Flexibility is one of the cornerstones of our business - for our employees as well as our customers - so occasional working from home has always been a key part of Zego life. However, as much of the world adjusts to working remotely full-time, we’re getting our Zegons to share how they organise their workspaces, their favourite things about remote working and some tips on how to make the most of working at home.
First up, introduce yourself! Who are you and what is your role at Zego?
I’m Greg, and I joined Zego three months ago as a Staff Engineer. Half of my role is to provide support for engineering teams, particularly around product requirements and designing features. The other half is to make Zego’s platform more flexible and robust, which can involve anything from improving testing processes to moving it towards a service-oriented architecture. I don’t really have a typical day here. Some days I spend a lot of time talking to different people or groups, others I write proposals or documentation, and others I help design and build software. Most days end up being a mixture of all three! Fortunately, after six years as a consultant and thirteen years in start-ups, I’m very good at context switching.
What’s your favourite thing about working remotely?
It’s nice to be able to spend more time with my family. In particular, the little things like having breakfast together which we don’t normally manage, as we need to get our three year old to preschool and then commute an hour into work. Not having to get on the tube is great because like most Londoners I loathe it, especially at rush hour!
Is there anything you’ve found frustrating about working remotely? How have you overcome this?
My fiance and I both work full-time, which means we’re trying to do our jobs with a child in the house as the preschool is closed. At first I thought this was going to be impossible, but we’re starting to get into a routine of covering each other for important meetings, taking him to the park when he starts getting too energetic, and changing work hours to include more in the morning or evening so that we can take breaks to play with him during the day. The other frustrating thing is not seeing people in person. As good as things like Zoom are for remote meetings, it just isn’t the same as bumping into people in the kitchen or being able to draw things on the whiteboard together. I’m looking forward to being able to do that again!
Have you got any creative (or not so creative) WFH recipes you’ve been making?
We tend to cook quite a bit anyway, but one of the things I’ve been missing is Pret’s ham and cheese croissants. After a couple of experiments, I’ve managed to recreate something that’s very similar that tastes even better! I cut a couple of 15cm squares of pre-rolled puff pastry, spread it with 1tbsp of passata, and then top with a slice of ham, some extra strong cheddar, and coarse black pepper. I then fold two corners into the middle and press together, and bake for 12 minutes at 200 Celcius. Delicious.
What have you been doing to maintain both physical and mental wellbeing?
We’ve been taking our kid to the park on his bike or scooter for a good bit of exercise to burn off energy during the days. At weekends we go further afield, such as the Surrey Hills, which are fairly deserted. This means you can still have a decent walk without being in close contact with other people. Beyond that, I try to keep to a routine as much as normal. We try to keep to normal meal times and eat together, and still do the ‘normal’ things of having a shower, getting dressed and so on - just like you would if you were going to the office.
Do you have any tips for other people working remotely?
I tend to work remotely a maximum of one day a week, so working at home full-time is pretty new to me. What I’ve learned in the last couple of weeks is that you need to be okay with your schedule being more flexible and being interrupted more often. It’s also important to over-communicate with your friends and co-workers using tools such as Slack and Zoom. It means you feel connected, even if you don’t meet in person.