Over the last couple of years, the Coronavirus outbreak has caused widespread concern and hardship for both consumers and businesses across the globe. Even though the spread of this deadly virus took a halt in the later half of 2021, this new year began with a significant rise in the number of Covid cases. It feels like we are in a never-ending cycle. Many companies have been coping with the pandemic in smart ways by letting their employees work remotely and finding new ways to collaborate and communicate over long distances.
As a startup founded during the pandemic, our team has a unique view towards it. Most of us have never met each other in person! Our team was set up to work remotely from the ground-up. That meant investing in tools that help spread out teams communicate and collaborate. We automate as much as possible and make sure everybody is on the same page through regular stand-ups, virtual coffee breaks and planning meets.
After more than a year of working remotely, we were curious what our team felt about the whole experience. So, we asked them! Here are some thoughts and experiences of our core team and how they feel about working from home during the Pandemic.
Ayushman, part of our core development team, looks at the opportunity to work from home as a chance to give everything ‘a little extra time’. Having joined Mindkosh in June 2021, he has been working from home for almost a year now, as he had already started WFH with his previous employer during the pandemic. “I look at it as a great opportunity to give everything a little extra time, whether it's work or family or friends or just spending time with yourself. You can do a lot more, and it's not about time alone, it's about mental determination”, he says. Another advantage of this situation, Ayush thinks, is that you don’t have to commute. Even though face-to-face conversations with the team are an experience we are missing on, technology has made this gap a lot smaller. He says the Midkosh team has really been professional during these times. “They understood the needs and mindset of employees and it never felt like we're miles away talking about a project. It's so good to collaborate together”, Ayushman adds.
“The pandemic has hugely affected the way work is done in the IT industry. Remote work has become the norm, but it has its own set of challenges. The biggest is communication via remote means. Initially it was difficult to use the virtual meeting applications, but with time, it became a lot easier”, says Karthik, who is part of our Backend development team. According to him, being patient and practicing empathy is very important during the pandemic. And he thinks the Mindkosh team has been very good at achieving that. Karthik says he is amazed at how supportive everyone has been of each other, even though we are separated by distances. “We have communicated and collaborated so effectively. I have loved the remote work at Mindkosh so far and I believe we can continue it after the pandemic too”, he adds.
Our front-end developer Neeru Rani, feels that the Pandemic has put everyone in a difficult position but the team has been supportive enough to prioritize employee safety and let everyone work from home. “Working remotely cancels out the time required to travel. Now we have extra time to focus on projects. It promotes better work-life balance. Of course, when everyone is working from a different physical location, communication and collaboration do take a hit. Otherwise everything is good”, she adds.
The pandemic has taken an unexpected toll on our lives both on a personal and professional level. But steps like these can help teams lessen the ill-effects and minimize the risks. We hope this pandemic is over soon. But in the meantime, we need to adapt to the changing environment or we risk getting left behind.