All around the world, Oracle offices are getting back to normal. It’s an exciting time with many people returning after almost two years away from their usual workplaces. There are challenges ahead in this new hybrid world, but thanks to Oracle technology and teamwork, we’re ready.
Now, it’s more important than ever to work together to cultivate a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusion, no matter where we are.
Reconnecting
Colleagues in Singapore are already ahead of the curve having started their return earlier this year. Oracle Singapore’s managing director, Horng Shya Chua, was impressed by the enthusiasm that she saw.
“The energy is super high. For the past 1.5 years I’ve been doing just Zoom calls, occasionally we met up with colleagues for coffee, but now, I can feel the excitement in everybody.”
But first things first: “There’s great coffee down at The Pantry. The first thing I’m going to do is get a cup of coffee and set up my office. I’m so excited to welcome everybody back.”
Reconnecting with colleagues and enjoying the small things was a common theme during the reopening. “It feels good to be back. The team is really excited,” shares NetSuite JAPAC’s KK Pan. Others were enthusiastic about finally getting face-to-face for casual questions and problem-solving.
Regional Managing Director for ASEAN and SAGE, Ying Loong Chin, sees the potential of a new hybrid model—once everybody has gotten used to it.
“Some people will be online, and some folks will be in the office and how do we make sure meetings run smoothly?” he asks. “That’s a little bit of an adjustment everybody needs to do. We do have the technology to do these hybrid meetings—all will be back to business as usual.”
Zooms to rooms
This will also be the first time many new joiners meet their teams in-person. Going from Zoom calls to sitting in the same room is a big moment. CX Consultant, Edward Garibay is already feeling at home at the Waterfront Campus in Austin, Texas.
“It was exciting to meet some of my peers whom I’ve only virtually connected with and experience what the company culture is all about,” Edward shares.
“Plus, happy hour on Rainey with our Boomsauce team was lit! It feels great to be a part of it all.”
In South America, President of Oracle Brazil, Alexandre Maioral has given a warm welcome to Generation Oracle newcomers. Energy is high with many of the interns experiencing life in big tech for the first time ever.
At your own pace
We’ve all had a long time to adjust to the effects of a worldwide pandemic. Lots of us have changed our routines, created home workspaces, and adapted to whatever has come our way. We thrived when things were at their toughest. It’s something to be proud of. That’s why the return to Oracle offices continues to be completely voluntary.
Flexible working has always been part of the Oracle approach, but now we have a chance to supercharge our work practices by thinking hybrid. As well as more personal flexibility and better work-life balance, hybrid also offers increased productivity and higher levels of engagement. Good news for everybody, especially parents.
We’ve known this for a while and have put a strong focus on building skills for remote and hybrid work environments. Part of this has been encouraging new ways of thinking where our people are trusted to reach their goals without a lot of supervision.
Teambuilding without limits
Thinking remote first doesn’t mean that you can’t have great team dynamics. In fact, having a geographically diverse team offers some unique opportunities for team bonding. Rather than focusing on once-off get-togethers, there’s now a chance to cultivate year-round sharing with newsletters, dedicated Slack channels and virtual events.
There are also still lots of opportunities to meet up and collaborate. Ultimately, it’s all about having more options, not less. This sort of hybrid thinking was especially visible during our April volunteer month. As well as organizing local clean-ups, Oracle volunteers also took part in digital clean-ups where they tackled digital waste like old files on cloud servers.
It’s hybrid volunteering for a hybrid workplace, and a real sign of things to come.
Do you want to be part of a global hybrid team at the cutting-edge of collaboration? Check out our latest openings and come create the future with us.