Starting a new role WFH? Reflections with Hemshika, our first intern
Since mid-July, I have had the pleasure of working with Hemshika, our first Social Media Marketing Intern - without whom you would not read this post!!
Putting in practice what we advise in our webinar "How to succeed in the first 90 days of a new job", we made sure that Hemshika could identify and deliver a few "Quick wins" in her first month, which allowed her to feel valued but also to take the time to understand the business and the environment it operates in. Half-way through her second month, Hemshika has set up our new Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts and is now taking an active part in drafting our social media strategy, so that we are able to reach out to more people in need of support in their job search. Excellent results.
It sounds like an exciting and successful internship experience, doesn't it? And it is! In fact, we have developed a kind of "reverse mentoring" relationship whereby Hemshika teaches me all things social media and I share my knowledge of strategic Marketing - it works very well!
“Working at FdB has allowed me to engage in many tasks and develop my knowledge around marketing. Although working remotely, I got a lot of support and guidance from France (maybe not surprising as this is what she also does for her clients!). It has been an amazing learning experience so far.
Hemshika”
Yet we have never met - albeit virtually!
We have adapted to the changes mandated by the pandemic; interviews were held virtually of course, then we devised an online induction, explaining the business over cloud-based whiteboards; we have noted that to explain a new idea remotely and efficiently, we needed to be very clear and articulate concepts simply - not a bad thing to do really !
Meeting regularly using Zoom - sometimes in different time zones - was no problem... maybe this is helped by the fact that we at FdB have delivered webinars for more than 4 years and we know how to enable truly interactive meetings? It is amazing how Zoom meetings have highlighted some people’s unfriendly habit of interrupting others in the midst of a sentence - as their picture pops in the middle of the screen! Hopefully though, this leads to better behaviours.
And yes, we also have friendly chats (like the ones we used to have around the coffee machine) and I feel I know a little more about Hemshika and she heard all about my efforts to raise funds for my favourite charity Debra !
Photo by Tina Witherspoon on Unsplash
So, does WFH drive results? Yes, it does* - provided that leaders and employees embrace and implement the changes involved.
Having said that, we are very much looking forward to our first face-to-face meeting as soon as I complete my 14 days of quarantine (coming back from France).
Who said that WFH - as successful as it can be - should prevent IRL team meetings? Let's get the best of both worlds!
A blended approach - as suggested nowadays by many influencers - whereby people work from home some days but also have access to local working hubs must be the way forward. In my view, it provides the best of 2 worlds: WFH has been, and hopefully will continue to be a dream come true for many, providing more time with family, less stressful (and costly) commute; but let’s not forget how difficult and challenging it has been and still is for those living for example in small places with young children or those suffering mentally from the isolation. The Health Foundation published over the summer disturbing research on the impact of lockdown on people – especially women and young adults with mental health pre-pandemic.
Therefore, social interactions, as simple as the unplanned meetings around the water-cooler, which can end up in new friendships or in innovative ideas are needed; they can only happen when meeting in person. Another reason to promote a return to offices.
But equally, let’s hope we see the end of large central and costly offices, requiring long and expensive commuting with negative impact on the environment.
Local satellite offices sound like a promising alternative, allowing people to meet in person whilst reducing their carbon footprint.
We put the suggestion to Hemshika and her response was a resounding “Yes”.
* it goes without saying that some industries cannot work entirely or even partly remotely