An office is a space for creativity and development of personal interactions. Until now, employees have spent a lot of time together at the company’s headquarters. This led to the building of relationships between them on several levels, a bond that was created through the exchange of ideas or the exchange of experiences and experiences – says Gabriella Cal, Director of Human Resources at CCC.
Gabriela Cal, Director of Human Resources at CCCThe impact of the epidemic on our current business model, but the transformation process was smooth, without major disruptions. As a CCC group, we are located in 30 countries, and only in Poland we have 5 locations, so many of our missions are already being carried out remotely, although not of this size of course. However, our employees have adapted well to this new situation. Our IT department deals with technology challenges efficiently and quickly. The pandemic is a difficult time for all of us – not just as employees, but above all as humans. Nevertheless, the CCC team definitely rose to the occasion and quickly adapted to the new reality, while taking care of their safety and that of their colleagues.
Here, too, I would like to add that in the case of our group, modus operandi in times of pandemic is a broader issue. On the one hand, we have office personnel who are currently carrying out their duties, and on the other hand, we have employees in our logistics centers and factories under their auspices. As a responsible business owner, we try to meet the needs of each of these groups, with their safety in mind above all.
An office is not just a space to work (Photo: Szymon Polański / Press Release)
Are the staff a little missing the office?
– It was a very difficult year for many employees. Remember, home offices have taken over our private space. Several people had to simultaneously divide their attention between job responsibilities and, for example, caring for young children. For many employees, the boundaries between private life and professional life have become very blurred. This balance is important for the comfort and cleanliness of life.
I think a full return to the office is highly expected by a large group of employees. Today, of course while maintaining a complete sanitary system, they rotate from our offices. We want to meet their current needs and look forward to the moment when we can meet again at the company’s headquarters.
It should also be noted that our team includes a group of people who find themselves in this new reality, working from home. In the future, these people will want to be able to work on this model. Today we are already thinking about how these requirements will be met in the future.
There are opinions that the home office is no longer useful to employees. Is it really like that?
It certainly was seen this way in the pre-pandemic times, when many organizations did not practice such a model or sever it much. Today, remote work has become an everyday reality for office workers. We have learned a lot during this time and as I mentioned – many people will want to maintain this pattern of work in the future, and we will look for solutions to meet their needs.
How about work efficiency? Is a home office slowing down productivity?
In the CCC group, we did not notice any differences in terms of work efficiency after switching to remote working mode. I think team managers play a very important role here. A home office, with well-planned team responsibilities, can be effective. However, it is essential to properly support the employee here – both in the context of providing the right tools and teaching new and necessary competencies.
And let’s not forget about communication. It shouldn’t just be about delegating and receiving tasks. Let’s also remember relationships. For example, less formal video “coffee” meetings can be just as important and help maintain a sense of belonging to the team. It is very important to remember also the field of the psyche.
At the company’s headquarters, employees spent a lot of time together – and this built relationships between them on several levels – says Gabriela Cal (Photo: Szymon Polański / Press Release)
Is the office not just a space to work?
It definitely has a more complex function than just a workspace. I believe an office is a space for creativity and developing personal interactions. Until now, employees have spent a lot of time together at the company’s headquarters. This led to building relationships between them on several levels, a bond that is created through the exchange of ideas or the exchange of experiences and experiences. Organizational culture depends on the people and the atmosphere they create, which is why building and strengthening relationships at work is so important.
Do you already know when you will be back in the office?
Today we do not have a specific date to return to work in the office – we are not in a hurry. We want the epidemiological situation to improve first. The safety of our employees is our priority.
Have the changes in the business model translated into decisions to reduce or increase the office space you rent?
– The space for office rented by CCC has not changed due to the ongoing pandemic and at the moment we have no plans to do so.
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