorphins

Studies show that it also brings happiness and a sense of meaning to people's lives.

At an organizational level, research indicates that acts of kindness can be linked to higher productivity, efficiency, and lower attrition rates. 

These are precisely the results that leaders want in their organizations.

Boosts Team Morale

Kindness is a powerful morale booster, especially during high-intensity work. 

Showing kindness, for instance, by appreciating and recognizing the small efforts that usually go unnoticed and taken for granted, strengthens team bonding.

When teammates (especially leaders) show kindness in their interactions, it inspires people to do better, resulting in high-quality work that people can be proud of.

Team members happy together

Creates And Sustains Psychologically Safe Spaces

When people in an organization consciously practice kindness, it creates a psychologically safe space. 

Team members feel secure in voicing their opinions, taking calculated risks, and exploring innovative solutions. 

Feelings of fear, ridicule, and negative consequences gradually decrease. 

People also feel empowered to provide honest feedback and challenge the status quo to remove harmful or defunct practices.

Fosters Fearless Creativity

A by-product of knowing the existence of kindness in one's team and having a psychologically safe environment is fearless creativity.

Because the fear of judgment—or any kind, for that matter—stifles creativity.

Fear acts as a barrier to the free expression of ideas and originality. 

People run and chase what they are told to and avoid speaking up for fear of consequences.

It can cost an organization dearly, as they get stuck in a rut, doing the same things repeatedly and expecting better results.

Manjula working with a smile on her face

Enables Smooth, Frictionless Collaborations

We've all had the "fortune" of conversing with unkind people.

Imagine that as the norm in the workplace.

A single insensitive person is enough to muddy the collaborative spirit of a team—especially when they are in a leadership position or are protected by someone in a leadership position.

When team members are consciously kind to each other, everyone feels supported and seen. 

Conversations happen organically and smoothly. 

Without friction or constantly walking over eggshells.

Even when the stakes are high and deadlines near, a kind and collaborative team spirit is a buffer against stress.

George appreciating Pragathis kindness

Builds Loyalty And Reduces Attrition

People are likelier to stay in organizations where leaders prioritize kindness.

It builds a strong loyalty when people feel treated fairly and respectfully—core components of kind behaviors at work.

Finding the right people takes much effort and resources, especially for an organization like Axelerant, where culture is paramount.

Many organizations also invest in role-specific training right from onboarding.

For instance, Axelerant's annual education benefit lets people upskill through professional courses.

When they leave abruptly, all that resource and training is wasted.

Practicing kindness is an investment in reducing attrition and building organizational loyalty.

How To Practice Kindness In The Workplace? 

Even with the right intention, people often need help figuring out how to start being kind at work. 

Treat others as they would like to be treated themselves.

Here are some examples of kindness in the workplace that can help one start their kindness journey at work, and in life.

How to practice kindness at the workplace

Ownership Of Work

Work ownership is an integral part of practicing kindness within a team—because it lays the foundation for people to be kind.  

It requires embracing work with a sense of responsibility beyond mere task completion.

When people own their part, end to end, they give others the freedom to do their best work.

This lightens the workload and creates an atmosphere of reliability and trust. 

The burden of success gets distributed organically, too.

It becomes easier for people to trust that their teammates are putting in their best effort. 

People don't just feel accountable for their tasks but are deeply connected to the team's wins. 

Michael recognizing a team members work ownership

Choosing Trust By Default

Trust is foundational to practicing kindness at work or in any group.

The general wisdom about trust is that it needs to be earned. Through sweat, toil, and steadfast dedication.

And so, professional relationships often begin erring on caution and suspicion.

Breeding distrust of people's motives and abilities.

And distrust makes teammates do unkind things—questioning each other cynically and jumping to conclusions at first chance.

Always assume positive—or neutral—motives, even in challenging situations. 

And have faith that your team members can work through a problem and produce great work.

This practice is an intentional choice and takes effort to cultivate.

It creates a workplace culture where trust is not "earned" but freely given. 

A culture that values the inherent goodness in every team member.

Practicing Empathy

Empathy can bring authenticity and understanding into workplace relationships. 

Being empathetic to others' problems or experiences helps us relate to them and, in turn, allows us to be kind. 

Empathy involves putting oneself in someone else's shoes and creating a safe space where they feel heard and validated. 

For example, one of your colleagues might need help adapting to the new work environment after joining.

Recollecting your own experiences of being a new joiner and empathizing from that mind space would allow you to understand their situation and help them better. 

Empathy helps us see team members as fellow humans navigating the complexities of professional life—just like us.

Interview practise session

Building Bonds On Mutual Respect

The link between respect and kindness is quite obvious.

Seeing and respecting team members as human beings is a must for one to be kind. 

But it doesn't stop there. 

People must realize that each team member's work is valuable and deserves respect. The team needs their contributions to reach its goals effectively and qualitatively. 

Plus, it boosts a sense of pride, confidence, and ownership when there's mutual respect in a team.

Manifesting Humility

Being humble is harder than it sounds.

Even when someone praises one for being humble, one's humility takes a dip momentarily. Sneaky business.

When team members are humble, they leave their arrogance and ego out of conversations. 

They don't need to assert dominance to make themselves feel important. 

They don't feel that the organization, and all its people, revolve around them.

Humble people freely acknowledge their mistakes, opening them up to learning and growth. And more approachable, too—because we all goof up. 

Humility allows one to take constructive feedback without considering it a personal attack. It makes the workplace so much better and kinder.

Extending A Helping Hand To Others

Helping others is one of the best examples of practicing kindness.

It forces one to truly see their team members, go beyond the pigeonhole view of finishing one task after another.

A team wouldn't feel much like a team if nobody bothered to notice and extend a helping hand to those who needed it.

Here are some things you can do to make your colleagues feel cared for, looked after, and seen:

  • Offer to shoulder a part of their workload, or help streamline their process if someone seems swamped with tasks
  • Share ideas about creative tasks if you feel someone is feeling stuck 
  • Organize a mini-workshop or a casual skill-sharing session
  • Remind people to have food on time; bring them something from the canteen if deadlines keep them glued to the chair
  • Be adaptable in your collaboration approach

You may not be able to extend help during the rush-hour frenzies. But reaching out whenever you can is a good start.

Sharing Feedback And Recognition

When done simultaneously in a healthy balance, feedback and recognition foster kindness.

I don't mean feedback shared immaturely that shatters the receiver's confidence.

Feedback that is specific, kind, and coming from a space of helping others improve and grow.

That's what we practice here at Axelerant. When in doubt, people reach out to their coach to share feedback that adheres to a positive intention and our core values. 

And recognition should always be given in the open.

