2 minute read
BACK TO THE OFFICE
Lauren White Mark Graydon
During lunch with the Asia Pacific Leadership Team, Lauren White, HR Director of the Asia Pacific region, and Mark Graydon, IT ERG Systems Manager, were interviewed about their experiences working from home and returning to the office.
How do you find the office, compared to pre-pandemic? Lauren: “It’s very different. I’m not used to it being quiet; I’m used to seeing a lot of people around. But it is pleasing to see every week there are more and more people coming in.” Did you catch up with many people today? Mark: “Lots and lots. I saw people I have worked with overseas and bumped into people I have been communicating with on Zoom.”
What are some big changes you or your team has experienced? Mark: “We got a dog. At the moment my wife is going into work once a week and I don’t know what I’ll be doing yet, but the dog is going to have some serious anxiety when there’s no one in the house. I tried to be homeschooling teacher, which was interesting. It was like another job, trying to do your job plus teaching a child or, for some, children. That was a tough year because they didn’t spend much time in school.” Lauren: “A few people in the HR function have had babies, so they’ve been pregnant during the lockdown, had their baby and come back after parental leave so that’s been life changing for a few team members. A few colleagues have made lifestyle decisions. They’re still with Cummins but have moved interstate so that’s exciting. But I’m still here, no significant change for me.” How did you find working from home? Lauren: “In the beginning I felt really challenged. I didn’t have a home office set-up and I’m naturally someone who likes interacting with people, so I did find it difficult. “Fast-forward 18 months and I’ve got used to working in my home office — but I do enjoy coming into the office. The hybrid style works for me, it’s just a matter of coordinating school dropoffs and pick-ups and making sure you’re in on days when people are here to get that energy from others.” Mark: “We were used to working at home, so I don’t mind it. But, from a team dynamics point of view, it’s important to have in-person interaction. Right now, we’re interviewing everyone to see what our new ways of working will be – how often we need to be in the office and when we need to see each other face to face.”
What do you think work will be like for everyone in the future? Lauren: “Teams and individuals are working out what works for them. Over time we’ll see more people coming into the office, but it will just take time.” Mark: “Regardless of what happens in the future, everything has changed we won’t ever go back to the way we were. People will definitely be working in a hybrid mode for quite a while and personally I like it.”
