From a fun team meeting to the iLOQ Oscars
When I joined iLOQ in 2018, there were 100 employees based in 7 countries. Today, we have over 200 employees based in 10 countries. To ensure we achieve our business results, it’s vital to create a strong sense of togetherness and build a close community as, in the end, it’s all about the people. When an employee is hired, and before they even take part in our in-depth onboarding program, we want to make them feel that they are not only joining iLOQ – the company – but, more importantly, iLOQ – the Family.
We are a rich tapestry of personalities, cultures and languages. So, for sure, it’s difficult at the best of times to create a strong team spirit. But even more so during coronavirus times when we are working remotely and unable to meet each other face to face. iLOQ is known for its innovation – developing solutions that are changing the face of our industry. And, I am delighted to see that we are also finding innovative ways to ensure our unique team spirit never dies.
Last year, in a regular online team meeting with our French colleagues, when I switched on my camera I was greeted by Batman, Elvis and a range of other interesting characters. At the end of the ‘official’ part of the meeting, the team showcased their singing and dancing abilities. That was it – Team France had laid down the gauntlet and challenged other teams to go ‘one better’. In a recent blog post, I explained how the “Let’s keep up the iLOQ family spirit” video challenge became a regular fixture in our calendars. Each new video was awaited with hot anticipation with the final video, from Team Norway, released earlier this year.
We saw some amazing acting, costumes, original scores and dance moves. All our locations joined in the fun and several team leaders noted that it was one of the best team-building activities they had ever done. We couldn’t let these efforts go unrecognized. And so, to celebrate, we arranged the iLOQ Oscar Gala.
This unique and very fun event was joined online by over 100 employees. It featured red-carpet interviews, a series of hosts from the management team and a musical half-time show. Awards were presented in the following categories: ‘Most creative vocals’, ‘Most Inspiring iLOQ spirit’, ‘Excellent effort’ and, the pièce de resistance – the ‘Favorite video’ (congratulations to Team Sweden).
Studies have shown that humor can improve mental and physical health. The author Mark Twain wrote that: “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The minute it crops up, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations, and resentments flit away, and a sunny spirit takes their place”.
I think this is a great quote and sums up our resilience and ability to cope in such exceptional times. I really believe in the strength of the iLOQ Family. We have pulled together and supported each other in every way possible. I am proud of all our family members. I hope that we will be able to get back to a more normal situation soon. But, if not, I think there would be a great willingness to see the 2nd iLOQ Oscar Gala on the calendar. In the meantime, our Team Germany has already started a new video challenge: One Key Across the World. Can’t wait to see what happens next…