Sana praising team members

Self-Care And Introspection

Without self-care and introspection, even the kindest of people can become perfect monsters, making others' lives as miserable as theirs.

Being kind to others is tough when one isn't kind to themselves. 

It involves taking care of one's well-being. 

Keeping emotionally, mentally, and physically fit. Learning to manage stress and navigate life's complexities.

Everyone struggles with some aspects of life that make it harder to be kind to others. 

It could be sticking to a routine for someone, and being spontaneous for the other.

That's why self-care and kindness practice has to combine with introspection. If possible, daily. 

To realize where one stands with oneself and others in the kindness quotient. And change where it's needed.

Building Systems To Check Unkindness

A culture of kindness is hard to create and harder to maintain.

It demands effective, well-thought-out, and evolving systems to check unkind behaviors. 

To make this a reality, organizations should: 

  • Implement clear policies against hurtful behavior
  • Establish seamless conflict resolution mechanisms
  • Foster a culture intolerant of disrespect
  • Provide training and coaching for practicing kindness

And build in periodic check-ins to address concerns promptly. 

Start Your Kindness Journey Today

Work doesn't need to be a dreadful, prickly place packed with friction.

It can be energizing and rewarding when teammates practice kindness consciously. 

And a practice lies in action.

Start being kind to yourself and the people around you at work (and outside of it). Take one small step daily.

It's time we strive to create kinder workplaces—because everyone deserves kindness.

Apply at Axelerant by clicking here. We believe people grow better with kindness and support.
Feb 08 2024
Feb 08

Introduction

This article captures the various benefits and advantages of remote work on productivity, and also highlights the potential challenges of working from home.

Productivity is an elusive magic bullet. And everybody is out to discover its best secrets and hacks.

There's a big debate on how remote work affects productivity. 

Some consider remote work a productivity killer, and some the opposite.

You may be considering these very questions.

Are there any benefits to working remotely? Can it be advantageous to work from home than an office? Can remote work help increase productivity? 

The straight answer is that, in most cases, remote work has been proven to increase people's productivity and efficiency.

Some research suggests that it also boosts creativity and enables remote workers to enjoy a better quality of life.

What Is Productivity?

It might seem odd to even talk about this. But people often have a crooked notion about being productive.

Productivity is entirely subjective, depending on where you work.

For a factory worker, productivity would mean churning out more products within a fixed period. For a judge, it would mean dispensing proper legal judgment on cases, which might have a bearing on similar cases later.

But in every scenario, people agree on the following definition.

Productivity measures how efficiently one uses their resources—time, effort, and skills—to achieve goals. 

It's not just about getting things done, but getting the right things done most effectively. 

In a corporate setting, that makes a worker more efficient and productive.

It's about optimizing one's workflow and constantly refining the approach. 

It's not a race against the clock but a strategic dance with it. 

Sometimes, you need to slow down to get creative and solve unique problems, and sometimes, it's like typing one to hundred like an old Western gunslinger; the fastest finger wins.

Interview practise session

The Benefits Of Remote Work For Productivity

There's a reason why people are finding it so hard to return to the office in person. 

Because once you've worked remotely, doing the same work you were doing in the office, you know. The cat's out of the bag.

Not much beats the benefits and advantages of remote work. 

In 2020, a study by Stanford University revealed remote workers to be 5% more productive than their in-office peers. By 2022, as businesses invested in adapting to better work practices and tools, the productivity gap increased by 9%.

Here are some reasons why working from home is good for you.

The Benefits Of Remote Work For Productivity

Flexibility To Design Your Workday 

In most mature workplaces—that offer remote work, or are completely remote like Axelerant—you can design your workday according to your needs and commitments in life.

In a traditional physical office, people are usually expected to punch in to work at their assigned shift timings.

Some even go as far as deducting half a day's compensation for being 15 minutes late.

It's no wonder that flexibility was voted as the top benefit in our organization.

Hetal Mistry, Director of Global Delivery, used this benefit to be there for her son and ailing husband during one of the most trying times in her life

Many team members, like Hetal, have clinched their promotions at work while successfully keeping their personal commitments—because of this ability to work from where they want, when they want.

In many cases, having flexibility at work becomes the difference between having a thriving career and being out of work.

A 2022 Future Forum report revealed that workers with full schedule flexibility experience 29% higher productivity and 53% greater ability to focus than workers with no ability to shift their schedule.

Extra Time To Do Whatever

Imagine not having to commute to work every day.

O, the joy of it! 

The pure pleasure of not getting up hours earlier to dress up, gobble down some gruel you'd tell yourself is breakfast, and jet out of home—just to be endlessly stuck in traffic. 

Remote work opens up a Pandora's box of extra hours in your life.

The Becker Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago discovered that remote work saved about two hours per week, per worker in 2021 and 2022.

Precious time that you can use to explore new coding languages, contribute to open-source projects or unwind with activities you love. 

It empowers you to transform your spare moments into opportunities for skill enhancement, creativity, or a well-deserved break.

Personalized Workspaces That Work For You

Remote work empowers individuals to shape their workspaces according to their preferences, fostering a more productive and comfortable environment. 

According to a study by Harvard Business Review, workers with control over their workspace reported a 32% increase in overall well-being and job satisfaction.

The study also notes that traditional office settings that don't provide any choice or control over a person's office settings hurt focus and productivity. 

The Journal of Environmental Psychology supports this, revealing that environmental control is positively associated with job satisfaction, enhanced focus, and creativity.

The overall result is increased, unhindered productivity.

In a remote setting, you can choose the location, ambiance, and tools that optimize your workflow, ultimately contributing to a more efficient and enjoyable work experience.

Here are some tips to set up your remote workstation.

Sourabhs message of thanks working remotely from a beach at Axelerant

No More Struggling To Keep Personal Commitments

Your days of being unable to make time for personal commitments are over.

No more will professional obligations keep you from attending your child's school play or taking that midday yoga class. 

Remote work liberates you from the rigid constraints of a traditional office schedule. 

You can seamlessly integrate personal activities into your day without compromising on productivity. Whether it's a quick grocery run, a doctor's appointment, or spending quality time with loved ones, you can fulfill personal commitments without the stress of work interference. 

Many team members use this advantage of working online to go on long workations, enjoying a harmonious blend of work and travel.

Global Exposure To Diverse Expertise And People

In a remote work setup, you get more than just a job; you gain a global network of diverse professionals

You will be colleagues with people from different continents with unique perspectives. 

This global exposure exposes one to diverse expertise, ideas, and working styles. 

It also opens doors to broader insights and collaborative learning, fostering a rich and dynamic professional ecosystem.

It's one of the strongest benefits of remote work—for employers and team members alike.

