The Coronavirus Diaries - Part 1

As our teams continue to work through the pandemic, we asked them to talk about their experiences of home working; what’s worked and what’s been difficult. While there are similar themes that run through much of the advice on successful homeworking, we’re all in this together and sharing ideas and talking is a key part of maintaining our wellbeing.

It may be some time before we’re back to ‘normal’, so in the meantime let’s keep thanking all essential workers for working tirelessly through all this and remember to stay in contact with our teams, managers and loved ones.

In the first of three parts, here we talk to some of the Managers from our Regional teams about their challenges and wins from the last few weeks:

Steve WilsonSteve Wilson, Team Manager, Blue Collar Construction, Walsall

How have you found the transition to home working and remote managing from office life?

It’s been challenging but fun. I enjoy being able to still keep in touch with all our clients and candidates working from home. Not to mention being able to exercise on my lunch break without heading to the gym!

What helps you get through your day without the face to face interaction of the offices?

It’s been really important for me to set a strict routine for myself and stick to it. When it comes to working with my colleagues, clients and temps, it has been vital for me to maintain face-to-face video calls.

Our key message is we are still standing strong in this uncertain time and continuing to work hard to secure work for our candidates and ensure our clients get their projects completed.

Gregg Lawton, Team Manager, Blue Collar Construction, Reading

How have you found the transition to remote working and do you have any tips for successfully working from home?

Right from the beginning I found it easy as long as I kept to a routine and maintained my work frame of mind in my new ‘office’. I get up at the usual time but instead of a commute I have a morning coffee standing in the garden or looking out to the patio. Being able to have a dedicated desk space away from distractions has helped me focus and continue a healthy work/life separation.

It’s been a challenge learning about the furlough process whilst continuing to deal with time sheets, client and candidate queries and filling jobs. It’s a mental challenge with less people around to share it with.

Google Duo has been a godsend, enabling regular team catch ups and keeping us all motivated in uncertain times.

Any messages you’d like to convey or share for our candidates and clients?

We’re still working, and we’re here to help.

Kev Tull, Regional Director, Reading

How have you found the transition to home working and remote managing from office life?

Fairly straight forward. For me it’s been an easy adjustment following remote working in New Zealand.

The key is a settled routine, a clear plan for the day, and setting yourself small targets and goals.

When it’s come to my team, we’ve been running a lot of regular Google Duo chats, maintaining our phone activity and ensuring we all keep in close contact with our candidates and clients.

Outside of this, I’ve maintained a good work/life balance by scheduling breaks with the wife and kids and getting my hour of exercise in every lunch!

Any messages you’d like to convey or share?

We’re all in this together, tough times make us appreciate the good times. Out of every negative there’s positives, we just have to recognise what they are and embrace them.

Going forward, I firmly believe this experience will change a lot of peoples’ way of life and thinking for the better.

Harry Lambert, Team Leader – Construction, Bristol

How have you found the transition to home working and remote managing from office life?

I found the transition easier with the use of regular video calling with my team and the ease by which we can set up from home and do our daily tasks. The IT team have been excellent in making sure I have all I need to work comfortably and well.

Pros - gain time in the day not travelling to work

Cons - the comradery of an office/team environment is missing

Tips from working at home – stick to a routine. I get up, log on, have breaks and eat lunch etc at the same time each day.

What helps you get through your day without the face-to-face interaction of the offices?

Knowing this isn’t for the long term, there will be an end, and the video calling helps boost morale for the team.

Any messages you’d like to convey or share?

I’d just like to say thank you for the support I feel I’ve received from all senior management and back office staff.

Kris Blaszko, Senior Team Manager, Blue Collar Construction, Oxford

How have you found the transition to home working and remote managing from office life?

The transition has been ok. It is often quite lonely working in a quiet space for hours on end, but taking a 5 minute break every couple of hours can help. I have found keeping in touch with my candidates on a day-to-day basis is helping, and keeps things as ‘normal’ as possible.

Tips for successful home working:

Be flexible with your working times and days, with most people not working at the minute I think the Monday – Friday 9-5 is out the window.

I have found that setting daily goals is useful and keeps you productive. Because of my personal situation I have 12 weeks of working from home, that seems very daunting but breaking it down week by week helps.

Fresh air helps massively. Because we are isolating for 12 weeks we shouldn’t be leaving the house, I’ve therefore taken to doing shuttle runs in the garden!

What helps you get through your day without the face-to-face interaction of the offices?

Having meal times with my family helps bring back the 1 to 1 interaction. I’m having daily Zoom’s/Facetime’s with my colleagues, but nothing quite helps keeping things as normal as possible as talking to people in the same room! Because of this I have found my hours of work are changing slightly, I’m frequently working past 5.30 so I can spend more time with my children during the day, which often involves them helping with dinner!

Any messages you’d like to convey or share?

The only thing I would say is that we are all in the same situation together. Look for the positives and you will find them. Set up meetings with your friends and families for when this is all over.

Try and find ways that you can come out of this with positives, lose weight, get fitter, learn a new language…

So, #Commonthemes

Erm, a lot of video conferencing and banter is helping! Our teams are very social, so it’s important we laugh together whilst we focus and maintain the business for everyone.

Everyone has created their own strict routines to ensure they can still provide an excellent service to candidates, temps and clients. We’ve been hugely impressed by the adaptability and efforts all our teams have made to adjust quickly to very different work arrangements, and the support and their commitment to maintaining their team morale.

See you in part 2! Stay safe, and remember:

Stay at Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives.