I joined Fresh Gravity in September 2021, right in the middle of the 2nd wave of the pandemic. While I had been working as a freelancer for clients in the US and India for over a year, this was my first full-time job that was remote.  

In previous interactions with clients as a freelancer, the nature of the job was purely transactional. I would either get an email or we would connect over Zoom to discuss the scope of the work and that was that. There wasn’t anything personal and honestly, I felt zero sense of connection or allegiance towards them. In a rapidly changing world fueled by competition and filled with uncertainty, it is hard to build a sense of connection and that becomes 100 times harder when you are working remotely and have never entered the office space or met your manager and colleagues in person. 

I came to Fresh Gravity with the same mindset. Having zero expectations for it to be anything more than purely transactional. But, boy, was I wrong! 

Here is why: 

Made to feel valued – Within my first week of joining, I received a welcome basket. While you may think this is a no brainer and that a lot of firms today do this and there are statistics that indicate corporate gifting is on the rise¹, for me it was a first and it made me feel special and valued 

Appreciation from seniors – At Fresh Gravity, I have always been acknowledged for the work I do. I remember my first Zoom interaction with one of the leadership team members who told me that our CEO had spoken to him about me and was happy that I had joined the team. From then till now I have had multiple instances of being lauded for my work and work ethic and I genuinely believe that it is precisely this type of environment, leadership, and mentorship that drives me to do better 

“Social 5” – Sometimes, before starting an internal meeting, we take 5 minutes to check in and chat about our weekend plans or anything new happening in life. This is what I like to call “Social 5”. On days with excessive workload, this 5-minute conversation feels so refreshing

Tribes that align with your vibe – We have Slack groups for artists, foodies, fitness enthusiasts, personal finance and more – basically name a thing of interest outside of work, and you will probably find your niche tribe within the firm. These groups have given me (and I am sure others like me) a chance to connect with each other on a holistic level

Personalization – I attended my first off-site meeting in December 2022 where I met the people, I had been interacting with for over a year. Everyone got a Beats speaker and chocolates as gifts and since I am vegan, I gave my chocolates to another colleague. But one of my colleagues from HR had specially ordered vegan chocolates for me and had he not done that, it honestly would not have mattered but because he did, it really warmed the cockles of my heart and made me feel extremely grateful. So, what I am trying to say is that it really comes down to the little things

To me, loyalty is a two-way street where, as an employee, I have a genuine concern for the well-being of my colleagues and my company, and at the same time, my company fosters a supportive and rewarding environment for me and other employees. I believe Fresh Gravity has flawlessly exemplified this principle. Like Maya Angelou rightly said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”  I am grateful that at Fresh Gravity, I have always felt heard, seen, and made to believe that I am an integral part of our work family. 

If you’re someone who values loyalty and are looking to join a company that values its employees, send us your CVs @ careers@freshgravity.com  

¹https://www.offineeds.com/corporate-gifting-statistics/ 

The post Fostering Employee Loyalty in a Hybrid Work Environment – a POV appeared first on Fresh Gravity.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. While Diwali has a deep religious, social, and cultural significance, there are also precious lessons from the Diwali spirit that we can all learn as professionals.

Go Clean

Deep cleaning your home/physical spaces for Diwali is an age-old tradition. An annual cleaning exercise is done by the majority celebrating Diwali as cleanliness signifies letting go of what doesn’t work/serve you well and making space for the new.

Applying this thought to your professional work, think about what you can clean up from your career. This could be cleaning up the data in your phones, laptops, and other gadgets. This could also mean cleaning up your work profiles and resumes to represent the best of what you bring to the table in line with the promise of the future. You can also look at cleaning up your professional contacts/connections.

Let’s Upskill

As Diwali symbolizes knowledge over ignorance, this is a good time to invest in doing a critical skill audit of your work profile. Do take the time to look at what skills are relevant in the market based on your current profile and future aspirations. Next draw up a personal action plan for re-skilling or upskilling to be future-ready, have a competitive advantage, and ensure career advancement.

Say Yes to Networking

Diwali celebrations are about spending quality time with family and friends. Everyone makes the time to wish dear ones, catch up with close ones and re-connect with special people from the past.

Likewise, this is also a good time to build and nurture professional relationships. This can lead to new thinking and perspectives, access to valuable resources, career opportunities, and support systems that may help you navigate your professional journey better.

Dress to Impress

Another important aspect of Diwali is around dressing up. Typically, most people wear clean new and traditional attires. In addition, keeping up with the festive cheer, there is a lot of new age styling and experimentation in fashion!

Professionally, this can be an opportunity to re-look at your wardrobe and possibly invest in good business wear. This could be in terms of buying new clothes and styling existing clothes to make the right impression in work settings. While the definition of business attire can vary depending on the industry, company, and its culture, its significance is multifold –

• Confidence: Dressing professionally can boost self-confidence. When you feel good about how you look, you are likely to feel more self-assured, which can positively impact your performance.
• Productivity: Wearing appropriate professional attire can help you get into a professional mindset. If you stay in your pajamas all day, you are likely to feel lazy, similarly if you dress professionally, you’re likely to feel professional which might help you focus on your tasks more.
• Professional Growth: In many industries, dressing professionally is a part of the overall grooming and presentation that is expected for career growth. It can open doors to promotions and new opportunities. (The movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is a great example of this.)

Exchange gifts 

Gifting is another important aspect of Diwali. As per tradition, it is customary to exchange sweets, dry fruits and/or home décor gifts to near and dear ones. This is a symbol of gratitude, love and appreciation for their presence and significance in your life.

In the work context, if you are wondering what to gift to your work colleagues, here are a few suggestions. You can gift a compliment to someone for work well done, gift a Thank you to someone for helping you, gift your time to someone who needs an ear to listen to their ideas/problems or stories, or even gift an online course to someone for their professional learning and development.

On that note, wishing you and your loved ones a very HAPPY DIWALI. We hope this Diwali you take the time to celebrate with family and friends as well as set aside some time to think about how you can sparkle your career with the festive cheer of Diwali!

The post Diwali Spirit To Light Up Your Career appeared first on Fresh Gravity.