It enabled us to do meaningful work for clients like Doctors Without Borders, facilitating millions of dollars in donations through their website during wars and conflicts in Eastern Europe. 

Stress-Free, High Focus Workdays 

Many workers view the chance to work from home as an invaluable perk. 

A survey of 3,000 workers at top companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft found that 64% would prefer permanent work-from-home over a $30,000 pay raise. 

Wonder why that is? 

Apart from the already stated benefits, working from home is much less stressful than in a traditional office setting (given that the organization has set up proper boundaries; more on this later).

It eliminates the stresses that come with:

  • Daily commute
  • Rigidity of conforming to a behavioral code of an office (which can often be toxic)
  • Rigidity of maintaining a fixed schedule
  • Dealing with people with hostile personality traits, in person, in an office
  • Confinement to a fixed workspace

And working from home empowers one by:

  • Reducing frequent interruptions from colleagues or unnecessary meetings
  • Giving you control over when and how you respond to people and protecting your precious, high-focus, high-energy hours for getting stuff done
  • Allowing you as many breaks as you want (nobody's looking over your shoulders to see how long you spent in the washroom)
Work-life flexibility is a top benefit at Axelerant

How Can You Increase Your Productivity While Working Remotely?

You can leverage the benefits of working remotely 

to increase your productivity remarkably.

Make yourself more efficient and enjoy the work-life people dream of.

The crux of mastering remote work is taking charge of your time and energy.

  • Decide your work schedule based on priorities: Divide your work based on how soon something needs to get done and for what impact
  • Plan and divide your work with useful tools: Use apps like Google Tasks and Todoist to set task reminders in specific time pockets
  • Pay extra focus to your energy: More people should be discussing energy management already. If you're a morning person, capitalize on this by scheduling your most challenging tasks during that hour. Save less demanding work for when your energy naturally dips
  • Plan for procrastination: Planning for it takes away feelings of guilt that come afterward. Keep a buffer time of 45 to 60 minutes spread throughout the day to not do your work
  • Communicate your work preferences to your team: Once you finalize what work you're doing and when, let your team in on your schedule for collaboration and meetings
  • Block time on your calendar: Set up your schedule on your work calendar that's preferably accessible to all team members to ensure better time alignment
  • Stick to your routine: This sounds radically simple, yet it is the most difficult to pull off. Sticking to the decided routine is key to a successful remote work experience and productivity, as your body and mind will know you mean business if you sit down at work consistently at the same time
  • Leave space for some flexibility: This sounds counterintuitive to the previous point. But you need to find a balance between a strict routine and spontaneity. People and commitments will come your way, and it'd sometimes be impossible to dodge them. Things often have a way of going differently than planned
  • Create or choose your ideal work zone: One of the absolute pleasures of remote work is designing your workspace how you want. Keep plants; don't keep plants. Have proper artificial lighting, or sit near the window. Work standing up or snug in a comfortable ergonomic chair. It's up to you
  • Track your progress: Always be on top of your progress. With the kind of autonomy and flexibility remote work offers, it's often a slippery slope if you don't keep track of your progress. Applications like Jira and Asana will come in handy if you transform your work into achievable goals and place milestones to gauge how well you're progressing
  • Build feedback loops: To avoid getting blindsided by critical performance feedback, create your own feedback loops. Ask questions that matter to you and tell you precisely where you are with your work and meeting expectations

You can learn about these points in more detail here.

Potential Challenges Of Remote Work You Should Know

Nothing is without its challenges. 

The same goes for working from home. 

And these challenges become stark for people new to this way of life.

Feelings Of Isolation

It's possible to feel isolated while working remotely, especially if you live alone or have few chances of social interaction.

Most conversations at work revolve around one's work. And that is completely fine. 

But in a remote setting, having conversations beyond the scope of work is critical—on hobbies, shared interests, or just talking about life in general.

We realized that conscious investment and building systems to foster team member connection were indispensable to a thriving remote work culture.

  • Team offsites in various locations
  • Dout calls
  • Organization-sponsored team meet-ups
  • Fun, team activities designed on shared interests like art workshops, parenting classes, stand-up comedy, singing shows, etc.
  • All team meet-ups and parties around sponsored food and out-of-work chats
  • Coaching by professional, in-house performance coaches to create psychologically safe spaces within teams to promote open, kind communication

These are some of the proactive steps we've taken to minimize feelings of isolation, and any organization that cares for its people can follow.

Overlapping Boundaries

This happens when people in leadership positions need more maturity to realize that a successful work culture needs boundaries.

One of the most fundamental boundaries is setting up, adhering to, and respecting an agreed-upon work schedule that works for the individual and the team.

This allows team members to maintain a healthy balance between work and downtime.

When companies lack or disregard such boundaries, people's work and personal lives flow into each other in a toxic way.

The result is taking client calls at midnight, waking up to the computer screen in the morning, struggling with work and personal commitments, and leaving the company behind in an embarrassingly short time. 

Burned out and dissatisfied.

Technical Challenges

Successful remote work requires proper tools to manage every aspect of the business and its operations.

There are numerous processes involved in running a business: payroll, people management, promotions, logistics, deliveries, analytics, communication, record-keeping, taxes, audits, profits, losses, and the list goes on.

Every process requires a designated tool to complete the work systematically and on time, while allowing for seamless collaboration.

Not having proper tools and associated healthy collaboration and communication practices can be draining for team members.

They will cause losses in time, resources, and valuable energy that could've been used to create and provide value to the clients.

Probable Distractions

In the absence of a proper home office setup, it is possible to be distracted from work.

We all have personal commitments at home requiring attention and time.

For instance, kids become more curious and conversational when they see their elders on video calls.

While the occasional peep-in is unavoidable, distractions can become a nuisance to work if not controlled.

One can minimize interruptions by using noise-canceling headphones, establishing a structured daily routine, setting a closed-door workspace, and communicating clear boundaries to family members.

Is Remote Work For You?

If you're still on the fence about a remote working opportunity, use these questions to introspect:

  • Where are you working now, and what made you think of changing?
  • Why do you want a remote position?
  • How do you see your ideal work life? Does it align with what the company has to offer for its people?
  • What does growth mean for you?
  • Do you enjoy your work? Would you do it even if nobody runs behind you? Or is it just a set of actions to make a livelihood and avoid the societal judgment of not working?

Honest answers to these questions should make it easier for you to take the next step.

One's remote work experience largely depends upon the organization. 

If it's not built to set you up for success, you might return to a physical office with an added spring to your step.

But what if it cares for its people and actively invests in their growth and well-being? 

Work would never be the same for you. 

The ball's in your court. Choose wisely.

Work-life flexibility is a top benefit at Axelerant
Jan 25 2024
Jan 25

In most cultures worldwide, December is reserved for friends and family, for holidays.

