Reinventing an Atomic Tradition for Pandemic Conditions

As I write this, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to loom large in almost every aspect of life. Atomic Object is open and thriving as a company, but our offices remain closed, and our employees are working remotely. Returning to our physical offices in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Chicago still remains an important part of […]

Welcome New Remote Employees with a Personalized Video

Successfully onboarding and welcoming your new employees is an important challenge. And when you’re hiring remotely — as we are, temporarily, during the COVID-19 crisis — that challenge is heightened. This month, two new employees joined Atomic Object’s Ann Arbor office as part of our Accelerator program. I wanted to find a way to replicate […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.

Recognizing Great Work at Atomic— Small Moments with Big Impact

Employee recognition is very important. Gallup says, “Workplace recognition motivates, provides a sense of accomplishment, and makes employees feel valued for their work. Recognition not only boosts individual employee engagement, but it also has been found to increase productivity and loyalty to the company, leading to higher retention.” I think this is especially true at […]

Feeling Pride at Atomic

I am a bisexual man, and last November, I came out to everyone at Atomic. In any other job I’ve worked, I likely would have endlessly vacillated and probably just mentioned it in passing to a few coworkers. “Who needs to know?” I would have asked myself. And I would have kept quiet.

Harnessing the Power of People Skills, One Interview at a Time

This is the story of how our first non-technical employee helped Atomic Object, slowly but surely, build a culture that insists on good people skills for everyone. When Mary O’Neill joined Atomic Object in the early 2000s, she was our sole woman and only non-technical employee (managing accounting and other operational business activity).

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