I’m not sure if you’ve heard yet or not, but there is a pandemic happening in our world and it’s causing A LOT of people to have to work from their homes. While we are all __extremely__ grateful to be in the position to still have our jobs and be able to do them remotely, working from home has presented some challenges.
As the Studio Coordinator at Underbelly, one of my main passions and responsibilities is to make sure all employees feel cared for and supported. In a work from home COVID19 situation, that care and support has to not only be much more intentional, but also much more creative. We must maintain our rad culture even while being apart!
So, naturally I got into my creative mindset…which may or may not have involved a glass of wine…and starting noodling on what I would want to have and/or hear if I were working from home and feeling disconnected from my team. The idea of care packages popped in my head and all of a sudden I found myself wanting to ding-dong-ditch all of my co-workers, leaving them to find a thoughtful, intentional package full of their favorite things.
Before I just hopped in my car and starting ringing bells, I put together a survey. I needed to find out what my teammates were specifically missing about being in the office, what they value having around them while working and if there was any equipment that would make their at home set up a bit more dreamy. From there, I created a list, per employee, of things to include in their care package. Some were essentials, some were just silly. One of our core values here at Underbelly is “Be Genuine”, so it was really important to me to try to make each care package intentional for every individual.
Once all the packages were assembled and topped with a handwritten note from yours truly, I loaded up my Subaru to the brim and drove all over the Salt Lake Valley. Some friends caught me on their Ring doorbells and others almost witnessed me falling on their front lawn whilst trying to make a quick getaway. But everyone, received a personalized gift to their home, leaving them feeling connected and valued. This is just one way to care for your employees while they are working from home and we hope to continue caring for them with more creative endeavors over the coming months.
What are some ideas you are coming up with to engage your team while working from home?