People reflect on the past year and welcome the new one steeped in joy and festivity.

Many Axelerant team members, too, go on long holidays with their loved ones.

In the winter of 2023, we wanted to do something to celebrate this joyous time of the year with all Axelerant team members—before out-of-office emojis began adorning their Slack profile pictures.

We wanted to celebrate. Not for a day or two. 

But for an entire week. 

It All Started With A Challenge

The year 2023 went well.

Clients were happy, and the work was good. 

We bagged some big and prestigious awards for our work—and work culture

Team members were happy, too.

And they wanted Axelerant to share in their happiness with tangible tokens of appreciation. Like gifts.

At first we thought: Sure, why not? What a lovely idea! 

After all, we were feeling grateful for how the year went, for the small and big wins that came our way.

And none of it could’ve happened without people’s hard work. 

But there was this one little thing. . .

We did gifts, but were certain that it had to be something more than mere tangible presents landing on people's doorsteps.

Even more challenging was aligning that “something” with our culture. 

Gifts To Appreciate. . .? Meh

Before you start judging—we don't have anything against gifts. We love them. 

And we love surprises, too.

But. . .isn't it a little too convenient and a little less thoughtful to just send the same gifts to everyone?

Sure, it takes effort. But at the end of the day, it's just material that people can buy themselves.

Plus, every organization that wants to show some semblance of appreciation already does that.

So, you see, it had to be something more. (We didn't do away with gifts altogether, though. We aren't monsters!)

First, We Got Our Intention Straight

We brainstormed. 

(A fair amount of ideas, half ideas, fractured words, sounds, and rhymes were thrown about pell-mell.)

We stepped back and asked ourselves: what do we want team members to feel?

And the answer was similar to what we were trying to convey: gratefulness. 

We were thankful to every team member for their efforts and for trusting, working, and growing with us.

We wanted to say thank you.

We wanted them to truly feel the spirit of gratefulness from us, their team members, and, if possible, from within.

And we had to do it in a way that was fun—like, Godzilla busting a move in party-wear fun.

Click here to check out our open positions.

And That’s When It Hit Us: A Gratitude Week

At first, we wanted to do it small—a half day of virtual meetings where people get gifts and food vouchers and share things they are grateful for at work.

But if there's one thing you should know about us, it is this: we don't play it safe or small.

So, the "half-day" time slot soon became an entire week.

A week dedicated to gratitude.

Sprinkled with games, activities, reflections, creativity, and, most importantly, togetherness.

Dec 8 Announcement - Gratitude Week Schedule

Practicing gratitude has many surprising and not-so-surprising benefits for individuals.

To ensure that the practice took life in people's lives, we structured the week under the Observe, Think, Feel, Do model. 

Each day's activities corresponded to this model to bring a structure to the week and the practice.

A Week Of Celebration That Brought Everyone Together

Usually, we keep all kinds of participation optional until it concerns core work roles. (As it should be, right?)

Even then, joining meetings is mostly optional.

So, frankly, we were—slightly—worried about how team members would receive the whole idea. 

Everything was in order operationally. And we held our breath.

We Kicked Things Off With A Session

Gratitude Session at Axelerant

We dove into the week with a session from our Coaching Director, Mridula Ujjwal

The session helped open ourselves up to the week's possibilities and brought everyone on the same page.

The concept of gratitude is quite simple. 

But consciously practicing it? A whole other thing.

Simple things are usually the hardest to do—like sticking to a routine.

How often do we notice and consciously appreciate the little things floating by that make us feel good?

Axelerant team member recognizing Mridula_s session

Took Time Out To Appreciate The Magical Blessings Surrounding Us

The second day was all about observing.

Noticing Prompts To Practice Gratitude For Our Surroundings

Every little thing that made people's lives better, comfortable, livable, enjoyable.

It wasn't limited to material objects. Some team members put down access to morning sunlight in their room as something they felt grateful for.

They noted each item on pieces of paper and used these to fill gratitude jars. 

And people decorated these jars with whatever beauty meant for them without any specifications.

Gratitude jar

These now sit on people's work desks—its contents an ever-ready reminder that no matter how bleak a day feels, we are surrounded by items that make our lives spectacular.

There was a word puzzle, too. Filled with gratitude words. (You can create your own from scratch from this website.)

Dec 12 Word Search

How many could you discover?

And The People Without Whom We Couldn’t Have Made It This Far

The third day was all about thinking.

Most of us have people who put in tremendous effort to make us reach where we stand today.

Not just one's immediate family. A childhood teacher, a friendly neighbor, a friend who's always been there through thick and thin.

Team members had to discover these people and their contributions. 

Then, write letters showing honest appreciation for their contributions to their lives.

And send them.

This structure helped them along the path of introspection.

Path of introspection.

We also played a fun game—the Cricket Team of Life.

The theme was simple.

If your life were a cricket match, which of your people (friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, etc.) would make the cut?

Ananya Shekar, Engagement Manager, facilitated the game with precise questions that made one introspect about the people they depend and count upon, with or without realizing.

Day 4—QOTD

Dedicated Bucket-Loads Of Songs To Each Other

The fourth day was all about feeling.

And we toned down on activities to allow for people to feel.

All team members had to do was tune in to our very own in-house Zoom channel-turned-radio station—with a handpicked playlist of songs. Yup!

Songs that go with the spirit of gratitude.

Then came song dedications.

For the team members, by the team members, from the team members.

Ankur Gupta_s song dedication to the executive team

I’d be trivializing the impact of this activity by saying that this was a hit. 

This was a hit alright, all the way to the finish line.

Axelerant team member Sharayu getting recognized for playing the radio music marathon during Gratitude Week

People here really seem to like each other.

So much so that we had to close the dedication form—before time!—because playing them all would’ve kept us glued to our screens till late night.

Unwrapped Our Gifts Of Choice

You didn’t think we’d do away with presents, did you? 

There’s something nice about having presents delivered to one’s doorstep.

And this week was all about making team members feel nice.

So we curated three sets of presents and let people have the option to choose whichever they fancied.

Axelerant gratitude week gift

Premium chocolates, healthy snacks, gratitude diaries, and self-pampering kits were some items in those little gift boxes. 

Appreciated The People Who Make Work Awesome

The fifth and the last day of the week was about doing. 

Sending love to the people one worked with—within and outside one’s team.

And we did it through a game of bingo with prompts.

Gratitude Week BINGO card

Team members had to follow the prompts, which focused on expressing gratitude through personal messages to people who make their work life awesome and help them grow.

Then, take screenshots of those messages and paste them into a PPT.

And when all the messages for the prompts were sent and the screenshots pasted, share the PPT with everyone.

