Virtual Lunches and a Sing-along: OST’s Working from Home Experience
Due to a little pandemic you may or may not have heard of, most of the country is currently working from home. For many people, this is an entirely new way of working, and for business owners and managers, it can be hard to know how to keep your team happy and motivated in such unprecedented times.
Like a lot of companies, OST is a from-home business for the foreseeable future. So, we’ve decided to share some of the things that we’ve been doing as a team to keep us all connected.
Catching up face-to-face
This one might sound obvious, but keeping up with team meetings helps everyone to maintain a sense of normalcy. At OST, we’ve upped our catch-ups so that as well as our Monday morning meeting, which the whole team joins in on, we now have inter-department meetings every morning. Even just a quick catch-up makes everyone feel more connected and ready to crack on with a day’s work.
We recently started using Microsoft Teams, which has been really great for helping us keep in touch throughout the day, whether we’re just dropping each other a quick message (or GIF), or having a meeting. Top Tip: Remember to turn your camera on. It makes a huge difference, trust us.
Having lunch together as a team
OST benefits from having a really fun and friendly culture, and so being apart from each other has had quite a big impact on the whole team. On Friday, most of the OST team spent their lunch breaks eating together. Although it was a little chaotic, it was amazing to be able to do such a normal, everyday thing together as a team. It almost felt like being back at work. While having meetings on Teams helps to keep connected, the team lunch gave us all a chance to catch up on a more personal level, and have a casual chat.
Helping each other keep fit
This week, a few of us have started logging on a little early to do a workout together. One of the biggest difficulties for many of us while self-isolating is keeping healthy – both in body and mind – and getting together virtually to kick start the day is a fantastic way to motivate ourselves.
Introducing each other to our new co-workers
If you saw our Instagram Stories last week, you will have seen a few new furry faces. A lot of people around the globe have quickly realised that one of the best things about working from home is seeing everyone’s cats and dogs (and occasional bunnies). OST is certainly no exception. Our furry friends have been present in many (internal) calls, and it really brightens up our days.
Head to our Instagram to see some more.
Bringing a bit of work-life into our homes
It’s the little things that you miss most when you’re working from home. Having a chat while you wait for the kettle to boil, sharing a packet of biscuits, and having a little giggle in between tasks. One of our fondest moments from the OST office is Lindsay singing us all a tune, so he treated us all to a live from-home version of one of his favourite numbers over video so that we wouldn’t miss out.
We’ll be keeping you all up-to-date on our working from home activities in the coming weeks as well as sharing webinars, podcasts and more, so keep your eyes peeled. To get alerts about our social media and website updates, then sign up here. Or, if you’ve got any fresh ideas for what we can do from home as a team, then let us know.
If you haven’t read our previous blog on how to adjust your social media strategy for Coronavirus, be sure to give it a read. If you have any questions regarding your social media marketing, please get in contact.
