June, 2020 / Blog
The last three months have been a time of monumental change with billions of people around the world confined to their homes, and also for the world of work- companies of all scales and industries having to suspend operations or, all of a sudden, adapt to the world of the remote workplace – many for the very first time – as the world battles the COVID-19 crisis.
When the implications of the reduced mobility required by COVID-19 lockdowns became clear, of course at EVA the question was how this would affect EV drivers and the wider eMobility networks, and how far remote working for all of our staff would affect internal operations and our ability to respond to EV customers calling for support.
Few would have predicted at the height of the lockdowns that May 2020 would be the busiest month so far at EVA, but that is the case, with a 65% increase in calls from April, and an average 22% growth in calls week on week. Would our systems be able to handle the abrupt down tools in the office setting and respond to this growth from our homes? The reality is that with a little planning, our team have worked 100% from home since early March, with a seamless transition to remote operations powered by amazing teamwork and dedication to providing the best customer experience possible, no matter what.
In a time when many companies were faced with difficult decisions and reduced hours of operation, we saw that we needed to increase our team and set about the incredible task of recruiting during a global pandemic. We were delighted to welcome Dennis, Leo, Yara and Diederik to our team through a 100% remote recruitment and onboarding program in March and April 2020, and here’s their insight into what it was like starting a new job in the middle of a global pandemic.
How would you describe your experience of starting a new job during lockdown?
Diederik: I was thrilled. It is very difficult to find a new job in these difficult times and I lost my old job because of the crisis so didn’t have high hopes to find something new so soon, so I was really happy and eager to start. It was strange to have an interview by phone and start a new job where all arrangements are done by email and telephone, totally virtual!
Yara: I didn’t know what to expect and what the future had in store, but as soon as I heard that I got the job, I felt really excited. My experience of starting at EVAssist has been really good! Everyone is really enthusiastic and helps each other.
What was it like training via a virtual training program?
Dennis: Overall I have to say it was a great experience. The programs that we use make it possible to have a full presentation that you also would get when you are in the office and I liked that. The only thing missing of course was the physical in person contact.
Diederik: Absolutely great! Maybe it worked so well because we were a small training group. Training from home definitely has its benefits, as I think the format of the training helped me focus more with less distractions than you would normally have.
Do you feel you’ve bonded with your team?
Leo: Yes, I definitely feel connected with my team. Every time I have a question or need help, I know I can always ask and somebody will be available.
Dennis: I feel a good bond with the team, and I hope to see them really soon. In our team chat, we have constant communication with each other whether it’s serious stuff about work, educational or just a chat about the weather – we always have something to talk about.
Do you feel you were well supported by management and your Team Leader during your first weeks?
Yara: Yes, they called a couple of times to talk about how everything is going and check in, and I could also always email or chat with them. They really supported me.
Diederik: Yes, absolutely. Great how the training was set up and we had meetings with other members of EVAssist Management as well as other CX Specialists. It was great to see and feel how welcomed we were.
What’s your favourite thing about working at EVAssist?
Yara: My favourite thing is that I can help people. I really like to work with people, and it is a great feeling when a customer calls us with a problem, that we can help them and the customer is really grateful.
Dennis: The opportunity to grow in the company and the communication with everyone in the company no matter what position, it’s great!
Diederik: Helping people, and 99 out of 100 calls I can make clients really happy by solving a problem! It’s also great to have the opportunity to help develop the company in different projects. 3 weeks later, although I haven’t met my team physically, I feel really connected with them. I really appreciate the positive vibe, we are all serious and responsible, but laid back with great camaraderie.
Leo: My favourite things are working from home, the focus on customer satisfaction, an amazing team from management to team leaders to CX Specialists – everyone is there to help me. I enjoy working in this field a lot – eMobility is the future!
EVA has now grown into a team of over 40 experts fully dedicated to eMobility. Many customers are coming to EVA asking for help with charging infrastructure operation, maintenance management and driver support. What we’re finding is that in most cases what they’re really asking for is an end-to-end solution that enables them to augment their core offering with EV charging – and this is exactly what we offer.
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