How We’re Hosting our Remote Company Standup Using Zoom

Every workday at 10 a.m., Atoms gather for a company standup meeting. We stand in a big circle, sharing updates on current projects, company milestones, or social events. We also use this time to present Protons & Neutrons. Afterward, we all take a big stretch and go about our day. Though short, this ritual is an […]

How We Practice Open-book Management at Atomic

I recently got to hear Jack Stack tell his inspirational story of working for, purchasing, and turning around a failing division of International Harvester. The new entity that he helped create, SRC Holdings Corporation, is 100% Employee-Owned and still thriving today. Jack helped enable the turnaround at SRC by taking the time and effort to […]

Atomic Welcomes a Delivery Lead, Marketing Specialist & Developer

Last Fall, Atomic gained a Delivery Lead and Developer in Grand Rapids and a Marketing Specialist in Ann Arbor. Now that they’ve settled in, I asked them about themselves and what it’s like working at Atomic. Kaitlin Diemer Kaitlin is the newest Delivery Lead in Atomic’s Grand Rapids office, where she’s been working on a […]

Three Crucial Times To Gather Client Feedback on a Project

The relentless push to improve is core to our culture at Atomic Object. We spend a lot of time focused on professional development and introspecting about how we can better develop software products. Over the last few years, we’ve also been sharpening our approach to gathering client feedback — we believe it’s essential to our […]

Who is the Modal Atom?

Planet Money ran a podcast earlier this year on “The Modal American.” The concept focused on evaluating the mode of a population instead of the average. For their analysis, NPR grouped Americans together based on characteristics like age, sex, income, etc. After that, they identified the most common occurrence for their set of characteristics. The concept […]

Connecting Values to Behavior with a ‘Standard of Performance’

We often refer to Atomic as a values-driven organization. We are loud and proud about our value mantras. We give recognition within the organization when someone exhibits our values. We are careful to hire people who are aligned with our values. But how do you consistently and comprehensively tie together values and behavior? How can […]

Recognition Within Teams – What a Stuffed Elephant Taught Us About Acknowledgement

Just over two years ago, Atomic introduced an employee recognition program. Within this program, Atoms can acknowledge and applaud the hard work of their colleagues by awarding them with a “Proton” that signifies one of our six value mantras. This program has been great for company-wide recognition of the notable exemplifications of our values, but […]

How Toilet Roll Art Taught Me About Levity as a Workplace Superpower

Last year, our Ann Arbor workplace touched a third rail: office toilet politics.

Brittany Hunter Joins Grand Rapids Business Journal’s 2019 “40 Under 40” Class

This fall, the Grand Rapids Business Journal inducted Brittany Hunter, one of Atomic’s Grand Rapids managing partners, into their 2019 “40 Under 40” class. Every year, the Business Journal honors 40 of the region’s top young professionals for their business success, leadership, and community service. Making Work Work (And Crushing it!) A Grand Valley State […]

Cultural Onboarding via Welcome Weekend

This year, Atomic introduced Welcome Weekend to our calendar of internal events. Welcome Weekend is an overnight, off-site experience, organized and run by office managing partners and held annually for new employees who join one of our offices each year. It’s an evolution of the Founder’s Retreat.

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