Hydrogen from Home
The discovery was made under duress, not by choice. A full ten days before Washington’s Governor Inslee issued what was meant to be a two-week “Stay home. Stay healthy” order in March 2020, Hydrogen became a remote workplace. It seemed like a temporary fix to an unprecedented crisis, but as weeks turned into months—and then into years—something unexpected happened. Amidst the healthcare crisis, remote work began to thrive.
The first, and arguably the best, step was to meet on screen every day at 10 a.m. for a daily check-in. We got to see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices. It was an important moment (or sometimes 45 minutes) of normalcy in a new, scary world. We still hold these morning meetings today, where we talk about anything from a daily punchlist to family pumpkin-carving competitions. It’s part of our culture now, and part of what connects us as people and coworkers.
Culture is one of the main rubs for those championing—or, in some cases, mandating—a forced return to the workplace. It’s often done in the name of “culture,” but in some cases I can’t help but wonder if it’s really more about control? Culture is the heart of an organization, no question. And there are times when being together is essential; I get that. That’s why Hydrogen meets in person as an agency once a month. More, if we need it or if people want to get together. It would be tough not to have that option, and we strive to make in-office days more about collaboration. We learn about new technologies, share work, or even brainstorm as an entire agency on a specific client topic.
What do we get in return for not commuting to the office every day? We get to work with amazing people who don’t live close to Seattle, for one. Sure, they come in when we need them, but if we mandated five days a week, it wouldn’t work. Nor would it work for busy parents juggling school schedules, drop-offs, and soccer games. I live on Vashon Island, so I “found” a minimum of three hours a day by not commuting. I started writing novels, taking hikes. And if I wanted to deep-dive on a client or idea, I could go straight to my home office and get to it. All of it makes me better at my job.
We flirted with going back to the office over the years, but by the end of 2022, when our lease expired, we realized our culture was stronger by trusting our coworkers to manage their own time. We didn’t renew our lease and joined a WeWork with an amazing view of the Seattle stadiums, available whenever we need it.
Of course, there are some jobs where being “in person” is essential. But we’re not a healthcare provider or a grocery store. (And thank you to all of you who are, we appreciate you.) We’re an ad agency. Since March of 2020, we’ve added half of the people who work here today, as well as doubled the number of clients we partner with. Yes, culture is everything. Hydrogen’s starts with trust. And that’s what holds people together. Not control.
