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Chronicle of a confinement – Cross interview of the team members
And here we are, already 4 weeks into the containment !
CEREALOG is on the move ! And even though the branches are still closed, everyone is working from home, some in their living rooms, others in their garages and for the luckiest ones in a dedicated room.
We interviewed some of the colleagues to tell you, CONCRETELY “how it’s going ?”
🎤 Cross interview :
- Annabel, CFO, La Rochelle
- Noémie, ERP Project Manager, Paris
- Mathias, Network Admin, La Rochelle
- Charles, Developer, La Rochelle
- Grégory, System & Network Manager, Bordeaux
How do you manage teleworking ?
Noémie : This is my first experience of teleworking, I quickly got used to it, I find myself more productive, even if I lose my concentration more easily.
Charles : It’s going well on the whole, I’m lucky that my partner is partially unemployed, she can look after my 18-month-old daughter. I’ve got into a rhythm now and spend a lot of time on the phone (teams/laptop) with my colleagues and clients to help them.
Annabel : Teleworking is a first for me. Although most of the company’s documents are digitised, it was still necessary to forward some paper files. So beforehand, I had to organise myself in such a way as to anticipate a more or less long period of confinement in order to avoid travelling to the company.
Mathias : Teleworking is going quite well, the tools I have at my disposal allow me to work as if I were in a company. CEREALOG organizes virtual coffee shops on a regular basis, which allows us to get news from each other and to see each other by camera. I find this initiative really great and it proves once again that CEREALOG is also a family.
Grégory : After a complicated start due to the large number of requests for assistance, we have found a productive working rhythm. Apart from the fact of not being in the company premises, the confinement does not change the organisation of my work (schedules, management of customers and team).
How are you set up ?
Noémie : I work in my living room, on the dining table.
Charles : I don’t have a desk at home. My workstation was not adapted and I suffered physically (tendonitis in my arm). I am now properly installed for the duration of the confinement and no longer suffer. I’m still in a room that’s under construction !
Grégory : I am in an office with my personal computer equipped with a double screen and a remote connection to a company server which allows me to bounce around to clients.
Annabel : Near the wifi connection ! Not much choice when the walls are 80 cm thick…
Mathias : I’m installed in my office, which also serves as a guest room. So I have everything I need to work comfortably.
What is your relationship with the clients ?
Grégory : The clients seem very satisfied with our responsiveness and our investment. The clients were a bit panicked at the beginning of the lockdown and we had a “rescue” role.
Mathias : We no longer have physical contact but we feel that the customers are reassured and happy to have us on the phone. I have the feeling that the lockdown has strengthened the relationship with the customers.
Noémie : Despite the context, we continue to hold workshops on current projects and are in constant contact with clients via video conferences and email.
Charles : The relationship with clients has not changed. We continue to work remotely with our clients by communicating through all existing channels.
Annabel : Exchanges with customers and various partners of the company are mainly done by email or video-conference. We are fortunate to work in a sector where teleworking is easy and allows us to remain reactive.
Do you experience any difficulties in this new way of working ?
Noémie : The remote UATs (User Acceptance Tests) are not easy to carry out because we don’t have real-time visibility. But nonetheless, they are not very difficult.
Mathias : The fact that we are working exclusively on a virtual relationship. I miss the physical exchanges and travelling within the companies.
Charles : A small team, you have to take over from colleagues who are less available. I also have the impression that I am more in demand than before. There’s no longer that natural filter that means someone won’t call on you if they see that you’re already communicating with a colleague or a client. And above all, I have to learn to disconnect in the evening, I’m always tempted to check my e-mails.
Annabel : I sometimes experience some slow connections which can slow down certain operations. The other difficulty concerns deliveries and the management of postal mail. These two services have been severely affected by the current crisis, and we have to change some of our working habits. In teleworking, you quickly realise that maintaining social links with colleagues is essential. Telephone, video, instant messaging, I don’t hesitate to use the different tools to check on the teams.
Grégory : The break between work and family life is not easy. My partner works in the same room, so my calls bother her a bit. Clients no longer have a time limit and call between 12.30 and 2pm and at 8.30pm in the evening.
Are there any benefits ?
Charles : Strangely, I communicate more with my colleagues. Teleworking forces more communication and coordination. And a break at home with a smile from his daughter and wife gives more energy than a smile from those wonderful colleagues (!)
Grégory : I am less interrupted in ongoing projects. I have discovered and exploited the collaboration tool (Teams) that I was not using. And no more ironing clothes for the moment !
Noémie : Everyone in the team remains available despite the distance. We always work as a team.
Annabel : The personal time saved by not having to travel to and from work. And the more spontaneous use of video conferences. Perhaps we will keep this reflex after the confinement rather than favouring face-to-face meetings ? A little more for the planet…
Mathias : Being isolated allows me to concentrate more and therefore be more productive. And it also allows me to sleep a little longer in the morning !
Thank you to the 5 of you for sharing. 👏
To conclude, if we have no other choice than to accept this crisis and its consequences, on people, on organisations, we have the choice of the attitude we can adopt.
The CEREALOG team has chosen to be positive and to continue to work for its future and that of its clients.
