Starting a new job in the middle of global pandemic

It’s been a year since I joined Willmott Dixon and as I head off on my summer holiday, I have taken a few minutes to reflect on what has been a once in a lifetime (hopefully) start to a new job…..

When you're joining a new business, finding your feet and getting to know new faces, as much as it makes some nervous, it is exciting. In normal times, you get shown around an office on your first day, introduced to everyone and not able to remember a single name …

My first day involved picking up IT, having HR inductions, meeting 4 people in the office and then it was back home to start a new job in a virtual world.

Virtual coffee (or Pepsi max) meetings replaced chatting in the canteen, ringing people on teams for help replaced picking up the telephone or walking over to their desks, and a drink and food at the pub to get to know people is replace by a 1 on 1 dog walk or again Teams.

Surprisingly, some of the virtual teams calls, while sometimes tiring, have been brilliant to get to know people and build relationships; in some cases I have found it easier to find common ground much quicker, especially when I have a puppy called Bruce who loves to say hello! The strangest thing is having met people over Teams and feeling like you are part of the team internally and in some cases become friends before you meet face to face …. When you do finally meet, some people look so different (not in a bad way). If you are joining a business in this world my biggest recommendation is to embrace it and take advantage of connecting with new colleagues more easily without having to travel to meet them.

When you're physically near colleagues in the office, it's easy to turn to them or have a quick chat. With everyone working from home, you can quickly forget these everyday behaviours, and you end up trying to find a solution to every challenge or question on your own / or you do the opposite and ask every man and his dog for help because you are panicked – especially when you're new and building relationships.

Regular calls, check-ins., weekly walkies with Bruce and Toby Moseley and getting involved in Willmott Dixon Miles for Smiles, LandAid BIG sleep out has made an huge difference to me, helping me to get to know people on a personal level, but also to ensure we continue to support each other actively. These frequent touchpoints are so valuable as a new joiner but even more so in this virtual world. I would recommend that others in this situation think about how to implement these as you get settled in.

At my previous job, I’d spent over half of 2020 on furlough and then was made redundant, so inevitably, you begin to doubt yourself … am I really good at my job … have I taken the right career path …. did I have the right work life balance? When I started to look for my next opportunity I was pleasantly surprised with the response I received from people and it gave me a boost that I really needed to get my confidence back.

I always thought I was quite adaptable and flexible because I've had some challenging time, but what I've realised is that I'm even stronger than I thought. Supportive colleagues and workplace structures can have a significant impact on coping through uncertainty and upheaval. While it can be daunting when you're new to a company, you must accept help from colleagues, make use of any workplace policies where possible, and let those around you know if you need support during this time.

As the world starts to open up again, I have really enjoyed connecting with colleagues again in person. It has made me realise the power and value of physical human interaction. There are many things I will take forward that have been powerful learnings during this period, but what has really struck me, is that if you find yourself in a company where there is a strong culture that is people centric, it carries through the difficult times and enables you to emerge stronger and fitter to take on the next challenge.