With the announcement of quarantine, more than 90% of IT professionals have started working remotely. How has quarantine affected IT specialists, what problems and challenges did they face, and how to deal with remote at home? We learned about this in iOS Developer in Israel IT, Taras Gural.

• Were you ready for quarantine?
• At first, I didn’t believe at all that this could happen. It seemed to me that the problem itself was too exaggerated, where we are, and where China is! I was surprised how people buy up masks, antiseptics. But when the first outbreaks began in Europe, I realized that it would come to us sooner or later.
• What was the first reaction when the quarantine was announced?
• I remember that I came to the office, we were all gathered and told that we would work from home. Then I was not surprised, it was clear that everything was heading for this. Well, cool! You don’t have to wake up early in the morning to get to work, the work was as it was.

First of all, I began to equip the workplace at home, I had a table, but one more screen was not enough for work, so I had to bring the second one. I thought that the quarantine was not for long, so I worked sitting on a regular kitchen chair, but then I asked for an office chair, it got even better.

Then I also had to adjust the way of life during work, so to speak. I go shopping at night when there are fewer people and there is no need to stand in lines, or even order delivery from the supermarket.

• Has quarantine become a challenge for you?
• At first, everything was fine, there was enough work and I worked as usual, but after two weeks of quarantine, I felt that there was not enough live communication with people. Yes, we have chats where we communicate, and we are on a video call every day. It’s funny when you see that all people have a communication hunger, that there is also the Internet, we all communicate, watch videos, after all, but there is still not enough live communication. But I came up with a way out – every weekend I go fishing in order to somehow change the situation. I tried to start running in the evening, but it didn’t work out, now I want to try again (laughs).

In a way, I was lucky, because I previously had experience working remotely, I worked like this for about a year. Therefore, I knew that if, for example, they do not unsubscribe, then you need to write to all possible chats, also SMS, or even call. The main thing is that there are not many tasks at once, because it is not very cool in the usual mode, and all the rest can be solved online: messages, calls, conferences.

• Do you want to go back to the office?
• Yes! There are not enough people (laughs), I like talking to people, not necessarily about work, but about anything. In the office, as a rule, this is how it works, someone said, others picked up and began discussions about “everything and nothing” at the same time. It’s elementary to go with someone for coffee or tea, in the office you never do it yourself, there is always someone, the same with lunches and snacks. It’s more fun than sitting all the time.
• What do you miss in your daily life and work during quarantine?
• From everyday life I miss the cinemas, I went to the cinema very often, but now everything is closed and where will you go? And more karaoke! I miss karaoke, I really don’t know how to sing, but that worries me the least (laughs).

I miss the office at work! When you come to the office, then you have a clear understanding – here is work, when you come home – rest. And here, you are at work and on vacation at the same time, it is difficult to get used to.

• What will you do first when you come to the office again?
• I will get to know the newcomers personally because many new specialists came during the quarantine and I will make myself a coffee from a coffee machine (laughs).
• What are your findings on quarantine and remote?
• You can live and work! But it has become much more difficult to do, indeed, there is a feeling of isolation. For example, my working mood jumps – today I want to work, but tomorrow I don’t. This was not the case in the office, because everyone around is working and you are working. And you also have to get out with food – breakfasts, lunches, in the office everything was solved easier – you just go to a cafe, or buy ready-made in the supermarket, now, you need to cook yourself more often.

Now I just understand that I cannot influence the situation globally, but I can stay at home, no matter how trite it sounds. Everyone needs to be patient and adapt to the conditions that exist!

So, remote should be accepted as a temporary phenomenon that will end sooner or later, we know for sure that quarantine is easier to survive when a company takes care of its specialists. Israel IT provided each employee with the necessary equipment, tables and chairs to make the transition to the remote as comfortable as possible, we took care of the delivery of all the necessary things to the home of each employee. It is important for us to know that employees perform their duties in the convenient conditions and are always happy to help in case of questions and problems!