At Advanced Polymer Coatings, we’ve developed unique strategies to maintain a solid company culture, even as remote and hybrid work has become more common. Most of our marine team is remote, and a good portion of our new hires on the industrial sales team are remote specifically so they can manage certain territories near their home state.

Our inclusive, transparent, and open communication is a cornerstone of our operations. It ensures that every team member, regardless of location, feels valued and integral to our company. Our regular virtual meetings, check-ins, and cross-functional collaboration are designed to maintain this sense of value and integration. We’ve integrated digital tools that enhance collaboration and support work-life balance. From project management software to social platforms for casual interactions, these tools help recreate the office atmosphere virtually. We use many now-normalized ways of staying connected, like Zoom and Teams Calls, and our HubSpot CRM also keeps everyone connected and on track to meet their sales goals. Interestingly enough, we also have a personal portal called the ‘APC Portal’ that was designed in-house to supplement our base CRM and also allow visibility on order tracking and historical data for both our marine and industrial teams. The portal speaks fluidly to our CRM and other operating systems to keep the sales team, lab, manufacturing, logistics and top management all informed in real time. This portal is available to all APC employees worldwide.

To foster team spirit and culture, we organize quarterly events, team-building activities, and recognition programs to notify everyone of what the company is doing and highlight achievements across our departments. Our quarterly newsletter and yearly sales conference are two prime examples of channels for fostering this culture. These engagements help maintain camaraderie, keep employees motivated, and celebrate our successes even when working remotely.

Strong leadership is key to preserving company culture. Our leadership team makes it a point to be accessible to all employees, offering regular updates, sharing strategic decisions, and listening to feedback through virtual town halls or one-on-one sessions. We have an ‘open door policy’ at APC that fosters this culture through availability.

Blog By Scott M Wesemeyer, Marketing Manager, Advanced Polymer Coatings

At Idwal, we have several members of staff working remotely from the UK office, as well as several satellite offices around the world. As the workplace continues to evolve, we are always looking to ensure that our core values and sense of community remain strong even as our way of work changes.

Listening

Listening to our team is key and we have an open-door policy to invite questions and feedback, ensuring that employees feel heard and valued. Our employee engagement surveys show that our team is eager to get involved and share their experiences. We feel that this feedback is vitally important to drive our initiatives and helps us focus on what matters most to our people.

Communication

We believe that communication is central to keeping everyone connected, so our regular internal newsletter updates following management meetings help keep all staff informed of ongoing developments. To bridge any gaps, we also host regular “Town Hall” sessions where our leadership shares the latest strategies and goals, with opportunities for employees to ask questions directly or anonymously. These are held in person and simultaneously online so that those working remotely also feel involved in the company’s direction. We also encourage teams to share wins and great news with all colleagues across email and in our Teams chats.

Digital Tools and Systems

To make remote work effective, it’s essential to have the right digital tools in place, and here, we rely on platforms like Teams for collaboration, allowing employees to stay connected through chats, video calls, and virtual meetings. Our internal wiki serves as a central repository of knowledge, ensuring that important information, project documentation, and company policies are accessible to everyone, regardless of location. These tools not only keep our workflows smooth but also help maintain a sense of unity across remote and in-office teams.

Office Space

We’re working on transforming our office space to better accommodate teamwork and collaboration, making it a place where people enjoy coming together. While remote work offers flexibility, there’s still something special about face-to-face interactions. By creating a more inviting and functional workspace, we want to encourage our remote teams to come in on specific days to collaborate in person. This blend of remote work flexibility and in-office time helps us strike a balance, ensuring that we remain connected both virtually and physically.

Social Connections

We also recognise the importance of social interaction in maintaining morale. Our social committee, with representatives from different departments, plays a crucial role in planning events that bring us together. This includes both virtual and in-person gatherings, ensuring that everyone can participate regardless of their work location. We celebrate key dates like Chinese New Year and, of course for Idwal, St David’s Day 😊. As an example, this year, all our remote workers were sent a pack of Welsh cakes in the post, which were rather too tasty!  We have an Idwal fantasy football league and a DnD group, and, of course, we also have regular physical outings, such as days at the races, darts tournaments, and team dinners, all of which strengthen bonds and keep the team spirit alive.

Continuous Improvement

As remote work become more common, maintaining a strong company culture requires creativity, communication, and a commitment to staying connected. At Idwal, we’re proud of the steps we’re taking to adapt to this new reality while preserving the values that make our team special. By listening to our employees and staying true to our culture, we’re building a future of work that’s flexible, engaging, and inclusive for all.

In a world where remote and hybrid working is rapidly becoming the norm, fostering a cohesive company culture presents unique challenges. At Mintra, we’ve been learning and evolving with these changes, leveraging technology to maintain flexibility, connectivity, and collaboration across a dispersed workforce. What we’ve discovered is that culture doesn’t depend on physical presence; it depends on engagement, trust, and communication.

With employees across multiple countries, including Norway, Sweden, the UK, and Cyprus, 80% of Mintra’s workforce operates in remote or hybrid environments. This global reach has taught us how vital it is to stay connected. Using platforms like video conferencing, instant messaging, and collaboration software, we ensure that our people are in touch, involved, and informed, no matter where they are.

