Issue 139: How to build (and find) community at work 👯

"Community" is a bit of a buzzword these days, but it means different things to different people. Is it your neighborhood? Your friend group? A brand’s social media following? At it’s core, community is simply a group of people who stay connected over time through a shared affinity- like where they live, what they do, or what they love doing. Sound familiar? When you’re building a company, you aren’t just building a product or a working culture- you’re also building a community. 

Personally, some of the most meaningful relationships in my life have come from work. Besides my incredible team, I'm still active in a number of alumni networks from former employers. We’ve supported each other with a listening ear, introductions, and a shared sense of “that happened?”. Former coworkers have helped me move, listened to me cry, run races beside me and filled the front rows of talks I was nervous to give. 

But with remote work now the norm, finding that same connection takes more intention. At Bright + Early, we build it by sharing Out of Tens, coworking (virtually and IRL), hosting offsites and hangouts, and making space for each other as whole people. In turn, our team shows up for each other: they share parenting hacks, study for certifications together, buy each other thoughtful holiday gifts and genuinely just care, because the inputs make the outputs possible.

That said, leaders and HR can often feel a bit outside the circle. Power dynamics and different challenges make it harder to participate fully- and no, no one should be buying you holiday gifts. So if you’re in that boat, it helps to intentionally build community elsewhere. For me, that means joining a tiny niche coworking space focused on community and social good, as well as a private entrepreneur network that feels aligned with who I am—people who are thoughtful, creative, ambitious, fun, and not salesy (DM me if you want the link!). Support groups for HR pros, specifically The People People Group, carried me through my days as a solo HR lead and continue to be places I contribute to and learn from. ​ Both founder life and HR life can be lonely, and it’s made all the difference to have a place to share challenges and wins with people who just get it. 

Of course, not every community is for everyone. The ones that are for me are often very much not for others, and it took trial and error to find the right fit. So: where have you found yours? Whether you're a founder, in HR, building something, or keeping things running behind the scenes, we’d love to know what communities you're part of in your work life. What spaces (networks, events, Slack channels, anything) make you feel connected, valued, supported and energized?

Hit reply and let me know. We’ll share back a roundup with our own community (that means you).

Stay bright,

Nora

Bright Reads 🌞

Curated reads and resources re: building great places to work.

• The people responsible for keeping others engaged are themselves heading for the exits- HR currently has the 5th highest turnover rate of any job.

• Google is allegedly paying some AI staff to do nothing for a year rather than join rivals.

• Tech founder charged with fraud for 'AI' that was secretly overseas contract workers.

• Five years of remote work changed workplace accessibility. Employees with disabilities will feel its loss.

• 9 creative activity ideas to connect remote teams.

• Why kind workplaces are more successful.

Bright Jobs ☀️

Every issue, we’ll share a curated list of exciting jobs at Bright + Early partners. Bright + Early organizations are all committed to building human, inclusive places to work. Note that we’re not involved in hiring– please apply directly.

• Creative Commons is looking for a Copyright and AI Counsel

• The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness is looking for a Senior Administrative Assistant

• Mozilla is looking for a Manager, Marketing Data Science

• Looking for a new role in Canadian tech? TechTO has launched a new job board

Coming Up 👀

• Passover begins the evening of April 12 and ends after nightfall on April 20

• Good Friday is April 18 (double check your local stat holidays!)

• Easter and Easter Monday are April 20/21 respectively (double check your local stat holidays!)

• April 22 is Earth Day

• April 23 is Administrative Professionals Day

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