Fenia Kalostroumpi, Key Account Manager of Up Hellas, works from Thessaloniki as she manages our customers in North Greece. In the below article, she talks about her work routine away from the rest of the team and how a new service changed her life.

Working from home, away from the headquarters of the company which is where? In Athens, of course. What about us working remotely, what can we do when we only get to see our colleagues once a month and all issues must be solved by phone or online?🤔

We just get used to it because the trend of working from home is here to stay...

In the beginning, my personal experience with remote work only had positive aspects. The work proceeds faster without obstacles and various things that distract you in the office. You wake up early, wear casual clothes without caring about the colors or your hair and you begin the day!😅 When you have an online meeting, ohh yes, you only wear your shirt on top of your PJs and you are fine!😋 And it is fun or, better, it was fun.

But does remote working always have positive aspects? Not always, I would say.

You miss the jokes, the faces of your colleagues, even the faces that are indifferent to you. Because humans are social beings. You also feel alienated, like you are not part of the company - something like an external partner that doesn't have 100% participation in the company's processes and often learns everything at the last moment.

But I didn't feel that way for too long, because our company showed empathy and understood all the things I had in my mind. That's why Up Hellas made a tool that reduced the 500km distance we have.

So one winter morning our manager invited us all to an online meeting and presented us with our latest solution: HR SQUAD!

As soon as we end up the meeting, I created my account and started using this special, corporate tool - from the first login, it impressed me and made me feel engaged with my colleagues and the management team. Day by day, Ι was feeling that I have my colleagues next to me while exchanging ideas and suggestions with everyone. It made me feel important because now my colleagues can read on HR SQUAD what I have to say about small or big issues. In addition, my work is recognized with this tool since we send rewards to each other. 👏

Every day is different, especially at this time. The mood of an employee is not always the best and as a result, their productivity fluctuates. With HR SQUAD, employees have the chance to respond to various issues raised by their company. That helps management to understand the needs and feelings of the team and act accordingly. In this way, employees' mood changes immediately to the better, as well as their efficiency and productivity.👍

How important can an employee feel, when the company they work in is truly people-centric? The HR SQUAD came to bring teams closer and help the mood, relationship and performance of employees. As the French writer Albert Camus said “Without work, all life goes rotten. But when work is soulless, life stifles and dies.”

By Fenia Kalostoumpi, Key Account Manager of our team.