
Working for VMA GROUP: Back to the Office... But Not as We Know It
Like for most of the population, my life turned upside down in 2020. But the changes in my world had less to do with lockdown and the latest version of Covid rules, and more to do with the arrival of my first baby last summer.
Over the past year, my mind has been happily occupied with all things baby; from nappies to weaning, first steps to first words (almost!) and the eternal - yet still unrequited - search for a full night’s sleep.
After 15 months out of the game, my back-to-work date loomed, and the nerves were setting in. During maternity leave, even in the depths of my baby bubble, the backdrop of the pandemic and the impact on the job market wasn’t lost on me. With initial unemployment figures of almost 15% in 2020, and nearly 5 million people on furlough earlier this year, the headlines did not paint a great picture for a recruiter returning to work.
I often wondered how I would balance the nursery drop-off and pick-up, and a busy job in a tough market on approximately 25 minutes sleep a night? On top of that, as I’m sure many new mums do, I felt an overwhelming urge to prove myself.
But the transition back to work has been far easier than I expected for a few reasons:
Flexibility
Will we ever go back to the old days of presenteeism? The new ways of working, imposed by the pandemic demonstrated that employees could perform their jobs in a flexible manner.
However, I have really enjoyed being back, on a hybrid model at the VMA GROUP’s new office. While it’s a bit of a mad rush to get out of the door in a presentable fashion, drop my daughter at a nursery and then get on the Northern line (where I even get a seat these days), I’m really enjoying the buzz of London.
A supportive culture
A sales role is still a sales role; we all have targets, we all have KPIs, and we are all expected to deliver. But I have great colleagues at VMA GROUP who have been very supportive.