March 11th, 2022
These days, the work environment is dynamic and changing constantly to keep up with new standards and demands. But one thing that could not be anticipated was the rise of a viral pandemic. COVID-19 took the world by storm as businesses, communities, and schools were forced to close for the safety of all. As companies struggled to navigate this sudden change, many found themselves unprepared when in-person work was no longer an option.
The ability to evolve instantly became a crucial component of success. Whenever possible, in-person, day-to-day tasks and collaborations adapted to embrace a virtual, remote workspace. At first, this started as a short-term fix, but the continuation of the pandemic has made this flexibility a staple (and often an expectation) of modern employment.
Finding a job is already a task in itself, let alone starting a new role during a historic global plague. One new employee at a time, we’ve learned how to remotely onboard staff in a virtual environment. We’re thrilled to welcome them to MarkeTeam, and honored to highlight some of their stories about joining us at such an unusual time.
“I feel like I was welcomed into a strong family”
Jared Griggs, Account Executive
“My time at MarkeTeam has been amazing so far. I started out in June of 2021, and I worked as an Account Executive. I began working right after college, and I never imagined working in a pandemic-adjusted environment. However, MarkeTeam made it very easy to adjust to the remote work life and still made me feel like I was a part of the company.
Everyone I’ve worked with has been kind, understanding, easy to work with, and great to get to know. I never feel like I am on the outside since most of them have already met each other before. I feel like I was welcomed into a strong family.”
“… the company makes a huge effort to bring positive social interaction to the work environment through Bonusly, Icebreakers, and Fun Team events.”
Erin Lehmberg, Data Scientist
“I’m happy to share my experience with you. I really like working remotely since it means getting to eat homemade meals and take walks in the neighborhood on breaks – it’s a big win for efficiency and for quality of life. I enjoy when I get to see my coworkers in person at happy hours or for the monthly optional in-person Analyst meetings. Sometimes we decide to work together at coffee shops, too.
Even as I’ve been a remote hire in the past six months, I really enjoy the company culture. My manager is innovative and wants to hear our ideas and find new ways to do things. The company itself feels very innovative and flexible, allowing people to work part-time as parents, allowing individuals to start project teams to meet business needs as they come, and promoting from within to newly created job titles. The company hierarchy feels approachable and decentralized as I get to communicate and work with the VP of our department often. And finally, the company makes a huge effort to bring positive social interaction to the work environment through Bonusly, Icebreakers, and Fun Team events.”
“Although it is not a rule, many of us have our cameras on during meetings which allows for conversations to be more personable.”
Cachandre Rawlins, Account Coordinator
“I have been working at MarkeTeam for about 7 months now. My entire experience working for MarkeTeam has been from a remote work environment. However, working from home is not a new experience for me. I acquired my first remote job after I graduated from Florida State in 2020, which was the start of the whole pandemic and the rise of remote learning and working.
Within these short several months at MarkeTeam, there has been ample opportunities for me to really submerge myself into the company by physically interacting with those I work with, such as attending ATL United games, celebrating the Braves winning the World Championship, and the annual company Holiday Party.
Physical interactions have been limited due to the pandemic, so we also do virtual team building which allows us to interact with employees we may never come into contact with just due to our job duties. My favorite was the All Around the World Game, where the whole company was broken into teams to race around the world (virtually) doing challenges by putting our brains together. It was awesome to see everyone’s personalities shine through as we worked through the challenges to win. Although it is not a rule, many of us have our cameras on during meetings which allows for conversations to be more personable.
The pandemic forced companies to alter their approach to building company culture. Some companies have made the conscious effort, and some may have not found the right formula. MarkeTeam was originally an in-office work environment, so it may have been easier to cultivate the specific environment they desired but since moving remote MarkeTeam has done an amazing job of thinking outside the box to maintain and enhance our company culture, all while making those, hired during the pandemic, feel comfortable to engage in the culture.”
Building corporate culture when coworkers are physically separated is a new problem, but for now, the best solution is an old one: Work harder at it. We’re taking deliberate steps to create compelling reasons to get together, whether they’re fun team-building events or in-person scrum sessions. And we won’t stop working at it, because we call ourselves MarkeTeam for a reason (yes, it sounds corny but it’s still true).
COVID-19 may have temporarily slowed down our ability to connect, but between modern technology and personal creativity, we are all running out of excuses for being less connected than we want to be. Here’s to forging more new connections in 2022.
