How Trust is the Foundation of Experience AI’s Forward-Thinking Culture
HR Director Aidy Oni’s Story
It’s 2019 before the world changed forever with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m in Vancouver for a month, working remotely. As an HR Director. So many people I spoke to couldn’t believe it.
While this situation might not seem out of the norm in today’s remote-first world, in early 2019, it was really unexpected. “You’re an HR Director working remotely? How does that even work?” people continuously asked me.
“Trust,” I would respond. “Trust and forward-thinking leadership.” Experience AI is always looking ahead to the future and always seeking better ways to do business. Our founders, Lara Autio and Martin Lavoie, know that trust needs to be part of the foundation of our culture to cultivate innovative thinking.
In “The Neuroscience of Trust”, which appeared in the January 2017 Harvard Business Review, Claremont Graduate University Professor Paul Zak wrote that:
Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout
From the beginning, Lara and Martin wanted to do things differently. They looked at what they felt was lacking in their previous companies and set out to find better ways of doing things when they launched Experience AI. Trusting their employees and allowing us the freedom to try new things gives each of us a sense of ownership. We feel comfortable thinking outside the box and making difficult decisions.
This foundation of trust and innovation put us in a place to transition seamlessly to fully remote work when the pandemic hit. Martin and Lara had actually been thinking about what to do with our office space 2-3 months after Covid hit. Leasing our office was already in the back of their minds at the beginning of the pandemic. They could see where the world was headed and understood what employees really value – trust and flexibility, among other things.
For example, Lara and Martin supported me as I transitioned our recruiting and onboarding to a paperless process and encouraged me as I made a variety of virtual enhancements. This virtual process ended up being a total game-changer when we went to a fully remote work environment.
Across all of our business activities, we already had the systems and most importantly, the trust, in place to foster effective remote work.
It didn’t mean we weren’t affected at all, of course, but it allowed us to approach the constantly changing situation calmly and strategically. While so many companies were in panic mode, we had the breathing room to calmly ask ourselves, “If our business were to tumble or crash, how could we pivot? If this continues to get worse, what could we do?” Eventually, we were even able to go a step further and say, “How can we use this time to improve what we have?”
I think the last few years have really been the ultimate testament to our forward-thinking culture, to a culture that embraces trying new things and having a growth mindset.
The Importance of Work-Life Balance
Beyond actively supporting the team as we find creative new ways to approach our work, Experience AI is actually the first place I’ve worked that truly lives its values in terms of work-life balance. Lara and Martin recognize that people need to be well and feel good to do great work.
This focus on work-life balance and flexibility is a reflection of a broader commitment to put people first. This commitment is felt across the board here at Experience AI, from how we treat our contractors to how employees are encouraged to take breaks and find balance. It even extends to how we work with our clients. Many of our clients have worked with us for years because we’ve built a relationship on trust and putting their needs first.
Trust gave me the confidence to approach Lara and Martin about working remotely in a pre-COVID era. It was Lara and Martin’s trust in me that gave them the confidence to say yes. While it seems like a small thing today, at the time it really signaled that Experience AI values me as a person and confirmed that this is a company I can grow and evolve with.
Aidy Oni is Director, Human Resources & Accounting at Experience AI Solutions