With the global coronavirus pandemic affecting all families, communities, and businesses, remote working has become the new norm for many of us for the foreseeable.
At ADvendio we have a highly distributed global workforce, with many already accustomed to this way of working. For colleagues that are new to remote working on a full-time basis, we decided to catch up with some of them from France, Chile, Germany, and Ireland to get an insight into their daily work routines, challenges and top tips.
Jennifer Hornibrook
Product Manager, Hamburg
How are you finding remote working during COVID-19?
I am finding remote working to be somewhat challenging. Although we work remotely with a lot of our colleagues, not having the base working team in the Hamburg office seems to be reducing productivity and communication a bit, it also can make for a lonely workday.
What is your favourite part about remote working?
My favourite part about remote working is the flexibility and being able to start working without the added hassle of the commute.
What is most challenging for you in your daily work routine?
I think the most challenging part for me in my daily work routine is not being able to get timely answers to questions and ensuring that I actually complete work on time. Additionally, poor internet connection and insufficient home office setup make normal work challenging.
How are you finding the tools that you use at ADvendio helping you to work from home?
The tools we use at ADvendio are working well while working from home. There isn’t any need to adapt or change how I use the tools in order to accommodate working from home.
What helps you feel connected to your colleagues?
The morning coffee call which we have in Hamburg and our daily development meetings are the only things that help feel connected to my colleagues and are very important parts of my daily work routine.
At the end of the day, what do you do to recharge for the next day?
Mainly just yoga and Netflix and getting out for a walk if I can.
What is your top tip for successful remote working?
If possible I feel having your workspace separate from your sleeping area and where you ‘recharge’ in the evening would be great to mentally separate your workday from your evening.
Ali Boukhalfa
Senior Account Manager, Paris
How are you finding remote working during COVID-19?
I always work remotely so, therefore, there is no major change for my daily workflow. However remote events have been slightly challenging as there is more content but no way to engage with new people.
What is your favourite part about remote working?
That there is no crowded metro as I do not have to commute to an office.
What is most challenging for you in your daily work routine?
As mentioned previously, the remote events are something I have found slightly challenging.
How are you finding the tools that you use at ADvendio helping you to work from home?
I have no issues with the tools we use as they all work perfectly.
What helps you feel connected to your colleagues?
For me, I feel connected with our regular team meetings, virtual coffees, and chatting on various social networking sites.
At the end of the day, what do you do to recharge for the next day?
For me, I recharge by spending quality time with my wife and kids.
What is your top tip for successful remote working?
From working remotely for the past couple of months, I have a few tips:
- Make yourself a professional environment. I know not everybody will have a spare room or an office space but at least get yourself a clean and tidy workspace with a comfortable chair. Professional toolsets are also important, e.g. no headset = echo during your conference call.
- Really act like you are going to the office.
- Structure your day, set up tasks, and build a list of your top priorities.
- Use social media but do not get distracted by it. It is important to stay connected with friends, colleagues, and family but it is important to stay focused on your work.
- Self-discipline is hugely important — start when you need to start but also knowing when to log off otherwise you may burn out.
- Stay positive and enjoy this strange time!
Myriam Hirt
Customer Relationship Manager, Chile
How are you finding remote working during COVID-19?
At ADvendio we are luckily used to working remotely. Therefore it did not take long for me to adapt to full time working from my home office. Nevertheless, now the situation is a bit different. My daughter and my husband are around too. Together with my husband, we form a great team. In order to take care of our daughter and to be able to work, we are taking turns during the day. This has been working for us quite well, we comply with our duties at work and our daughter also maintains happiness.
What is your favourite part about remote working?
For me, my favourite thing about remote working is having more time with my family and enjoying my home.
What is most challenging for you in your daily work routine?
The longer we work from the more important it has become for me to really disconnect in the evenings and weekends from work. When you work in an office, you are “off” as soon as you actually leave the office, but now for many of us, this is not the case anymore. Our home is now also our office and one tends to work much more during your actual off time.
How are you finding the tools that you use at ADvendio helping you to work from home?
All is working perfectly!
What helps you feel connected to your colleagues?
We have virtual coffee dates and stay connected via all channels available. We have work-related chats but we also care one for each other and talk about personal non-work related things while having a coffee.
At the end of the day, what do you do to recharge for the next day?
I make sure to have some off-screen time and do some relaxing activities like baking, cooking, a hot shower, or watching a family movie.
What is your top tip for successful remote working?
Do not overload yourself. Give yourself flexibility and try to disconnect. This way you can recharge your battery for the next, for the next big task or goal.
Jan Reiners
Account Executive, Hamburg
How are you finding remote working during COVID-19?
From the technical side, there is no difference between working from home and working from our office in Hamburg. So basically I can work as usual. The only thing that is missing is the personal face-to-face conversation with co-workers. To compensate, we have virtual coffee breaks that work really well.
What is your favourite part about remote working?
My favourite part about remote working is the fact that you save the journey to the office.
What is most challenging for you in your daily work routine?
I find reminding myself of getting some movement and fresh air during the working hours can be challenging at times.
How are you finding the tools that you use at ADvendio helping you to work from home?
As we are used to working from home frequently, everything works perfectly.
What helps you feel connected to your colleagues?
As mentioned above I find that the virtual coffee meetings help me feel connected to my colleagues during these strange times.
At the end of the day, what do you do to recharge for the next day?
I like to go running in the forest nearby in the evenings to recharge.
What is your top tip for successful remote working?
My top tip to ensure successful remote working would be to get some movement and fresh air during the day.
Robert Tubridy
Head of Marketing, Dublin
How are you finding remote working during COVID-19?
Adjusting our marketing plans to accommodate this way of conducting business has been challenging. Luckily we have an agile team and a software stack to transition. Additionally, due to restrictions, we have also seen webinar event activities already increased by 200%.
What is your favourite part about remote working?
I haven’t enjoyed the full perks of remote work yet due to restrictions but having a no work commute has been a bonus.
What is most challenging for you in your daily work routine?
Some of the biggest challenges I’ve encountered is finding the time to take a break and also finishing work at a time that is similar to my regular office schedule.
How are you finding the tools that you use at ADvendio helping you to work from home?
With geographically dispersed teams at ADvendio, we are no stranger to using tools built for remote work so the transition was seamless. The only thing that needed to be adjusted was our processes to accommodate a full-time remote work setup.
What helps you feel connected to your colleagues?
Replacing a traditional office environment is not easy but using messaging and video conferencing tools has helped to fill this void.
At the end of the day, what do you do to recharge for the next day?
I spend quality time with my wife while I make sure to find time to connect with family and friends online.
What is your top tip for successful remote working?
My top tips for successful remote working would be:
- Invest in the right software stack for remote working.
- Structure your day as you would in the office.
- Setup check-in meetings to connect on goals, upcoming projects, and daily tasks.
- Take regular breaks to recharge.
- Find time to exercise.
- Know when to “log off”.
- Embrace the perks of working remotely.
Originally published at www.advendio.com on April 30th, 2020
