The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way that we work and live, and as we seek out new ways to connect, to educate and to get work done, the telecom industry remains critical to all of us - everywhere. In India, the entire country went on strict lockdown almost three months ago. As Radisys India helps enable delivery of Internet and telecom services to Indian subscribers in addition to global subscribers, we were able to apply for and receive a few government issued essential worker passes that would allow some of our employees to come to the office, while the majority of our workforce got creative about working from home. All our R&D Labs, IT and Data Centers infrastructure were made accessible to employees from home within the first two days of the lockdown announcement.
Over the past few months, Radisys India has not only adjusted to the “new normal,” but is actually thriving under these circumstances. Collaborative tools and video conferencing applications have allowed Radisys’ employees in India to enhance professional bonds and create new personal bonds resulting in innovation and opportunities for growth.
Leveraging the tools at hand
Radisys’ primary concern has been and remains the safety and well-being of all employees. We have supplied all Radisys India employees with COVID-19 kits which include sanitizing materials and masks. The majority of our 800 employees in India are working remotely to help flatten the curve while still contributing their crucial skills. In order to support employees working from home, we have ensured that each employee is well-equipped with computing infrastructure at home such as external monitors, keyboard, HD camera, high speed internet access etc., to function in their new work environment. This is especially important for the team members who are balancing working from home and managing their children’s homeschooling. Radisys also provided a UPS (battery powered power supply) to each employee’s home to ensure internet continuity in the event of an electrical outage.
Employees working from home and from the office are leveraging a variety of applications to stay connected with each other. Radisys’ Engage@Work solution has been particularly helpful for our team members utilizing features like the personalized, one-to-one communication channels and engaging with customers through the one-to-many broadcast capabilities.
For those that need to physically be in the office, we have reconfigured the work environment to maintain social distancing with only one employee stationed in pods designed for four people. We have also provided private transportation to reduce our employees’ exposure and to maintain their safety. Additionally, employees in shared living situations were given the opportunity to stay in hotels to lessen the possibility of becoming ill.
We also launched an “Ideathon” initiative where our employees are contributing many new product and business ideas. In many ways, these ideas combining the best and most productive aspects of home, office, school, and entertainment will not only assist with short term business and life continuity, but may facilitate permanent changes in ways we can’t foresee but will be obvious in retrospect.
As we get accustomed to this new normal, Radisys continues to grow and innovate. Over the past two months, about 60 new employees have joined the team. Applicants stood out from all over the country, leading Radisys to interview people using video conferencing tools and applications to check their coding skills in real-time. Many of these new employees have not set foot inside the office but are leveraging remote desktops via the Cloud to onboard with their new teams.
Fortunately, these safety measures have been successful and Radisys’ India office has had zero positive COVID-19 cases thus far. However, even with all these precautions in place, new challenges will continue to arise for employees in every industry. To mitigate these obstacles, Radisys’ Human Resources and IT team hosts a weekly virtual open house meeting for employees to ask questions and share their concerns. Department heads also join these calls to stay informed about any issues and assist their team members. This is just one method of proactive communication that allows our employees to check in with each other and ask for additional support.
Connecting with each other and with our communities
While there have obviously been significant changes to the daily work routine for Radisys’ employees, how we socialize has shifted too, and in ways we had not expected. In lieu of socializing in person, many team members began cooking and eating together on video calls. Through sharing delicious recipes, recommending books and joining virtual happy hours, our employees have bonded in unique ways that would not have occurred before this transition to a primarily online existence. They have virtually met each other’s families and pets, are calling each other on the weekends and creating friendships beyond work relationships.
Our employees have not only grown closer to each other, but to the members of their communities as well. The Radisys India office is well-stocked with food and sanitizing materials, but our employees recognize that not everyone has access to these kinds of supplies. While being driven to work, some of our employees noticed that the traffic police stationed on the roads were on duty for multiple days without going home. A group of our team members participated in distributing food to these individuals and others in need in their communities. We understand that these efforts will not solve the world’s problems overnight, but these small steps are headed in the right direction.
The comradery of Radisys’ employees has become even more evident during these unprecedented circumstances. The bonds and level of innovation that have resulted from the circumstances of this global pandemic are a testament to the resilience of our employees and the power of human connection. When life challenges us, as human beings, we will always seek ways to engage and create meaningful relationships. We do not know what the future holds or how long the pandemic will last, but we do know that Radisys has the tools to stay productive and to connect with each other. And, if we do not have the right tools for the future, we will create them!
