It’s Digital Workplace day; “Whether your digital transformation started in 2020, or you’ve been at this for a long time, the digital workplace is here to stay”. (Business wire). Companies have had to adapt, innovate and improvise on a daily basis.

Ethel Care, based in N.I, expanded their team during COVID-19 creating a virtual team, with new staff based in London and Scotland. The post-pandemic workforce is changing and starting at a new company without ever meeting your colleagues can be daunting, but Ethel Care has accepted the challenge and built a great team virtually. We have utilised different digital platforms to ensure that our team members can communicate effectively with each other and our clients.

Get to know the Ethel Care team:

“Like so many companies across the world, we have transitioned to virtual working. So when it came to hiring new staff, it seemed like the most natural thing to do – and gave us lot more options. I hired three people after a zoom interview. It feels like they are now part of the furniture in the organisation, although I have never actually met them.”

– Deepak, CEO

“As QA and Logistics officer, it was challenging at first, having to correctly time and coordinate meetings with clients and colleagues over various video conferencing software depending on who I was dealing with. However, with this came opportunity. I feel that I have learnt a great deal of knowledge from screen sharing with clients and colleagues which I may not have learnt beforehand. Furthermore, with Ethel devices now located in my colleague’s homes and connected to their wi-fi networks, I have been able to test Ethel devices remotely as if they are out with a client giving me much insight and knowledge on how clients would interact with Ethel.”

– Phil, QA and Logistics Officer

“Leading up to my interview, via zoom, I was nervous because I thought I wouldn’t be able to get my personality across through a computer. However, I was less nervous on the day being interviewed in my home, a comfortable setting. Working virtually felt intimidating and I was worried it would be hard to communicate and work well as a team. However, over the past few months I have built a great rapport with my colleagues and clients, even though I have never met them in real life. I have been able to hold client meetings, via video conferencing, learn new digital skills and improve my time management all from my kitchen table”

– Rebecca, Marketing Officer

“Adapting to a virtual workspace has given me a certain flexibility and an increased creative independence. My time-keeping and organisational skills have also improved as I’ve had to learn to be more aware of my co-worker’s schedules – if I need to ask a question or speak with a member of the team, it’s not always as easy as walking to their desk and checking if they’re available. After learning to use a number of different scheduling and communication tools, I’ve found that working from home has even led me to increase my efficiency and it’s nice to be able to work independently without the distractions of a typical office. The team is small, which makes it easier to communicate and keep track of different projects and regular zoom meetings has meant that even though some of us have never met in person, we still feel connected and part of a team.”

– Natasha, Marketing Officer

“Living in quite a rural location, I’m really appreciative of all the digital collaboration tools that are available. I enjoy the fact that I can easily have meetings and discussions with my team-mates without needing to commute for hours. Even though I’ve never met any of my colleagues in person, I feel as though I’ve got to know them very well through messaging and video calls and have felt just as connected as I would do in a physical workplace.”

– Louise, Software Developer

How can ETHEL help your workplace?

ETHEL can be used to help create a more efficient digital workplace for clinical teams and carers. Being able to reduce the amount of face-to-face contact without reducing the support that client is receiving is vital post-pandemic. Through medication management, video calling and check-ins, clinicians and carers are able to stay connected to their clients remotely.