flair Wrapped: Reflections on 2022

This period between Christmas and a new year's beginning is an opportunity to take time out of our busy lives, reflect on all that we have achieved in the past twelve months, and revel in cherished memories made with family and friends over the holidays.

2022 is coming to an end. Before we start the new year, we are taking some time at flair to reflect on what happened this year. This is not the only time of the year we reflect – in fact, this year, we introduced a company-wide Reflection Day , which gives every employee the opportunity to reflect on their work once a week. Read more about what this Reflection Day means and how our team is celebrating the festive period around the globe.

Why Reflecting Is Important

Reflection is more than a trend. Pausing and looking back for a moment is an important practice for learning and growth. Rather than carrying on with inefficient habits, reflecting is about questioning how we do things as well as why we do things. This is important for any form of growth, be it personal growth or growth as a company. This is why we introduced Reflection Day at flair.

What Is a Reflection Day?

In a nutshell, reflection days are days without any meetings. Chats are on mute, and employees take some time to reflect on what they are grateful for. Learn how we do this at flair:

No Meetings

At flair, we cultivate a no-meeting culture, meaning we reduce meetings to a minimum. This is because we believe in asynchronous work, a model of working where employees organize their tasks into a timetable that suits them.

Undisturbed Work

On Thursdays, employees at flair don’t have to be online. Notifications are turned off, giving people time to focus on getting things done. This is a lot easier when you know you don’t have to be available to coworkers during your working time. Reflection Day is always on a Thursday, so it’s easier for people to plan around it. If there is something they need from a coworker, they can communicate it until Wednesday, or it can wait until Friday.

For certain types of work, such as creative thinking, this is a must. It allows creatives to do undisturbed research, sort out thoughts, and reach a flow state.

How Our Employees Use Their Reflection Day

Reflection means something different to every person and to every department. For our Sales team, for example, this day is not completely meeting-free because they have appointments with partners. However, without internal meetings, they still have more time for reflection. The intention is still to pause for a moment and consciously think about where we are right now and reflect on how we are doing things. Here’s what other employees at flair say:

“I find that a day without meetings provides me with more headspace and gives me the freedom to plan ahead. I think it’s a really good idea, and it helps people to step back and think about what they are working on.” – Luke, Content Writer at flair

“Jumping from meeting to meeting can leave your mind quite cluttered at the end of a working day – a phenomenon I don't experience on reflection days. Therefore I consider it a brilliant way to organize your mind and get a clear idea about your projects and responsibilities.” – Mia, HR Manager at flair

“Knowing I have one day without meetings allows me to take my time, to do things well without any rush. Those are very efficient days.” – Pierre, UX Designer at flair

Giving Thanks

Do you remember the last time somebody thanked you for something? Saying thanks can be very powerful. It makes us feel seen and motivates us to keep up the good work. Especially in remote settings, this can be a way to increase employee engagement . At flair, we call this feature Cheers .

Through the Employee Hub platform, we can send a Cheer to a coworker or a team to thank them for supporting us, to acknowledge extraordinary work, or to celebrate special occasions like birthdays and work anniversaries. A Cheer is added to the Cheers board in the form of a post, which can either be in writing or a video. Our Reflection Day is also #ThankYouThursday , which is our reminder to reflect on how our coworkers help us in our day-to-day.

How Are You Spending the Festive Season?

With employees working all across the globe, the holidays look different for everybody. We had a chat with our team members, and here are some insights on how they spend the festive season:

“I’ll be back home in Ireland for the first time in eight months. I’ll be celebrating by catching up with friends and family and walking my dog Floyd on the beach. My family lives along the coast in Ireland, and it’s great to spend Christmas and New Years by the sea.” – Luke, Content Writer at flair

“I’m going to drive home and visit my family for the holidays, and I’ll be spending Christmas Eve with my close relatives and New Year's Eve with old friends from high school. To get into the Christmas spirit prior to the holidays, my family and I will spend days baking Christmas cookies and decorating the house together.” – Mia, HR Manager at flair

“I’m celebrating Christmas with my family in Korea, which is very different from Christmas in Europe. I miss Christmas markets (laughs). The week after Christmas, we enjoy going on holidays together with my wife and kid.” – Pierre, UX Designer at flair

Happy reflections, happy holidays, and have a great journey into the new year! We are looking forward to continuing to build outstanding employee experiences in 2023. Cheers!