Imagine waking up steps from the ocean and taking a quick snorkel among the coral reefs before opening your laptop and connecting with your team. The Workshop’s Talent Acquisition Manager, Sara Ponce, did just that when she took advantage of our Work from Anywhere benefit.
Hi, my name is Sara and I’m a TA professional based in The Workshop’s Málaga office. I’ve been with the company for almost two years now and have enjoyed every minute. Apart from rewarding work and great colleagues, I’ve loved making use of the unique benefits The Workshop has to offer.
Most recently, I took advantage of the company’s Work from Anywhere scheme, which gives employees the chance to travel to another part of the world for up to four weeks while working remotely. It’s a great way to inject some culture and fun into your year without taking a full holiday from work.
Years ago, I travelled abroad to Asia and totally fell in love with the region. Since then, I’ve been eagerly awaiting any opportunity to go back and explore the area further. So, when The Workshop implemented the Work from Anywhere benefit, I immediately knew where I wanted to go! I quickly started planning to travel to Thailand for an extended stay, so that I’d really be able to immerse myself in the local culture and get to know the people and area better – all while keeping up-to-date with my normal work schedule.
During my trip, I moved between a few different Thai islands, so I often ended up working from a different location every day. Wherever my laptop was, I could work, which made things pretty exciting. Sometimes that was in my hotel room, other times it was a poolside terrace or a local co-working space. My team made it easy for me to manage the time zone difference, accommodating for the fact that my work day ended slightly before theirs.
Speaking of schedules, mine was incredible: I would often wake up and watch the sunrise from the beach near my hotel, then go for a walk and swim to start the day before logging in just before lunchtime to get down to business.
I loved the fact that before my colleagues were even awake, I’d already had the chance to go snorkelling among baby sharks and colourful corals, or done a bit of volunteering with local friends. Plus, it was useful to be able to concentrate my early working hours on getting independent tasks accomplished before my team signed on to start their day. And because I was having such amazing experiences, I feel like I was able to bring really positive energy to the team when we connected.
This experience was extremely fulfilling and, after a hectic and productive Q1, it was great to feel like I was taking a holiday even while continuing to work. Plus, it felt amazing to boost my personal skills while I was over there – for instance, I learned how to cook authentic dishes like pad thai, spring rolls and a delicious yellow curry.
The Workshop’s culture of collaboration through hybrid work is super unique, creating a spirit of connection, but also flexibility. Benefits like Work from Anywhere really nourish that sense of balance. I’m already thinking about my next destination! But until then, I’m happy to be back in the Málaga office, together with my lovely team.
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