It’s probably fair to say 2020 hasn’t gone according to plan for most people. But if you had told any of us we would be starting a new job in the midst of a global pandemic, we would have never believed you. Starting a new job can bring excitement or apprehensive first day nerves, but it can become even more difficult when the entire organisation is working from home.

Take us new starters within the HR and OD team- starting in different teams, at different times but with our own experience and take on exactly what starting a new job is like, without having been in an office or met any of our team face to face. 

Emily:

Here I am, now in my third month as the newest addition to the Health and Safety team at CCCU, and I am still amazed at how easy the transition has been considering we are all working from home. Understandably, it’s been a strange time for everyone as we all had to adjust to a new way of working and living, so the main difference for me has been getting to know the best person to speak to across different departments. Luckily everyone I have virtually ‘met’ so far has been incredibly helpful and welcoming, and I have had the good fortune to have a thoughtful and considerate manager who always takes care to ensure I haven’t felt either isolated or overwhelmed.

In a way it has worked well, having a ‘staggered’ start has enabled me to get to know colleagues, learn the processes and procedures and start to grasp the culture of the University, all from the comfort of my dining table/temporary workstation, without having the additional stress of getting lost on campus and trying to work out where I’m meant to be! On the other hand, my dog has been a terrible colleague and assistant – albeit he does bring me the post (usually in the middle of meetings) and selflessly reminds me to take a break from my screen for a vigorous game of fetch in the garden.

I am definitely looking forward to the ‘return’ back to campus. It will be like starting afresh all over again as I will need to learn where everything is – but at least there will be lots of familiar friendly faces!

Portia:

Everything felt the same as it should do on my first day, I was wondering what to wear and thinking about who I would meet, what meetings there might be.  When suddenly it occurred to me that I could wear pajama bottoms and no one would ever know, which brought a sense of comfort as not many roles allow that. So apart from the occasional Wi-Fi drop outs, my dog barking only during meetings and the postman delivering my 10^th parcel of the day …. It’s fair to say it went well.

The fear of meeting strangers online soon dissipates when everyone you ‘meet’ is so friendly and offering their assistance. Microsoft teams soon becomes your best friend and learning it’s ok to ask constant questions virtually, and although it takes some time getting to grips with systems and all of the CCCU acronyms, it is a whole lot less overwhelming than you think it would be.

It certainly is harder and everything does take a little longer and there are days where you feel out of the loop, but each day gets a little better, meeting more people and slowly finding your feet. Whilst it has had both positives and negatives, I do look forward to being in an office and meeting people in person, actually dressing up and, most of all, having a chat over a cup of tea and a biscuit.

What advice we would give to anyone starting during Working from home conditions?

• Try not to be so hard on yourself, it is a slower process than if you were in the office.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
• Take each day as it comes.

Emily & Portia – new starters within the HR and OD team