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ONBOARDING DURING THE CONFINEMENT PERIOD
The containment period marked a stop to all the activity for many companies, including Topsec, but also an immediate need to optimize home working. A wide part of our employees has been on partial unemployment.
During this period, the support functions of the headquarters redoubled their efforts and implications to develop new concepts and prepare the return to the activity.
With digitalization, more and more companies had already considered or were beginning to develop home office; the virtual aspect of meetings, for example, remained a sticking point.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF NEWCOMERS AT HEADQUARTERS?
At Topsec, we were faced to a totally new situation: we welcomed four new people just before or in the middle of the period of confinement.
– Cyrielle VRECKO, joined us as communication officer on February 19th, a month before the confinement.
– Eva GARCIA MENDEZ, joined us as product manager on March 3rd.
THE ONBOARDING PROCESS AT TOPSEC
The arrival of new collaborators is the subject of an entire organization in our company. A schedule of about three weeks is set up to allow them to meet and understand each business of the company and to be trained. The goal is to have all the keys in hand to succeed in the new position. This is a very important phase that the team is familiar with and allows to fluidize the exchanges and understanding between the different services.
“I was lucky enough to be able to follow the entire training and onboarding schedule and to meet all the services. With Eva, we were also able to make a day of machine’s preparation in the warehouse from A to Z.. Thanks to all this I quickly understood the stakes of our company and my missions. I was ready to be more self-reliant and work remotely.” Explains Cyrielle
“It was all the more important to get as much information as possible quickly because the world of sport, swimming and automatic distribution were totally new to me. A point that particularly impressede me: from the first week, the CEO and the CEO took the time to meet me and exchange with me at length. It was not a simple exchange of politeness but a real discussion that lasted at least an hour: and this had NEVER happened to me. The idea that I made immediately of Topsec and that has only confirmed itself: proximity, accessibility and human.” Tells Eva
INTEGRATION THAT IS BOTH PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL
The health crisis interrupted Eva’s integration period: she still had two weeks of meetings, training, and travel when our management announced a state of emergency and containment.
“To be trained on computer softwares or online processes is not always easy. I still remember my training in configurations by Franck: it’s a process that involves a lot of infos, steps, different tools, so we can guess that it was a very long meeting!” Explains Eva
BUT HOW DO WE CONVEY THIS VIRTUALLY?
Among the devices put in place to facilitate the home office, managers organize weekly team and individual meetings to take stock of the activity, the current situation (very changing in this period) missions and sticking points. It is essential to ensure good communication between team members, follow-up and maintain motivation.
“Thanks to Teams, we have little by little established a close relationship. With my team, we call each others regularly to work together, take news and share in live while working, as at the office. This allowed us to get to know each other better and today our team is very closed despite the distance. “ Explains Cyrielle
“Being able to call in video also helps to maintain team spirit, to maintain a social link with its employees, which is very important and motivating.” Testifies Eva
Similarly, our IT team has ensured everyone’s access to our remote server and the smooth running of all our tools.
A NEW ORGANIZATION IN HOME WORKING
We asked Eva and Cyrielle what they missed the most compared to their previous experiences. The answers were more practical and social : informal discussions, two computer screens, breaks with employees to get to know each other more:
“Talking to employees and taking breaks: it took me a while to find my rhythm and take breaks like a day at the office. Until my work was done, I didn’t know how to stop” says Cyrielle
“One thing I miss: the products themselves, I’ve always liked to be surrounded by the products I work on, to have them on my desk and nearby on the shelves, it allows me to immerse myself and immerse myself in the universe, to inspire myself too. So I turned my room into a hybrid space to work at my ease: my wall is covered with post-it and items, I have the whole range of fitness and hygiene on my couch … In short, it almost looks like a real office. Tells Eva
AN OBVIOUS AND ALREADY ENTRENCHED SOLUTION
On the other hand, 80% of Topsec’s workforce works remotely every day. The home working of members of Vitry headquarters has joined this dynamic and has allowed to harmonize and bring everyone to the same level of information and communication.
“Because everyone works remotely, contacts are more naturally made in virtual devices. We have all become familiar with Teams and use it more easily on a daily basis. Of course I’ve only “met” some people virtually and I can’t wait to see them in reality. » Explique Cyrielle
On the other hand, the containment period allowed us to accelerate the implementation of the internal newsletter. An effective way to transmit important information, encrypted data, present current projects and achievements to all employees of the group, in France and internationally.
Finally, everyone gradually found their own organization and chose to set up a comfortable office in order to work more serenely and in the best conditions.
BACK TO THE OFFICE: A NEW PHASE OF ONBOARDING?
Thanks to the digitalization of exchanges and processes, the exchanges were done with fluidity and it becomes less essential to be physically present on a daily basis.
“There’s no way. I do not feel that I have experienced a break despite the confinement and home working because I have daily exchanges. I will certainly expand my relationships in the present, but the link exists and has remained.” Explains Eva
“This will not be a new phase of integration because the rhythm is very intense in home office and we have maintained and strengthened the link between everyone. On the other hand, it will be a different organization and we will have to get used to coming back to the office.” Testifies Cyrielle
The arrival of these new employees is part of the transformation of our company and the development of new in house skills. We are delighted to welcome them into this phase of transition to new trades and wish them to flourish at Topsec.