N-iX changes the work format: remote recruitment, shared team spaces, and hubs across Ukraine

A Ukrainian tech company, N-iX, has announced the transition to a new flexible office format. Employees will be able to choose between working in the office, partially remotely, or completely remotely, as the company’s representatives report.

Moreover, N-iX began hiring remote specialists in Dnipro, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhzhia. Plus, the company is planning to open hubs in these cities to provide employees with a place to meet their colleagues.

Why these changes are needed

The company says that this is to respond to a global work-from-home shift and ensure the flexibility and safety of the company employees. According to an internal survey at N-iX, almost 16% of employees would like to continue working entirely from home, and 65% would like to combine remote and office work.

“Like many other companies across the globe, we have been very cautious about introducing any radical changes. However, it has become clear that the old world of work is gone, and we need to create a better one. Also, we understand that our employees need a sense of clarity and direction. Therefore, we have decided to transform our office, processes, and policies and go hybrid,” comments the change Pavlo Deshchynskyi, Chief Operating Officer at N-iX.

What’s happened

In June, N-iX opened its offices, but only 15% of employees returned there. It became clear that people are not in a rush to come back to the old way of work. On the other hand, N-iX Employee Satisfaction Survey showed that many of N-iX employees missed face-to-face communication and informal chit-chat in the kitchen, but do not want to return to the office full-time.

Therefore, N-iX will reformat its offices into shared team spaces, where people can meet and work together.

“We have been working on the office model that would be convenient for everyone – allowing the company to avoid wasted infrastructure costs, but providing our people with a safe space to meet in person, connect, and collaborate. We have tested hot desk areas and dismissed the option of transforming our offices into coworking spaces.

Instead, we have decided to create Shared Team Spaces, which will give our teams the flexibility and safe work environment they need and help us preserve our unique company culture. So every team at N-iX still has its own warm and inspiring team space which they share and manage depending on how much time different team members spend in the office,” shares Pavlo Deshchynskyi, Chief Operating Officer at N-iX.

How will the work be organized

Those who already work at the company will be offered to choose between office-based, flexible, and fully remote working formats.

The employees can change the working format if needed in the future.

N-iX is testing this new work format with several teams from mid-August and plans to gradually introduce it throughout the company by the end of the year.

Remote recruitment

N-iX opens positions for fully remote candidates, so far in Dnipro, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhzhia. Previously, almost all openings were in two cities where the company has offices, Lviv and Kyiv.

N-iX remote employees will become an integral part of N-iX, enjoying all the benefits the company gives to the co-located teams, such as HR and management support: all the necessary devices and software, medical insurance, education reimbursement, access to our professional development tools, etc.

“Our job candidates also expect more flexibility, so we are rethinking our recruitment strategies to attract the best people on the market, which is getting hotter every year. In fact, there has never been a better time to start building a presence in other Ukrainian cities, such as Dnipro, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhia. So we have launched remote recruitment campaigns in these locations. This will allow us to expand our recruitment capabilities, grow faster, and strengthen our team with top tech talent, wherever they are,” explains Pavlo Deshchynskyi, Chief Operating Officer at N-iX.

In the future, N-iX intends to open hubs in these cities. Such hubs might entail establishing various kinds of physical presence, such as coworking spaces, hot desk areas, or own offices with shared team spaces like the current company offices in Lviv and Kyiv.