At the day’s end, we all got on a call and reflected on the week and how it impacted us. 

Axelerant CEO Ankur Gupta praising the efforts behind Gratitude Week

And Spread The Gratitude Spirit To Where It Matters The Most

At Axelerant, we believe in giving back.

Not as a public relations stunt. Giving back to where it truly matters.

Many of our team members usually devote time to contributing to developing open-source platforms like Drupal and WordPress. 

And we couldn't let this spirit of giving back slide during this week.

That's why we selected a list of charities to donate at the event's end.

Message about charity donations during Axelerant_s Gratitude week

If you've made it this far, you, too, can celebrate the spirit of gratitude in your team.

It's so worth the effort.

And if your workplace isn't ready for this kind of activity that celebrates its people and their work, consider a new workplace?

This week has renewed us and brought us together. 

And it has certainly renewed our commitment to live our core values of kindness, openness, and enthusiasm every single day.

Click here to check out our open positions.
Jan 24 2024
Jan 24

Introduction

A staff engineer is an engineering architect within Axelerant. 

They plan and create the path for others to follow for project deliveries.

Ensure everyone and everything related to the project remain on the same page.

One might say, if a project team were a band, they would be the lead lyricist, musician, and sometimes, the singer, too. They are the rockstars of engineering.

Since learning that Axelerant was taking on a big Python project—first of its kind in India, or possibly, South Asia—I wanted to learn more about the Python staff engineer role.

And I wanted to learn it from the person responsible for hiring the next Python staff engineer at Axelerant—Bassam Ismail.

Meet Bassam—The Director of Digital Engineering

Bassam lives with his family in the majestic city of Srinagar, in Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Bassam-the Director of Digital Engineering in Axelerant

As the rest of India began enjoying the cool pleasant winds that follow Indian summers, Bassam’s hometown was already covered in snow. In fact, a snowstorm pushed our conversation back by a day.

Bassams home covered in snow in Kashmir

Bassam joined Axelerant in 2012, after working as a freelance designer in Pixoto for a few years.

Ankur Gupta (Axelerant’s CEO) reached out to me one day about an opportunity. I didn’t know anything about Axelerant at the time,” he said.

He met Aliya Khanam during the hiring process—a fellow Kashmiri who vouched for Ankur and their work.

Little did he know that this was the beginning of two relationships—with Axelerant, that would take his career to the next level, and with Aliya, who would eventually become his life partner. 

Bassam with his family

After Four Years, He Left Axelerant In 2016

“As an engineer, I always look forward to solving different problems. Applying and expanding my skill set. I had to see how other companies were doing things,” said Bassam.

It was this drive and curiosity that led him to a rather strange conversation with Ankur Gupta.

“I was honest about my intention. I told him that I wanted to try out different roles, different projects in the industry,” he said.

As a fellow software engineer, Ankur understood what Bassam needed at the time. 

“We both understood that I was coming back,” he shared. 

I started the interview with the most pricking question.

Why did you rejoin Axelerant?

Surprisingly, I found the work very similar, almost the same wherever I went.

And there was a powerful hierarchy. And a disregard for work-life balance, innovation, or people pushing beyond what is expected from them. 

Bassam early on in his career with Axelerant

There was also the cultural difference—complete remote work, a people-centric atmosphere, and empowering policies. 

It made me realize Axelerant always thought ahead of time.

Moreover, as I said, every time I left Axelerant, I always intended to learn things from others. 

Ankur and I were clear on this: I was going to return. 

It was either this or taking a sabbatical. 

I was spoiled with the flexibility to experiment with different jobs, not something you see every day.

Can you tell me about the Python project?

Basically, the project is a betting application. 

And in a betting application, you can bet on many things, like Dream 11, which is explicitly focused on cricket. 

But what we are building includes sports, casinos, racing, and more.  

Firstly, it allows for betting across several different sports and races. 

And on top of that, what we are building is not a single application. 

It's a code base that will allow you to spin up multiple of these sites. For reference, we can take Shopify.

You go to Shopify, sign up, and have your own store. It's very similar to that.

It's a massive project with an equally massive scope. 

Click here to apply for the Python staff engineer role at Axelerant

Does this project allow customers to start their betting websites?

Yeah, and these betting websites will be configurable. 

Customers can choose which games and genres to build their betting websites on.

It's up to them whether one wants just sports like cricket, soccer, rugby, or casinos, or a combination of genres. They will be charged a fee for it. 

But on our end, we need to build a scalable platform.

Let's say we are hosting ten websites, each with 20,000 active visitors.

That's around one-fifth of a million.

Tomorrow, instead of ten, we may have 100 websites. That would take the number of active users to 2 million (or 20 lakhs).

What regions are we targeting at first for the application?

At first we are going to target South Asia.

Because this type of an application hasn’t been done yet over here. So, we’ll have significant leverage in the market.

What type of skill set are we looking for in the staff engineer?

What we are looking for is experience building highly scalable systems.

Systems that can easily grow based on traffic—that already have a lot of traffic and a lot of active users. 

These are the primary metrics for us.

The application will first start attracting customers—or, as we call them, white labels.

Each white label will bring in its active users. 

So, with each white label, the application must grow to accommodate thousands of active users.

What type of technologies would we use in this project?

Since this is a staff-level role, the staff engineer is expected to architect the whole system—a continuous, evolving process.

Building large, scalable systems that can handle a lot of traffic should be their core area of interest.

For this project, we’re using Python along with FastAPI to ensure the maximum performance of the application. The microservices architecture is adored for its fault tolerance and ease of deployment, and we haven’t failed to leverage this architecture to shape this app.

So the project involves deploying multiple code bases as opposed to the single codebase architecture.

All these deployments happen on AWS, and to manage and orchestrate these services, we use Kubernetes on AWS EKS.

Also, engineers don’t have to manually provision the infrastructure as we use TerraForm for automation.

Another primary piece is the database—we're using Postgres in a dp-per-service fashion. We're using Redis as the caching system, and AWS ElasticCache to manage Redis.

Since the project is still in its early phase, we’ll be leveraging AWS Services such as SNS, SQS, or Kafka and a time series database from AWS. 

I do understand that not all professionals have expertise in the exact technologies we use.

If potential engineers don't have FastAPI experience, anyone with a Python background should be relevant as long as they have worked with Postgres as it is the go-to DBMS in many cases.

Also, if the engineers do not have experience in AWS, familiarity with Azure or GCP works. Other than that, they should have experience with either Flask or Django as they are the leading Python frameworks used worldwide.

What type of responsibilities would the Python staff engineer have?

The staff engineer's primary focus would be to understand the business requirements. 

Not just a specific business requirement, but the whole business requirement. 

