Welcoming Newcomers to Symphony Community: Blind Dates Explained

Usually, you would be surprised to see this invitation in your inbox.

But, among the Symphony community members, this has been a well-known initiative that has slowly but surely become one of the favorites. Although Symphony is a company that strives to provide its employees with the best flow of information and keep them in the known with current events through various initiatives and Flows, with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, opportunities to meet all community members have become more challenging.

In early September this year, we decided to take a step into the unknown and take the first six community members on a blind date. These blind dates aren't of the romantic sort, but rather coffee or dinner dates with randomly selected people from different teams. We organized blind dates in our local hubs to integrate new team members into the local community or simply to connect people who don't interact daily (of course, while maintaining all safety measures against COVID-19). All of these coffee and dinner dates have helped our newcomers to successfully integrate into the community. New friendships and many memories were born, as well as many new ideas. This was also an opportunity for all newcomers to get acquainted with the Symphony's culture and values. The impressions after the first few blind dates in Symphony hubs were great!

Over time, as the pandemic situation in different cities changed, we had to adapt and start organizing online blind dates. That’s how we realized that this is a great way to stay connected, especially when new team members started joining us online. Being able to meet new people, exchange ideas, and stay connected at the same time from the comfort of your own home is priceless! It turns out that this is also a unique way to improve the working atmosphere and help people from different backgrounds, roles, and departments socialize during the pandemic.

That's why here in Symphony — the only culture-driven technology house — we believe that connecting people who don't usually work with each other can strengthen the connections we nurture within the community and thus create a better work environment and engaging atmosphere for everyone.

So, the next time someone invites you on a blind date — go for it! Just imagine how many new ideas, thoughts, and exciting stories can be born from such an encounter. We could not be more proud of how many new friendships and memories have emerged from such an initiative.