From day one, Mintra’s new hires experience our culture first-hand. Each new team member receives a personalised welcome pack, complete with branded merchandise and a QR code linking to a personal message from the CEO. This small yet thoughtful gesture has shown us how important it is to make people feel valued from the very start.

Our senior leadership has embraced open communication, hosting monthly “Team Talk” meetings where every employee is encouraged to participate. These virtual gatherings have become a cornerstone of how we promote transparency and inclusion. With Slido-enabled Q&A sessions, every team member can raise questions and concerns, which the leadership team commits to addressing. What we’ve learned is that listening to employees is the key to maintaining a strong connection, even from afar.

We’ve adapted our in-person events into virtual team-building activities that capture the essence of Mintra’s culture. Whether it’s an online workshop, a quiz night, or a digital coffee break, we’ve seen the positive effects of bringing people together—even when they’re physically apart. These moments of camaraderie have reminded us that community is vital, no matter the format.

Platforms like SharePoint and Yammer have helped us create virtual watercoolers, where employees connect informally, share ideas, and support one another. From internal messages to external interactions on LinkedIn and Facebook, our employees are proud to post and engage using #WeAreMintra, further strengthening our community.

Our CARE Team is an employee-led initiative that ensures peer support remains a priority, offering access to mental health services, flexible working hours, and employee assistance programs. A culture of care has proven essential to preventing isolation and burnout, especially in a hybrid setting.

We take regular check-ins and surveys seriously, using them to assess employee satisfaction. In our most recent survey for The Sunday Times Best Places to Work in 2024, 85% of our team expressed satisfaction with their working hours, while 81% were happy with their work-life balance. These results reaffirm the importance of flexibility and support in a remote work environment.

As a Learning and Development provider, one of our greatest strengths is embedding continuous learning into our culture. With unlimited access to training via Trainingportal, we encourage our employees to grow, innovate, and continuously develop their skills.

Through a combination of flexible communication, technology, and a deep commitment to employee well-being, Mintra has built a thriving work environment where every employee feels connected, supported, and empowered—whether they’re working from home, a local office, or halfway across the globe.

What we’ve learned is that by putting our people first, we can continue to grow as a company, adapting to new ways of working while maintaining the heart of Mintra’s culture. We are passionate about sharing our learnings, if you’d like to find out more or discuss our journey and what we are doing, we would be happy to have a chat. Please contact us at [email protected]

By Amy Reid
People & Culture Director, Mintra

V.Group (“V.”), the global ship manager and marine services provider, has been running a Graduate Programme since 2015.  This year’s intake will be the eighth – there was no intake during 2020 due to the global Covid Pandemic. 

The intensive 2-year programme is designed to introduce bright, ambitious and self-motivated individuals to the operational, commercial and functional areas of V.  Its aim is to provide on-the-job learning to fully immerse our graduates in the world of shipping.

V. is proud of its programme, which sees graduates from many different countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East spend the first two years of the programme on 4 separate placements in V. offices across the globe.

Since joining in September 2023, the most recent intake has seen thirteen graduates spend time with our Health, Safety, Security, Environmental and Quality (HSSEQ) team in Glasgow, work within our Ship Management Fleet Cells, in various locations, and support the HR team in Manila. They have also experienced placements in Singapore, London, Monaco, Hamburg, Poland, Cyprus and Greece, providing them with exposure to our Finance, Operational Excellence, SeaTec and Leisure functions.  As well as learning about V. overall, our graduates contribute to specific projects, ensuring their contribution is of value to V. right from the start. 

At the end of the 2 years, we endeavour to retain all our graduates who have completed the programme – some have gone on to be leaders in V. We are investing in their development and ultimately providing them with the opportunity of a long-term career at V.

Diane Gillan, Global Head of HR, who leads the programme for V., commented: “I have been involved in our graduate programme for many years now and I am always impressed by the calibre of the candidates who apply to join V.  They come from all different backgrounds and parts of the world, but what they have in common is a passion for the shipping industry.

“Our programme is intensive but gives all our graduates a full-rounded experience of V., allowing them to make the right decision about their future in maritime.”

Siddhesh Deva who joined the programme in September 2023, added: “I am now halfway through the programme and already feel that I am contributing significantly to V., as well as having learnt about the maritime industry, I have worked within SeaTec and Performance PMO, through my first two placements.  I am now about to start my third assignment and looking forward to learning about Fleet Cell Management based in Singapore, as well as meeting new colleagues in a different part of V.”

The recruitment and selection process starts every January, when the programme opens for applications.  After the initial screening and online test, shortlisted candidates attend an assessment centre involving in-depth interviews and activities supported by Directors and Senior Managers from V., which ensures that our intake for that year is made up of the best candidates available.

Before joining their first placement, our new intake attends a week-long induction process at our Glasgow office.  As well as learning about V., being introduced to key stakeholders, business processes and having a full safety induction, this gives them the opportunity to meet their peer group and create their own Graduate network before they travel to their first placement, wherever it may be in the world.