Starting a new job can be incredibly overwhelming. There’s a new clan of colleagues to get to know, a different boss to work with and the role itself to get to grips with. But coronavirus lockdown has resulted in a very different experience for those starting new jobs. Not only are new starters socially isolated from their entire team, but they’re also having to navigate a new role with nobody around. Hannah Hart started her new position as tech writer in early May – when the UK was in its seventh week of official lockdown. She explains that one of the most daunting aspects is thinking about how she was going to fit in virtually.
Hannah says: ‘Obviously, using Zoom has made the getting-to-know-you process more difficult, as for the most part when a Zoom meeting is arranged, it’s not to socialise. ‘I do miss some of the downtime I used to have around the office where you really get to know people, like during lunch. It’s those little five minute conversations that are so important. ‘I think anyone starting during lockdown misses the buzz that’s there for the first couple of days when you’re new – the new routine, the chats, the lunches. It’s the small rituals we miss out on now. ‘However, this is something happening to so many people as a result of a global pandemic and if it means that I miss out on certain aspects of in-person training in order to keep myself and others safe, then that’s a choice I’m more than happy to make.’
