Joining the Cell:cm Team During the Covid-19 Lockdown
During the lockdown, Cell:cm welcomed five new members of staff, who all joined the team remotely. Companies across the world have found themselves in a similar unique situation recently – a situation that has brought with it new challenges and a requirement to adapt accordingly.
Many look forward to their first day at a new company, going to a new office and a new environment, having a cup of coffee with one’s new colleagues before sitting down at one’s new desk. The first days for those joining Cell:cm have ended up looking quite different.
Instead, all our new team members were sent their IT equipment, including screens and headsets, chairs and other equipment to their home address, so that on their first day, they were able to work comfortably from their home offices. However, as employers, it is key that Cell:cm ensured that everyone felt welcomed to the team. Working remotely can sometimes feel lonely, particularly when one does not yet know the rest of the team. Therefore, within the first few days and weeks, several conference calls were arranged, both to welcome our new team members and get to know them on a personal level, but also to provide key training on work processes, databases or role-specific knowledge. We are proud to say that everyone at Cell:cm has come together to ensure that our new team members feel part of the company.
We decided to ask some of our new team members how their first few weeks in their new role have been.
Mark became part of the Cell:cm team as the lockdown had just begun:
“I started on 1st April 2020 just after the lockdown had been enforced, and it was an unusual way to join a company to say the least. However, I was given a warm welcome and my computer equipment and phone had arrived in the preceding days, so at least I was able to communicate. One of the biggest challenges in my role was to be able to get out on site; and we had to wait to follow the advice of the Government before we could establish a safe working strategy for site visits. Maintaining social distancing on site was a challenge, although now, several weeks down the line, it seems to be a well-established practice. The Cell:cm team have all been very supportive during this time, and we have a Virtual Social Club on a Friday where we can get to have a chat and see people we don’t normally see during the working week”
Daniel joined Cell:cm in the beginning of May and had the following perception of his first few weeks:
“It has been very unusual to start a new job during these unprecedented times. However, everyone at Cell:cm has made me feel welcome and a part of the team, albeit remotely. There is a real positive vibe within the group that is warming but professional. I am looking forward to meeting everyone in person and to get back out on-site soon”
Jelena also joined us in the beginning of May, and has described her experience as the following:
“Of course, the last few weeks have been very challenging, but with support, not just from my own team but also the wider company, I have gained a lot of new knowledge and received the training required. We also have weekly company-wide progress calls, office calls and even a social call at the end of the week! I have only been working for Cell:cm for seven weeks, but I really feel like part of the family already.”
Our newest member of the Cell:cm team, Syd Quinn, already knew some of the members of Cell:cm team from his previous job. This is how he summarised his first weeks at the company:
“I started with Cell:cm on Monday 15 June, but instead of being in the new Glasgow office I am confined to working from home like everyone else. However, I had built up a healthy relationship with Cell:cm during my time in my previous employment. This has made the working from home experience much easier as I have dealt with several of my new colleagues in the past and they have all made me feel very welcome and part of the team already. I’m looking forward to my time with Cell:cm!”
Although the lockdown situation has been incredibly challenging for several reasons, the feedback we have from our team working remotely has been very positive. This points to the fact that as a company, Cell:cm is dynamic, great at adapting to new situations and look forward to taking on further challenges in the future. Once again, we would like to welcome our new team members; Mark Brougham, Daniel Taylor, Matthew Donetta, Syd Quinn and Jelena Dusevska!