Interview: HR Director, Donna Kelly, speaks with EGR about our recent changes to the way we work
The Coronavirus pandemic has undeniably caused major upheavals in all aspects of our lives. Such unprecedented times has forced us to rethink the way we live and work, and adapting in order to keep going has never been more important.
The effect on both businesses and mental health has been extremely significant, and at Push Gaming, we have been doing all that we possibly can to keep everyone’s spirits lifted, as well as continuing on with our work .
Our HR Director, Donna Kelly, recently spoke with EGR about what things have been like for us during this time. We have been fortunate enough to be able to work almost uninterrupted during this difficult time, however a lot of planning and organising has been going on behind the scenes in order to keep things going as smoothly as possibly, whilst also caring for everyone’s mental health.
Read on to learn more about what we have been doing during this time, as well as how we have decided to give back to all those who are doing such important work to keep everyone safe.
This feature is part of a larger article with other key names in our industry, that can be read here.
Supplier Push Gaming has been keeping team spirit high while giving back to local communities by organising a range of events. The company has organised a variety of keep-fit activities such as HIIT and strength classes and a games night during the week for team members to sign up to. For every person who joins or participates, Push Gaming in turn continues to donate a fixed amount.
The first £1,000 was immediately donated in cash in April to St. Barts’ Charity, which allocates funds directly to NHS staff who are working on the frontline, providing them with accommodation, hot meals, free pop-up supermarkets and various other methods of support.
With a target goal of raising £10,000, all funds raised so far have been donated in either cash to support groups, or in care packages to local medical teams.
A 5K running challenge was organised across the three locations where its teams are based in Malta, London and Lviv. “As well as raising £3,500, it proved a great way to beat the Covid calories as a team as well as the added incentive to ‘compete’ on the best time,” says Donna Kelly, HR director at Push Gaming.
While the wellbeing of their staff has always been important, Push Gaming realised a brand new approach was needed during the crisis.
I think internal support networks have been essential for companies and we’ve certainly been able to develop ours during the lockdown. We’ve placed emphasis on reaching out to everyone to see how they are coping and feeling, and we do everything we can to offer support
“Frequent group and one-to-one meetings have worked well, as well as the online activities that we have on tap for our staff, and we’ve had good feedback from our teams. We’ve learned a lot during this process and will look to be applying that experience moving forward,” Kelly adds.
Twice a week, Push Gaming organises voluntary meditation sessions using the Headspace app. Once the session is complete, each member of the team takes a few minutes to discuss how they felt before, during and after the session, as well as discussing the benefits they felt after the previous session.
To keep staff socialising, each month there’s a drink and draw after-hours creative session where the team can catch up while showing off their artistic skills through drawing, animation or sculpting.
In addition, to keep learning and development going, regular training sessions have also been provided to focus on topics such as anti-money laundering and IT safety.