What is the problem that the business is solving? 

It's building a platform to allow users or sort of proprietors to launch white labels for betting and the traffic would be significant, especially around international sporting events. 

They should have this high-level picture, because based on this picture they have to architect the system. 

What does it look like on a granular level?

On a day-to-day level, the staff engineer will work with a product manager and a project manager. 

  • They will come up with work worth two weeks, which we call a sprint. They need to ensure that the work done in these two weeks is demonstrable to the client, it's solving a very specific feature of the product. And it's done in the right way. 
  • Every time somebody makes an increment in their work, they usually raise a pull request on GitHub, they have to review the code, they have to give them feedback. 
  • If required, they have to work with the developers and figure out whether certain problems are solvable or not. Or if there's a different approach required. 
  • And finally, collaborating with the end client. 

The technical staff engineer has to go through the client requirements, understand them, clarify doubts, get all the references, and then come up with our architecture based on those requirements.

And then also talk to the developers whether everything is feasible and develop level or not.

What type of compensation are we looking at?

We actually started with INR 4 million (40 lakhs) per annum. 

But given the current market rate, we are willing to go up to 6 million (60 lakhs) INR. Maybe even this might be insufficient to hire the kind of person we want to hire for the role. 

We are keeping our stance flexible in this case, because this project will be highly beneficial for Axelerant.

That's the case with digital engineering projects, the profit margins are higher than other types of projects.

And the staff engineer's role won't be limited to this project only. 

What would be their impact at Axelerant?

The role of a staff engineer is unique. 

They typically don't work as individual contributors and write code daily.

Their workload can vary depending on the project—some might require their presence for an extended period, while others, an hour or so a day.

And their impact will be across multiple projects, not just one.

The staff engineer within the Digital Engineering team will help us work on many projects, which means a lot of profitability for Axelerant because digital engineering projects have greater profit margins than our other projects.

Their efforts will help Axelerant grow, and we will be able to try out new and exciting things down the line.

How do you ensure work-life flexibility in the team? 

There isn't a unique answer to this. 

At Axelerant, work-life balance and flexibility are given significant importance. Much more than I've seen in most other places.

Bassam out with his team members in a fine winter day

Even now, though we're running late on the project timelines, especially from the backend side, we don't push people to work more than eight hours. 

And we have never done that. Never. 

We only like people to be accountable for their work. And that's it. 

The expectation is that you will be working 40 hours a week. 

You're working more only if that is what you want to do. 

But we'll still recommend that you just work 40 hours a week. And we're bringing this number down to 35. 

We want people to take breaks. Go on vacation. 

We only ask that you give us a decent heads-up so that we can plan our work accordingly.

Bassam and the Kashmir team

Why should someone join Axelerant as a staff engineer?

From a technical standpoint, you will be solving a lot of challenging, complex problems that have yet to be solved within India. 

We don't have a betting platform that does something like this. 

This application is like a SaaS (Software as a Service) for betting. This would be one unique problem set for someone to solve. And that would give them serious leverage in their career. 

Then there is Axelerant's culture. 

Look at the thought behind our empowering benefits for team members

The benefits might change, but the thought behind it would be the same—because that people-centric attitude is what matters.

And one has a lot of growth prospects here.

You get to define your own career based on the efforts you put in.

Click here to apply for the Python staff engineer role at Axelerant
Dec 06 2023
Dec 06

Introduction

This article explores the benefits of practicing gratitude and how to do it.

Yeah, I get it. Feeling grateful is far from easy. Life isn’t always fair. 

So many things go wrong everyday. 

But then, so many things get right, too.

It’s up to us how we perceive life—which parts of it we focus on, let into our minds.

It’s up to us to feel grateful for all we’ve got, or sorry for what we haven’t.

What’s Gratitude?

Gratitude is the feeling of being grateful—of the blessings and bounty one receives.

Many associate being grateful with grand acts and materials.

Reserving feeling thankful for those rare occasions when an act of kindness smacks them in the face with its sheer positive force. 

Like when a birthday present turns out to be the new iPhone.

And even then, people hesitate to express how grateful they feel. 

But here’s the truth.

One can be grateful for anything if they learn to see how it adds value to their lives. 

Value that may be material, but certainly not limited to it.

Does Practicing Gratitude Mean Giving Up On A Better Life?

There’s an existing notion that connects gratitude with a lack of drive.

For better, finer things in life. For a better life itself.

Being grateful doesn’t diminish one’s drive for a better life. It opens one’s eyes to life’s existing blessings—that make it fruitful, enjoyable, livable, here and now.

The gratitude attitude merely shifts the focus.

From constantly wanting more to appreciating what we already have.

Axelerant team members bonding over meetings

You can still aim for higher goals—while enjoying the present and celebrating past milestones.

Celebrating the resources, the people, the support that got you this far. 

You work towards the changeable, accept that some things can’t be changed, and count your blessings as they come.

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What Have I Got To Be Grateful For?

It’s a question many struggle with. 

If you’re one of them, fret not. I’ve got just the thing for you.

An extensive questionnaire to ponder over by Dr. Joel Wong.

Cut yourself some slack if you can’t find reasons to be grateful right away.

Daily reflecting on events, people we cross paths with, things around us, is not taught as part of growing up.

So, we’re clueless about how our surroundings affect us—until the emotions are too strong, too on the face.

Anjali sleepy and getting a headache

Gratefulness hides in the sunny morning, a quiet thank you from a colleague, a deep conversation with a friend.

It hides in the smell of fresh coffee or a tight morning hug. Inside the coziness of a blanket in winter or the silly joke from kids.

You may think that these are too simple to feel grateful about. That they don’t count.

But here’s the thing: they do.

Axelerant team member Kanika making tea between breaks

What Are The Benefits Of Practicing Gratitude?

Practicing gratitude brings so many benefits to the body and mind. 

Not to mention relationships with people.

Even if you don’t realize that being grateful is making you healthier—it still does.

Benefits Of Gratitude On Your Mind And Emotions

Every situation has some advantages and disadvantages, every person some good habits and bad.

When we consciously practice being thankful to the good that comes to us from others, happiness and contentment follows. 

Research shows practicing gratitude can lessen anxiety, stress, and help combat depression.

In fact, positive psychology researchers Martin Seligman and colleagues discovered that a single act of thoughtful gratitude produces an immediate 10% increase in happiness, and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms.

Benefits Of Gratitude On Your Body

The link between actual physical benefits with thankfulness may be a little less conspicuous.

Practicing gratitude can:

Plus, if you count the reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression? It prevents lots of future diseases, too. 

Benefits Of Gratitude On Relationships

It’s common sense that practicing thankfulness in a relationship takes it on a whole new level.

