What is it like to start a new job during the COVID-19 pandemic, without ever meeting your new colleagues? Our newest Colleague Maria Osborne, tells us in the following interview.
Welcome to Bigpoint. You have been with us for about a week now, would you like to share some of your experiences during this time?
Thank you!
Yes, I have just started a few days ago and am working remotely at the moment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I would have loved to have met everyone in person but we made the best out of the current situation. Thanks to the well-structured onboarding plan and the provided communication tools, my onboarding, especially in the beginning, couldn’t have been better.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your start at Bigpoint?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have started to work for Bigpoint remotely but thanks to the many communication channels that are available, I was welcomed very warmly despite the physical distance.
How was the situation handled?
Brilliantly!
A few days before I started to work at Bigpoint, I received the hardware and a detailed onboarding plan in advance, which helped me a lot as it guided me very well, especially in those first few days. Laura (Department: Human Resources) did an exceptionally good job as she had organized the first onboarding meetings with my team and different departments such as, for example, Office IT in advance. She was always available in case I had any questions and always answered me very quickly.
In general, I think my first days couldn’t have been structured better, as there are many ways to communicate and I could always get in contact in case I had any questions.
Also, my Team is very open and communicative, I really appreciated that Raven (Department: Farmerama Project Manager) introduced me to my team in an official announcement via Team Chat and she also organized (virtual) meetings with different team departments to get to know each other and discuss relevant topics for a good collaboration.
What was the main difference between this remote onboarding and other onboardings you’ve had?
The only difference would be the physical distance and the way to get in contact with my colleagues. I would have loved to have met everyone in person, especially on my first day, but we are making the very best out of the current situation and the communication flow is excellent.
Was it strange to start a new job without having personal contact with your colleagues?
Yes, it was a bit weird in the beginning as it is of course a completely different approach to meet in person as to do so virtually, but we made it work and I felt very welcomed.
Have you done remote work before?
Yes, I have worked remotely before but only for a short length of time.
What are some of the tools that you think are making remote work easier?
The way Microsoft Teams connects everyone makes it way easier to collaborate. Although I might not be able to just walk up to the person I want to talk to personally, I have several ways to call, or write (via chat or email) to the person I want to get in contact with. The communication works very well.
What would you say to others who might hesitate to send in an application for a job during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Just go for it! Despite the physical distance, the communication flow is great from the moment you send the application, to the onboarding, and starting to work remotely.
Also, the onboarding plan is a big plus as it provides a lot of guidance and structure, especially in the first few days.
What is the first thing you will do when you get to your actual office?
I think I would like to greet everyone in person and have lunch with my colleagues😊.
Thank you for the interview and welcome on board.