Building Virtual Water-Cooler Moments for New Hires
How can you and your team capture the everyday camaraderie of office life at home?
This posting expresses the views and opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of Yext and its affiliates, employees, officers, directors or representatives.
I think the entire country can agree that the transition from our everyday working lives to being stuck inside Zoom bubbles has been an adjustment. While the jury is currently split between those who do and do not prefer working from home, those of us who started or plan to start a new position during quarantine must find silver linings to the situation. While we may be sifting through the chaos of the pandemic to find these nuggets of hope, the everyday pleasantries of work life is harder to find. What does quarantine do to everyday ‘water-cooler moments’ that are so vital to team building?
We’re All In This Together
As coronavirus quickly dismantled the average work day, American industries had to reassess and reorganize their onboarding processes. Yext’s Consulting Design team went to great efforts to include new hires in social activities like weekly Happy Hours, which allowed us to consistently interact with our coworkers. This made onboarding for our positions much smoother, as rapport had already been developed between each member. An approachable atmosphere encouraged small talk at the beginning of meetings, which subsided any pressure to “over-perform” our work-sonas. Additionally, in a time where face-to-face social interaction is few and far between, this small talk was invaluable!
Going The Extra Mile
While teams across the country do their part to fully-integrate new hires, efforts must be made on both sides of the fence to assure that members are meshing well. When developing new relationships of any kind, a foundation of trust and understanding is key to a healthy dynamic. In previous positions, 1 on 1 interactions were the most vital in laying those foundations. In my first month of onboarding at Yext, I made a concerted effort to schedule ‘Coffee Chats’ with each of my team members. With no set agenda, these small periods of the day were dedicated to connecting as individuals — similar to striking up a conversation with someone at a coffee shop or at a local bar. While it may have seemed inorganic to do so, I found that my team was more than willing to provide me a slice of their work-day to share interests, stories and advice about the work that we do.
“…those of us who started or plan to start a new position during quarantine must find silver linings to the situation.”
When reflecting on these — coupled with the efforts to include those who were disadvantaged by COVID-19, every member of the Yext Consulting team played a role in building a virtual water-cooler that made this strange transition much more comfortable. This pandemic, the first of the modern age, has completely reshaped the way we communicate with one another. As we move into the Winter months, feelings of despair and fear can weigh on us, negatively affecting the ways in which we bond with one another. While the emotional rollercoaster is different every day, we as humans have an instinctual response to times of uncertainty: perseverance. Through intentionality and perseverance, we can build our virtual water coolers to lean on one another and stay connected.
