Talent – working together, apart

‘Uncertain’ seems the most fitting word to describe the situation we all find ourselves in right now. As I write this, the UK is edging ever nearer to a complete lockdown, with much of the population practising ‘social distancing’ to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. 

In a situation like this, I’m very grateful that I can work from home, along with my team and the rest of Talent. Of course this pandemic has impacted business, but what’s been amazing so far is the camaraderie between colleagues and support at all levels of the company. There’s definitely a ‘we’re all in this together’ mentality – something that makes me feel incredibly proud and humbled to be part of Talent. 

Proof that remote working works 

 In times like these, remote working is no doubt the best solution for the companies able to offer it. We’ve been at a slight advantage here at Talent in that we already have processes and systems in place to support remote workers. 

 The transition to full remote working has been smooth because we’re already a highly flexible business. Flexible working isn’t something that’s widely adopted in our industry – in fact, some agencies are strongly against letting employees work from home. But not Talent; we’ve seen the benefits flexible working can have on an employee’s productivity, engagement and morale, and in helping them to strike a work-life balance. 

 To me, it all boils down to trust. Technology has made it possible for many of us to work from home, especially in our industry. Companies just need to support autonomy, trusting that their people will put in the work and knuckle down regardless of where they are working. I’ve absolutely no doubt my team will do this.

 Bringing the team together through tech

 Of course, one downside to remote working is that people might start to feel isolated. Something that can go on to impact engagement and morale. 

 Now, more than ever, it’s important we take steps to bring the team together. Friday drinks at the local are obviously a no-no, so, we’ve been getting creative!

 Last week we held a company-wide Zoom conference, kids and all. We’ve also been having ‘digital lunches’ with one another, on top of regular meetings to keep everyone updated and to reassure them that their jobs are safe and support is available if they need it. 

 We’ve changed one thing, though. Ever since we’ve made the move to home working, we start each meeting by asking, how are you? Because, ultimately, no other topic or issue is more important than the wellbeing of our employees. 

 Supporting our people is our number one priority as we navigate these uncertain times, however long they will last. For now, stay safe everyone.