Staying Connected While Working from Home- our Marketing Executive, Elaine,discusses the importance of consistent communication while working from home during the COVID-19 crisis

In November 2019, I returned to work after taking a 3-year break to care for my young family. While I loved being with the children, motherhood is hard work and I missed the social interaction you get from being part of a team. I also missed working in marketing. I missed the intellectual stimulation.

Suffering the same crisis of confidence as many other women who have been out of the workforce for an extended period, I kept putting off looking for work as I was unsure of the value that I could add to a business. I spent last summer updating my skillset in marketing completing a Digital Marketing Diploma while reassessing my goals and career aspirations. I reached out to Fastnet-The Talent Group to help me navigate the jobs market and find something that would reflect my career goals and suits my schedule.

It just so happened that Fastnet had an internal position coming up for a part-time Marketing Executive. I was delighted to be put forward for the role and a few weeks later, after successfully completing the interview process, I was back at work! Going back to marketing and having people tell me what I was doing was helpful and valuable gave me a much-needed confidence boost. Very quickly, I became part of the team. The morning catchups over a coffee and lunch-time chats filling the void that had grown while I was at home with the kids. Fastnet is a family-run business and working there, you feel like part of the family. The team is very sociable, and a lot of effort is made to get the Dublin and Cork teams together as often as possible.

Now 4 months later, like the rest of the world, I find myself back home with the kids. Although I’m lucky to be used to working from home, as Fastnet has always been flexible with how I manage my hours, working from home and caring for 3 small boys is a challenge. But these are extraordinary times. Before a video conference call, I’m bribing, threatening, coercing, rewarding…. Whatever it takes to buy some time before the kids inevitably make an appearance. It’s always well received by the team with many of them in the same position.

In a very organic way, the team has become closer. Our WhatsApp group chat replacing the lunchtime catch-ups with hilarious memes, Netflix recommendations and general chit-chat. Morning coffees are now enjoyed virtually, and we all get together for our weekly huddle via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

Although none of this is ideal, and we would all love to return to our old way of working, adjusting to this strange and uncertain way of life has been made much easier by continuously communicating as a team. There are lots of great tips and ideas on how to work remotely online. The most important thing for me is consistent communication. It can be difficult to keep energy levels and enthusiasm for work at a high level when the world is in a crisis with no end in sight. Having a team around you that can support you through is key.