Whether it’s a romantic or professional relation, expressing gratitude strengthens the bond.

Studies show that even the innocent bystander, witness to an expression of gratitude between two people, will feel warmth and affinity towards them.

At work, a regular practice of expressing gratitude can build more robust teams and influence people’s decisions to remain in the organization.

Sucheta recognizing Axelerant and her team members for being there for her

According to a Great Place to Work Institute survey, recognitions—not pay or perks—was the most powerful reason for people to produce great work.

How To Practice Gratitude?

Gratitude is a way of life. A powerfully positive one.

And to embrace it, you need practice.

Intellectual knowledge is only the first step towards real change.

Gratitude practice has four parts to it:

  • Notice
  • Think
  • Feel 
  • Do

In real life, some of these happen simultaneously and at a subconscious level when we feel thankful. 

But we want to be conscious about it while practicing.

Let’s take a small example to understand these stages.

Suppose you’ve been advised by your doctor to drink more water throughout the day.

But you keep forgetting about it at work. 

And a colleague takes it upon them to remind you whenever they can.

Notice

Don’t just gulp down water looking at the screen. 

Take a moment, and notice.

  • What was your friend doing when they reminded you to drink water?
  • Did they set aside their work to make sure you stay hydrated? 
  • Did they walk to your desk? Drop a message in your inbox? 

Notice their effort. 

You may find that reminders are not the only thing your colleague does for you.

Gradually, you’ll be able to notice all the other positive gestures that come your way from the people around you— and not just at work.

Think

Reflect on the impact of these reminders on your life.

James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, mentions how small steps—unforgotten sips of water throughout the day, in this case—can create momentous differences.

These reminders help improve your health, work experience, productivity, and overall well-being.

(I’ve seen people faint and hospitalized from dehydration, because they couldn’t remember to drink enough water!) 

Feel

Once you notice and realize the impact of your colleague’s reminders, look within.

Allow yourself to feel the positive emotions that emerge.

Embrace that sense of thankfulness towards your colleague’s care for you. Towards the person.

Acknowledge their kindness and love expressed through these small gestures.

Do

It’s time to spread that goodness. Reciprocate.

Here’s where things get even more interesting—for you.

Research shows when you reflect and express gratitude, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin.

These chemicals make you feel good, happy, positive, and increase motivation and willpower.

Can you imagine? 

A simple, heartfelt thank-you note making your brain glow up with all the right chemicals?

Start Your Gratitude Practice Today

Experts believe practicing gratitude even once in a day is enough to reap its benefits.

The aim to be genuine, honest, and specific about the subject of gratitude.

Here are a few things you can incorporate into your life:

  • Morning reflections: Start with a determination to be grateful for all the positive things that you receive. Tony Robbins calls this priming.
  • Gratitude journal: Dedicate a few minutes daily to jot down things you appreciate or moments that brought joy. This helps reinforce positive thoughts. It could be about a glimpse of a colorful bird at lunch break. Or a birthday gift you gave to yourself.
  • Express thankfulness: Verbally express your gratitude to someone who's helped you or made you feel good. It could be a colleague, family member, or a friend. You may send a written note, too.
  • Mindful appreciation: In the midst of life, as it unfolds every moment, be mindful about the little things that make your life enjoyable, beautiful. A good film, a conversation with a friend, a cup of tea, access to fresh water and air, machines to control temperature, blooming of a flower, etc. There are so many things that add value to our lives every day.
  • Evening recap: Note down three to five things you felt thankful for that day. This practice showed me that each day could be taken as a bad or a good day—depending on what you focus on at the end. Like childhood memories. 

Let’s spread the magic of gratitude one thanks at a time.

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Nov 15 2023
Nov 15

Introduction

This article narrates some of the things that we, at Axelerant, practice consciously to make it inclusive for women team members. 

Things that got us the title of India’s Best Workplace For WomenTM by Great Place To Work® Institute (India).

Something like what Performance Coach Nanditha Krishnan shared about her joining experience at Axelerant.

“I’m a woman who got hired here at fifty years of age, right in the midst of COVID-19. This breaks a lot of stereotypes.” 

I’m not a woman. And I won’t pretend to know what it feels like to be one.

That’s why, the words that matter, come directly from women team members at Axelerant.

So Yeah, We Got The Award

Every year, hundreds of organizations from multiple industries vie against each other to be called—a “great” workplace.

According to the 2023 Great Place To Work (GPTW) report, “At Best Workplaces, women make up an impressive 36% of the workforce, notably 17% higher.”

Companies can win this award in different categories, too.

They recognized Axelerant in three of them.

GPTW categories won by Axelerant

How Was Axelerant Judged For This Award?

The process is straightforward.

You fill up a form about all the systems and practices in place that ensure a great workplace culture in your organization and submit it to GPTW.

They read the responses, then survey each team member. Anonymously.

And there’s also a bit where they call team members randomly and ask about their responses.

So the chances of lies creeping into the responses are pretty low. 

Ultimately, they compare the results from all organizations nationwide, and award companies for investing time, effort, and resources to ensure a positive workplace culture.

Here Are Some Possible Reasons Why

You may be thinking by now: what’s so great about this organization that they bagged an award for it? 

Some factors come to mind. But mind you, you may not see them as that great. Or noteworthy even.

That’s alright.

However, some of our women team members have benefited significantly from having access to these practices.

Apply at Axelerant by clicking here. We believe people grow better with kindness and support.

Remote Work, The Great Equalizer

Hundred percent remote work means anybody can work from any corner of the world.

An increasingly rare phenomenon—even after the pandemic proved that people didn’t really need to come to a physical location to work together.

In some ways, hybrid workspaces are even worse. 

Because it often creates a boundary between people working from the office and the home.

In pay, promotion, and opportunities, office workers get the upper hand

And remote workers are mostly treated as second-class team members.

A 100% remote work opportunity levels the playing field. Nobody gets a brownie point for dragging their body to the office.

Sure, we realize that not everyone can work from home when working remotely.

That’s why we have the monthly co-working space allowance, so that women who need their personal space, away from familial commitments, can rent an office space.

They have the option to choose their workplace every day.

Flexibility To Work Whenever, Wherever

The work-life flexibility that our team members experience has been consistently voted as the top benefit at Axelerant.

We trust team members with the choice of planning and working according to their own time availability. 

The work matters. When and how one does it is up to the individual.

It allows team members to divide their time between personal and professional commitments.

"My kids' school doesn't have a school bus. Because of flexible hours, I get to drop and pick up my kids from school and not fear relying on an unknown person," said Project Manager Merlyn Fernandes.

For team members who are mothers, being close to their children and watching them grow up is a blessing.

