Uncharted Terrain: Lessons Learned Onboarding During a Pandemic

Photo: enFocus Fellow, Nimoy Vaidya reaches out for a "virtual lunch" during social distancing brought on by efforts to curb the coronavirus.

Jamison Edwards shares his experience starting his enFocus Fellowship during Covid-19 crisis

When I was originally offered the opportunity to join the team at enFocus, I was grateful, a bit nostalgic, and ready to begin my new journey. Then, I saw the start date: March 9, 2020. My excitement quickly turned into nervous energy. How was I going to be able to present myself to my new leadership team, coworkers, neighbors, and the community at large when I was busy researching, building, and revising my perfect bracket? After all, this was my year! Unfortunately, my exaggerated fears never came to fruition.

Now, living in what feels like a different world than the one in which I accepted this role, I feel like I am finally beginning to adjust to my new reality. During my job search process, a mentor told me that they never leave an interview without asking, "will you tell me about your culture. Will you tell me how it's demonstrated?" In my experience, the first answer was always pretty straightforward. However, hesitancy often ensued for the latter. At enFocus, it seemed simple. It's transparent. It's collaborative. It's well-intentioned. But how is it demonstrated? From personal experience, I can tell you it is inviting the new guy that you've never met to eat lunch with you. Even if you're eating different food in different rooms and awkwardly talking to a computer screen, it matters!

Looking back on my first few weeks at enFocus, I can say that it is much, much different than I imagined. Next time I go to the office, there's a good chance I am going to have to use my GPS. It's been a while. Selfishly, I wish our office never closed. I wish I had to challenge myself not to watch March Madness at work all day. That's not the reality. The reality is I am in a new city, at a new job, and, along with everyone else, facing a new set of challenges. So be it. I'm going to continue taking everything in stride. At enFocus, I have found a supportive team to assist me, from a distance, every step of the way.