This article was written by Amasilis, Customer Support Lead at 24Slides Peru, as part of 24Slides’ #StorytellerProgram.
Early this year, I visited our office in Indonesia as the Support Lead in Peru, along with Valery, Peru’s Design Lead. Our goal was to align and improve the processes in both offices.
This journey turned out to be an incredibly enriching experience for all of us, greatly strengthening our team. In this article, I want to share the full story.
How it all started
24Slides is truly a company filled with dreams and opportunities. My name is Amasilis, people call me Ama for short, and I’m the Support Lead in the Peruvian Office. I joined the newly established Peru branch over six years ago as a Customer Support Agent, and throughout this time, 24Slides’ mission has remained deeply ingrained in my experience. I have grown both personally and professionally, and since becoming Support Lead more than a year ago, I feel that there is still much ahead.
When I started my training as a Support Lead, my direct manager, the Head of Support, traveled from Indonesia to Peru to train me, along with other relevant stakeholders. I received a lot of support from them, and we were able to communicate and share our experiences in a more direct manner, while also getting to know each other better and observing our cultural differences and diverse perspectives. We found ways to bridge these gaps and align with our shared core values.
This experience taught us the importance of connecting off-screen whenever possible. During that training, someone mentioned the possibility of the Leads in Peru visiting the Indonesian office to learn firsthand from the people who founded the company. It sounded exciting, but also somewhat like a distant dream. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I was told earlier this year that the trip would actually happen.
From Peru to Indonesia
The main purpose of this trip, from the Support side, was to align our internal processes and define several initiatives in order to improve global collaboration. As we know, the Support Team serves as the bridge between our customers and designers. Since we collaborate daily with teams in both countries, it is essential that we streamline our processes and make sure our communication flows smoothly.
Naturally, the first thing I did when I heard about the trip was gather ideas, comments, and observations from the entire Peru Support Team. With all their feedback in hand, I embarked on this journey filled with excitement and great ideas.
When I arrived at the Indonesian office, I was truly amazed. It felt like looking at the future of what 24Slides Peru can and will become. It was great to see that, in such a large office with many people, the core values of 24Slides can be felt in every corner, with every wall filled with pictures featuring positive messages and vibrant designs.
I also came across an old photo album from when the Indonesia office was established, showing a small team of people. It reminded me of when I started working at 24Slides, when the Peru office had only seven employees. We have been growing ever since, and today we are around 40 24Sliders. It’s not hard to imagine that one day we might be as large as the Indonesian office!
Our large office in Indonesia was still under construction when we visited from Peru; however, one part of the office was already open for use. When I wasn’t working there, I would go to the smaller office in Kaliurang, and I actually loved both offices. Even though people are currently working remotely while the office is being built, there are still many who come to both offices. As a larger group, there are also many more activities and spaces to share and get to know one another.
Team aligning to build our new future
On my first day, I got a tour of the office, and then we dove into sharing our experiences and comparing how things work in each country, especially when it comes to local labor laws. We also talked about the team profiles, and it was interesting to see that the Indonesian Support team is mostly made up of fresh graduates, while the Peru team tends to have people with more experience from other jobs.
This was a real eye-opener because it highlighted the different perspectives and experiences between the teams. It also made us realize how important it is to keep the communication flowing and stay aligned. From there, we were able to pinpoint some challenges, areas that needed a little tweaking, and processes that were already strong and just needed to be maintained. It sounds like a lot for a first day (and trust me, it was!), but the sessions were super productive and packed with insights.
With all that in mind, the next few days were all about getting everyone on the same page, making sure we’re using the same tools, and that we all understand the processes the same way. One of the biggest challenges we faced was figuring out how to stay connected with the Indonesian team, especially with the 12-hour time difference.
To make things easier, we came up with some new ways to bring the teams closer together, like setting up regular cross-country meetings. These meetings started a few months ago, and while it was a simple change, we’ve already noticed a big improvement in how we collaborate.
We also took a fresh look at our recruitment processes in each country. For example, in Peru, we realized that applicants usually come from similar roles, so we don’t need to focus too much on technical skills. Instead, we’ve been emphasizing other qualities, like teamwork.
And the collaboration didn’t stop there! We also met with the Head of Design and Design Leads, who shared some great ideas on how Support can better serve both offices. We put those ideas into practice during our latest recruitment round in Peru, and I’m happy to say we’re already seeing positive results.
Our growth continues
Being able to have these sessions in person was incredibly valuable. It helped us come closer together as a team with a global perspective and develop new initiatives that are adapted to each country. Being together physically in the office eliminated an important barrier and truly broadened our perspectives in a way that online meetings cannot. I found it much easier to brainstorm and bounce ideas back and forth without a screen between us.
Overall, I think this experience was extremely important for everyone involved, and it will be our strongest pillar for growth. Little by little, we’re building the base of our next big office that may reach the size of our Indonesia office. I believe that every 24Slider will become a key player in that future, when the Peru branch can stand firmly on its own. This obviously doesn’t mean that Peru will be apart from Indonesia, on the contrary, we need to be closely knit to ensure that although we’re different offices, we’re still aligned under the same purpose and culture of 24Slides.
I have great hopes for the company’s future, and I’m confident we will continue to grow together. I believe that this trip was a glimpse of our future, and I’m honored to be a part of this journey, witnessing each step we take to reach it. Together, we will continue to grow with ambition, trusting one another and consistently demonstrating that we truly care, as is the 24Slides way!
