Well folks, it’s April, which means we’ve officially been in the global coronavirus pandemic for over a year now. 2020 was a whirlwind, constantly throwing us new challenges that tested the strength of our sanity. It’s no secret that our lives have changed in many ways, with one of the most notable differences being a different way to work: remotely.
At Aronson Advertising, we have a large, open office space that was able to nurture relationships between teams, allow for collaboration, and provide a close-knit community. When we unexpectedly had to shift to a work from home model, none of us knew it would actually last longer than two weeks. And now, a year later, our team has successfully adapted to this new way of working.
The Adjustment
For many of our colleagues, the transition to working from home was fairly simple. “I adapted to work from home easily,” says Michelle Deisher, a member of the Webmaster team. “I didn’t find the adjustment hard, but rather exciting. I feel much more comfortable and in control of my work environment.” Others found it hard to adjust at first. “I found it hard to stay focused when we first started working from home, but it has definitely gotten easier with adding back little daily routines in my life.” said Matthias Warren, an SEO Specialist.
The consensus among my co-workers is that being in the comfort of our own homes is the best part of working remotely. “I have a whole office where I can shut the doors, drown everything around me out, and just work.” said Savannah Saunders, a member of the Content team. “It’s easier to focus without the distractions of the office around me all the time.” Content team member Austin Heineman agreed, adding that it’s nice to change your environment every once in a while. “If I hit a block or find that I’m not as motivated as I should be, I can turn the lights on or off, move to a different room, put on music or a podcast, and that usually helps the problem.”
Staying Connected Despite the Distance
While we may not be in the office, our teams have been able to maintain a strong connection with each other. Teams have primarily been using Google chat to communicate, with occasional video conferences. In my opinion, the biggest advantage of video calls has been getting a sneak peak into each other’s home lives — whether that’s a conversation about sports stemming from a poster on someone’s wall, or laughing about a furry friend jumping into the camera frame. I’ve gotten to know my coworkers on a more personal level that I may not have, had we been in the office — I learned that Chloe Konicki and I share a love of cat Instagram accounts, that Kayla Stockdale likes to sing, and that Anne Platenik has been on an eight month pursuit for a Golden Retriever puppy (spoiler alert: Anne finally got the puppy! His name is Beau and he’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen). Plus, it’s great to see each other and have that human interaction, even if it is over video.
We’ve even managed to make new connections during work from home. Almost every team in our Digital department has gained at least one new team member. According to the Content team’s latest addition, Sarah Pereau, the remote onboarding process hasn’t been as difficult as one might expect. “Starting with Aronson remotely was quite easy,” she said. “The use of video calls and being able to screen-share for training made the experience feel equally as engaging as in-office training. I did not find the process difficult at all.”
We’re Almost There!
With a year of remote work under our belts and a readily-available vaccine on the horizon, it looks like the finish line may finally be in sight. We’re hopeful to work among each other in the office soon, but in the meantime, my colleagues shared with me their most valuable work from home advice.
“I make sure I get dressed as if I am going into the office so I feel better and [can] be more productive.”
— Mattias Warren
“Find ways to stay organized that work for you. Star important emails so they don’t get lost. Make sure you communicate any issues you may be running into with your manager. Share ideas with your team, just as you would if you were in the office.”
— Michelle Deisher
“Experiment! Try different things to see what works best for you.”
— Austin Heineman
“Start reaching out again to the people you liked in the office. Take the time to have those short conversations that made coming into the office a little more worth it. Knowing that there’s someone to reach out to during the day honestly elevates work from home to new levels.”
— Savannah Saunders
“The only advice I have is for people to just [find] space that’s comfortable to work in and is free from distractions. It doesn’t need to be a separate room, as long as you’re comfortable and can focus.”
— Sarah Pereau
Are you interested in joining our team? Contact us today at Aronson Advertising to learn more about our available positions!