Shweta_s status update on work-life flexibility

“As a mother of two kids, if I didn’t have the time to spend with my children, I would’ve not been happy and satisfied either as a professional or a parent. This work-life flexibility is what keeps me going, keeps me happy. I feel successful. And it wouldn’t have been possible without Axelerant,” Sivagami Vasudevan, Technical Workforce Manager, shared. 

These answers confirm what the 2023 GPTW report discovered:

Working in a flexible working environment boosts long-term female team member commitment to work by a significant 15%.

Childcare Allowance To The Rescue

Raising children is as rewarding as it is challenging. 

Hetal Mistry, Director of Global Delivery, found herself in a tough spot when schools shut down in the pandemic in 2021.

Her son needed her attention, and so did her husband after undergoing a serious medical procedure. 

Between family and work commitments, Hetal was stretched thin.

"I raised a question about having a childcare allowance, and it was immediately brought into policy. I felt like a genuine need was heard and acted upon," she shared.

In fall 2021, Axelerant began assisting team members with childcare allowance to support parents and guardians with younger kids for daycare or caretaker expenses.

Delivery Operations Specialist Manjula Balnarayan said, "The child care allowance gave me that extra financial support to care for my toddler."

Caregiver Leave For Emergencies

Every team member enjoys 35 days off annually. 

No sneaky conditions.

You can take Friday and the following Monday off; the weekends won't be counted as leave. 

Clubbing sick and paid leave isn't a cardinal sin—because all off-days are equal.

And you can apply for them whenever and however you want. 

Apart from these 35 days, there's something called Caregiver Leave.

Caregiver leave

It allows team members to take up to 10 days off annually to assist their dependents with medical conditions or a health event requiring emergency care. 

Like emergency hospital admission, an unexpected illness, or last-minute care arrangements. 

Dependents usually mean direct family members, like children, parents, adoptees, partner or spouse, and in-laws.

Equal Pay

It’s embarrassing that we’re still discussing this in the 21st century.

But hey. . .reality. 

The womenfolk of Iceland—from the prime minister to the homemaker–just went on a nationwide strike about it in 2023.

Women still don’t get paid equal to men for the same work. 

We believe every person should be paid the same based on their work, not their gender. And that’s what we follow.

As a People Operations Manager, Vishakha Pinge is involved in Axelerant’s appraisals.

“I remember a leader proactively issued an equal salary raise to a team member on maternity leave, fully aware of her absence from work for the next eight months. It was a testament to our genuine commitment to equality,” she shared.

Impartial And Equal Growth Opportunity 

Another crucial side to equality relates to growth opportunity.

“Women are not given special treatment here, like giving roses and chocolates on Women's Day, while conveniently deprioritizing their actual needs,” shared Hetal. 

Certainly, growth opportunities mean more than one-off annual gifts.

It starts with being heard and respected.

“The respect I get as a woman team player, the gender equality that everyone talks about, is not superficial here. There has not been a single day or moment where I have been spoken to or treated differently,” shared Manjula.

And fostered through impartial investment in people’s growth; for instance, through the  continuing education allowance that allows team members to take up paid courses and training for career growth and promotions.

Every person, regardless of their gender, must get equal opportunities to grow at work.

Uncompromising Support And Safety

Workplace safety comprises physical and psychological safety.

The 2023 GPTW report states: “Workplace politics and a welcoming environment have worsened for women.”

Physical safety is the bare minimum that every organization should invest in and ensure. 

And there’s psychological safety, much harder to achieve.

Psychological safety comes right from the top—from the executives and managers.

And it doesn’t happen organically.

Leaders need human skills training to be able to create safe spaces within teams. And to know how to nurture and protect it. 

Our performance coaches train Axelerant leaders through carefully crafted training courses for this very reason.

So that people feel safe to express themselves without fear.

Remote work guarantees the physical safety and comfort of working from home. 

But it doesn’t mean we compromise on people’s safety during team offsites.

“In the past, I’ve had to travel at odd hours on official visits and stay in very unsafe environments. At Axelerant, I get to choose my timing. And the places identified for stay have always been safe. This is something I've really valued. As a woman, I value physical safety each day,” shared Performance Coach Shalini Neelakantan.

Axelerant_Performance_Coach_Shalini_Neelakantan

Hassle-Free Maternity Leave And Rejoining

Yes, we have maternity leave of up to six months, like many other companies.

What’s different is how we approach it, and how would-be mothers taking the leave experience their break. 

And rejoining.

Shefali recognizing Axelerant_s unbiased appraisal system

A pregnancy is the beginning of something miraculous: a new life. 

It’s the beginning of motherhood; a precious period for the team member and her family.

We give our best to ensure that work concerns don’t chip away at that preciousness.

And this intention influences our decisions for people yet to join us, too.

“I got hired here in my first trimester. Companies usually back away from hiring after learning about pregnancies,” said Vishakha Bharnuke, QA Analyst.

For a new mother, work flexibility becomes indispensable. 

And that’s precisely what we try to ensure for a team member returning from maternity leave.

“I was allowed to work flexibly, and peacefully manage my toddler and work. Work-life balance comes so easy with Axelerant,” Vishakha shared.

Vishakha embracing her son

Living Our Core Values Of Openness And Kindness

Axelerant’s core values of Openness, Kindness, and Enthusiasm guide us in everything.

They help us reach decisions that are humane.

“I remember my final round of tech interviews with Shweta (Director of Quality Engineering). During my interview, my one-year-old started being cranky. Shweta considerately paused the interview and asked me to pacify my daughter first,” said Priyasi Singh, QA Analyst.

Decisions that are kind.

Sucheta recognizing Axelerant and her team members for being there for her

Our core values allow us to be open—trusting and treating people respectfully—when most wouldn't.

“I had a tough time dealing with recruiters when returning to work after a career break,” shared Sujatha Varadharajan, Senior Business Analyst.

In one of her interview experiences, the interviewer tossed Sujatha’s resume in the bin and asked her to leave after learning about the break.

“My Axelerant interview was dignified, straightforward, and non-intrusive. I was given a chance to prove myself without being summarily dismissed for taking a career break,” she said.

What Makes An Organization Truly “Great?”

Having systems in place that make peoples’ lives easier is absolutely needed. 

But there are two factors even more essential to building a people-centric organization.

Intention and effort. These two constitute that huge gap between saying and doing, between superficial and life-changing.

And we aim to fill that gap with decisions and actions that empower women team members—and people of all genders and identities—to lead fulfilled lives.

We aren’t the ultimate, perfect example of a great workplace. 

But every time we consciously choose to do right by our people, we are taking one step closer to greatness.

Apply at Axelerant by clicking here. We believe people grow better with kindness and support.

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