Further to the appointment of Piers Mallitte in the Workthere team back in March, we check in with him to see how the first few months of the job have been. Whether working from home or from the office Piers, who is an associate in the team, has been busy keeping on top of enquiries and staying in touch with the team via regular video calls.
Piers Mallitte, associate in the Workthere team
Q: What did Workthere / Savills do to make you feel integrated into the team pre lockdown and also as we went into lockdown?
Before my first day at Workthere, Freddie & Cal had already discussed who was in the team, what they do and how my position would work alongside them, which was hugely helpful just introducing myself as I was purely putting names to faces. We went for a team lunch so we could all get to know each other which really expedited the ‘newbie’ learning curve and made me feel at home instantly.
Q: Do you feel that you have had to overcome some major hurdles during this process?
Being in the office for only a week then having to work remotely has definitely been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do.
I was still learning the tricks of the trade, getting to know the team, while also being trained on the various CRM platforms through virtual meetings which were brand new to me.
Q: Has the fact that you spent so little time in the office made you want to get back there quicker?
Although we have worked effectively and efficiently from home , I’m looking forward to getting back to the office to interact with the team in 3D, bounce ideas off one another and collaborate on business moving forward.
Q: Were there any benefits of having team video calls rather than face to face?
I think the team video calls are going to be important moving forward. No-one has the travel time to a meeting. – its instant communication, it utilizes everyone’s time to become more efficient with the work they have to do.
Face to face interaction is still key when it comes to ‘handshaking moments’ but I think a lot of conversations can be done virtually and employees as well as employers will appreciate the time saved.
Q: Do you feel that being so new into the business and then us all going into lockdown gave you opportunities you might not have otherwise had?
The biggest opportunity that’s come from WFH has been the necessity of developing my IT skills – I’ve had to work across a few different platforms, some of which I’ve never had to use before which has been very eye opening.
Exploring the different tools available I can now implement into my day to day conversations with clients and be more effective in pitches.
