Greetings from the home office - Episode 25: Jonas Eliassen, Dentsu Aegis Network Switzerland

Jonas Eliassen, currently Chief Commercial Officer at Dentsu Aegis Network Switzerland, previously Managing Director of Carat Switzerland. He has worked in the communications industry for over 20 years, 10 of them as a member of the management board.

Werbewoche.ch: How long have you been in the home office?

Jonas Eliassen: Six weeks ago, we decided to move all employees and activities to the home office and switch to remote working.

Is your entire company in a home office?

With a few exceptions, all employees work from home. At the Zurich site on Kanzleistrasse, depending on the day, between three and five of over 80 people spend the day or part of the day in the office, of course strictly adhering to the FOPH's safety regulations, which is no problem given the available space.

Did you face any technical problems when setting up your workstation back then?

No, that hasn't caused any problems. The digital workplace was part of our everyday life even before the coronavirus crisis, both as an international group of companies and as an agency with five locations across Switzerland.

Where have you set up?

For the many virtual meetings, I have set up a corner in our bedroom where I can work undisturbed and away from any noise. For everything else, I use the workspace in the living room, less often the kitchen table or, on nice days like today, mainly our garden.

What all do you need to be able to do your job?

Time to listen, ideas to make progress and a sense of humor, because it's easier to laugh. Plus the technical infrastructure - internet connection, laptop, smartphone and software - my professional experience and, above all, our people in the teams, without whom nothing would work.

Is it difficult to separate yourself enough when the children are at home?

It was actually not easy at the beginning. Our daughter is 20 months old. Making her understand that although I'm at home, I can't be with her all day was no easy task for either of us. It helped that my wife is not working at the moment, and when you have such a great mommy as a child who is there for you all day, then dad can sometimes withdraw unnoticed.

Do you have home office experience or is this a first?

Even before the lockdown, I was already working from home for a day every two weeks or so, so the workplace as such was already routine. The longer period of time and the fact that the whole family is also at home during this time was new.

Which processes are difficult compared to the normal everyday life of an agency?

The defined processes run as usual, there are no difficulties. We have systematized the informal exchange among each other to a greater extent because this can no longer take place spontaneously in the office. This was accepted and implemented effortlessly by all employees and teams from day one. A strong performance from everyone, and without having practiced beforehand. We have even moved our drinks receptions to the virtual space.

Which jobs go smoothly?

I am not aware of any case where we were unable to continue working as usual. We have even taken part in virtual pitches and acquired customers that we have never met in person.

Is there anything that even works easier or more productively in the home office?

I find it easier to think when I'm undisturbed. I can also find a place to retreat to at the agency, but I can often work in a more concentrated manner for longer periods in my home office. And my working hours are even more flexible, which also increases productivity.

What do they do about the ceiling falling on your head?

I work in the garden or walk a few steps while I'm on the phone.

Has something like home office jitters started to set in for you?

No, not yet. But I'm already looking forward to when things return to normal.

What do you miss most about the physical workday?

I miss being together the most. For all my fascination with the possibilities of digital technologies, none of them can replace a conversation in a group of people who are all physically present.

Are you confident that your agency will come through the crisis unscathed?

Yes, that's me. In financial terms, we probably won't get away without bruises. How big they will be remains to be seen. That depends heavily on how the pandemic progresses and the measures adopted by governments. On the other hand, there is a lot that we can take with us from this time into the future: we can see where we stand as a digital society, what benefits new technologies bring us, where they are already being used in a meaningful or profitable way and in which areas there is still a need to catch up. This insight is more valuable for us as a company in the long term than the - hopefully - short-term economic losses.

As we all know, everything has its positive sides. What is it in your current home office situation?

No commute and more flexible planning of working hours, leaving more time for the family. I love it! We eat lunch together, go for walks in the woods and play in the garden. It's really nice.

When and why did you last laugh in connection with the home office?

This afternoon, when a colleague's camera froze while his cell phone fell out of his hands. The look on his face in the still image of the camera still makes me laugh. The cell phone survived unscathed, by the way.

Even if you don't have a crystal ball: Do you expect the current situation to continue for a long time?

As the Federal Council has now announced what the gradual return to normality could look like, I hope that we as a company will also be able to slowly but surely return to our usual office routine from May 11. Presumably gradually, but steadily.

What would you like to give your colleagues in the industry to take with them through the crisis?

Nothing has ever demonstrated more impressively how important functioning communication is for our society. I think this will be one of the lasting impressions from this time. That makes me confident about the future of the communications industry.