Does Holacracy mean anything to you? The CONFORMiT team uses this term to name its business model, since no other existing name matches it well.
We are very proud of our forward-thinking business model that enables every individual to evolve.
If you work in the field of software development, you are probably already familiar with the “agile” method. However, the Holacracy is much more since it applies to the whole company and not just to a single department (besides, at CONFORMiT, there are no departments!)
At CONFORMiT, our business model is based on a horizontal hierarchy. Rather than working according to a “silo mentality” departments model, we prefer to create different work units composed of professionals with various roles and skills. These units are called “Squads” which are then regrouped into thematic groups called “Cohorts”.
Squads are autonomous teams and do not have to report to anyone! Provided that the projects are aligned with the mission and the strategic objectives of the enterprise and create value for the organization. Thanks to this structure, we effectively focus on teamwork and the strengths of each individual, where everyone can contribute at different levels.
We do not have a human resources department. Instead, we have a cohort called “Values and Culture” where various “Squads” work to set up projects, for example, to develop the corporate culture, facilitate the integration of new employees, work on the organization’s policies, etc. The members of these squads have various skills: marketing, customer success, software development, health, safety and environment experts, etc. In short, these are actually small self organized and self-managed teams where all the members of the organization can find their place based on their interests and strengths.
You like working in a team
You like to be independent and feel that your work makes a difference
You like flexibility in your work and in your schedule
You like to be involved in various projects based on your interests and not just according to your position or role in an organization
You want to further develop your leadership and skills
You want to work in a company where experimentation and boldness are valued and where failure is celebrated (because it enables even better progress thereafter!)
By changing our business model, we quickly realized that many words associated with the corporate workplace no longer found a place in our daily lives. Here are a few:
Department: As mentioned above, there are no departments at CONFORMiT. We have cohorts, which consist of self-organized and multidisciplinary units called Squads.
Employee: The term employee is not part of our vocabulary. Rather, the members of the company are referred to as collaborators since everyone works together, towards the same goal and the same mission: to save lives!
Boss: The term boss and even supervisor no longer apply here! Instead, we have a “Cohort Leader” or “Squad Leader” who facilitates the progress of projects but does not have a managerial or authoritarian role. Decisions are made by all squad members and not just by the leader.
In our quest to continually improve our structure and provide great autonomy and flexibility at work, we have in recent months implemented the concept of “Home Office”. While part of the team works out of Saguenay, collaborators from the “rest of the world” operate through a teleworking concept.
In April 2018, we officially closed our Longueuil Office to transform it into a virtual workspace. This means that all collaborators who were previously based at this office now work nearly 100% from home (when they are not at our customers’ premises!).
Initially, it was a 9-month pilot project that aimed at testing the long-term potential of this initiative and to measure the impact it could have on the happiness of our collaborators and work family balance (which is very important at CONFORMiT).
The pilot project ended last December with a huge success! Some of the benefits stated by our collaborators are:
It helps achieve an improved balance between private life and professional life
It increases collaborator productivity
It helps you gain significant economic benefits
It reduces the rate of absenteeism
It reduces the risk of workplace accidents
It saves a lot of time (since you don’t lose time traveling between home and the workplace).
« After 20 years at CONFORMiT, the challenges still push me to grow & I never have to fear settling into a boring routine. Using the latest tech; having fun; an engaging corporate culture & advantages that match those offered by big companies, all that in my neck of the woods where I can enjoy nature. What more can you ask for? »
« I have been working at CONFORMiT for 11 years & I have had the pleasure of seeing the company’s evolution and the opportunity to meet dozens of clients. I have also had the chance to work with passionate people. Finally, flexible hours & the possibility to work from home makes work-life balance a piece of cake. »
« Creativity is central to the CONFORMiT team, and each of our ideas has the potential to become our next project. It is what gives us the confidence to dream big. I started as an intern and now, just a few months later, I am a proud CONFORMiT collaborator! »
"At CONFORMiT, I have the chance to develop my skills and above all let my creativity go! There is always a place for new projects! With a culture deeply focused on fun and innovation, I consider myself very lucky to work for the CONFORMiT team! "