IBEC wants to stay connected. Connected with you and connected to society
As you might know, IBEC has adapted in the last weeks its actions in order to help to find internal and external solutions to the current health crisis. We have been working to assure your safety but also have been trying to contribute to stop coronavirus with the best we have: Bioengineering, Science and a strong Will.
But in this special feature of “Inside IBEC”, we want to tell you the story from the point of view of one of the departments which has been also working very intensively, together with all the other support units, to keep everyone save and connected: Human Resources Team. Its story has probably many coincidences with your situation, some of the other aspects might be, nevertheless new and surprising to you.
Human resources in times of coronavirus
These days the Human Resources teams is not holding their meetings in person while drinking the first cup of coffee, nor welcoming the new IBECERS to our facilities as usual. Now, the HR team meets virtually every day at 4PM, you know, adapt or perish.
A lot of things are going on these days and things are changing so fast, so keeping a good record of what is going on is essential. That is what the HR team does, they keep us updated and also try to give us tips to get through the quarantine, following their motto «People First». As you might have seen, anything new that might come up related to Covid-19 is automatically uploaded at the intranet and also sent to you via email. The HR team uploads in the Ibecnet Covid-19 related protocols, news and tips to work from home and maintain mental health. They are also in charge of managing the situation when a person reports having symptoms compatible with covid-19.
Apart from continuing with the regular tasks, the welcome sessions for the new incorporations, all the recruitment processes and interviews are online and, moreover, they are also giving answer to all the doubts that might come up these days as fast as they can. As mentioned before, some people need to go to the lab, so they are also in charge of providing them with a safeguard. Meanwhile, the Core Facilities Unit is organised in morning shifts to assure one person is physically present at Helix Building, so that the people who need to work in the lab, have everything they need and work in safe conditions.
The HR team has launched support measures during confinement to help people adapt to change:
- Mentoring to IBEC team leaders to learn new skills on how to support their team
- Mentoring to the IBEC community with sessions of 1h approx. on how to handle uncertainty or how to have a constructive mindset in this coronavirus crisis. The first sessions are taking place next 7th , 9th , 14th and 16th April.
The health and safety issues are a priority, so that much efforts are dedicated on preventive measures to mitigating people risks and securing a safe work environament for those who are these days working in the IBEC facilities.
But what is most important it’s to keep our mental health. It’s important to keep our minds busy and manage our emotions. That’s why, together with HR, we wanted to share this short list of tips. Yes, we know, you might have read plenty of advices, inspiring quotes… so we couldn’t be an exception 😉
Tips for you during confinement
- Make a schedule! It doesn’t have to be a strict one or an 8-to-5 PM work. Each of us are different and we all have different home situations, maybe you have to take care of your kids, or take care of someone who is ill, or maybe you live on your own, but it’s good to have a personal routine! 😉
- Close down browser tabs and apps: It drains brain resources. Every time you glance at that open tab, you think, “I have to get back to that”, and you can get distracted. When you finish the work on a subject or task, close the tab. This also applies for social media.
- If you find it difficult to concentrate (kids, parents, noisy neighbours…) maybe you can listen to some concentration music. Put on your headphones and enter to another dimension!
- Keep in touch with your teammates! It’s important to see fresh faces although it’s through a screen. You can also do some networking! Try to find people who is working on your field to try and find future collaborations or to get new information or ideas! Get in touch with people you worked in the past to check on them too!
- Make time for a little bit of exercise! Even if it’s just 20 minutes! There are so many Youtube video routines that we can practice at home! Keeping the body active is very important and it also helps to keep our minds “stress-free” for a while.
- Read! Either a book, a magazine or literacy of your research field! It’s a good time to read all that amount of books we have in our libraries. Also, it’s important to read articles that can give us a new scope in our research, new ideas, new experiments, latest research and innovation in our field…!
- Organize your work done so far! Put your papers and pc folders in order, file those documents that have been there for ages. Also, organise and prioritize your pending work!
- Write! New project proposals, an article, any new idea you want to share with your team. Now it’s a perfect time to place your ideas in order and put them on paper.
- Think and remember to yourself and your people that we are doing the right thing staying at home.
- Find moments to disconnect and respect them, even if it’s just ten minutes. It’s important to take short breaks to re-charge the batteries!
#IBECPEOPLESTAYCONNECTED INITIATIVE
The Communication Unit has launched a social initiative in order to keep IBEC People a little bit more connected. So, if you want to share your pictures at home or at the lab with everyone, you can also post them on social networks under the hashtag #IBECPeopleStayConnected and tagging @IBECBarcelona and we will repost them.
