Alexandru Cociorvei is Managing Director at Connect44 Romania
We are an IT and telecom solutions provider so digitalisation was already part of our core business, therefore we easily adapted to the new reality.
The complex context in which we are living is an unprecedented one. I think it was essential for us to find solutions that can be implemented very fast and were an “immediate” response.
At the beginning of March, the Connect44 Romanian team had already made the switch to working from home. More than 97% of my colleagues have been working remotely from the safety of their own homes, and will continue to do so for a while.
Working for companies that are from all over the world helped us implement remote work promptly and we adapted very quickly to the situation.
More than that, we offered our teams all the support, technical and logistical, that they needed to continue working from home, with minimal disruption.
From hardware like monitors or desktop units to ensure they have the right bandwidth, we made the necessary adjustments, no matter where our colleague’s homes are to provide the same services our clients are used to.
Our clients need to continue working and we need to provide them with the means to do it but from the safety of our homes.
But at the same time, we have continued to implement our business growth plan, with expansion in new office in Timisoara and Bucharest, so we opened new facilities in these cities, since we gained new customers and hired new team members.
One thing we miss is the daily interaction with our colleagues, but we try to keep in touch on a regular basis, by having video calls with all the team members. Our HR team played an essential role in keeping in touch with the colleagues who work remotely and offering them support to each request. Moreover, we try to keep the team’s spirit uplifted by organizing games, context and regular communication. This way we try to be together, even if we are apart.
Even if they didn’t see each other for months, my colleagues feel connected to the company because we do our best to keep the teams’ spirit (a)live. So I can say that everyone has easily embraced the digital transformation that was forced upon us.
As time will pass, I will for sure remember the emptiness of our offices, once filled with joy and effervescence, but as long I know my team members are safe and well, all this will become just a faded memory. Otherwise, it’s business as usual and we continue to live each day in this new normality, focusing on our business goals: expanding in Romania, getting new customers and hiring new team members.
I believe “unity” is the essential word we must use in the months that will come. Each of us must play our part and we must support one another to get through these trying times.