Energy & Resources Team Secretary Michelle Riding embraces the flexibility her workplace provides and enjoys the fast-pace of both her role & industry. Arcadis have a passion for improving quality of life, and the supportive nature of the organisation has been pivotal to their success throughout the pandemic. Michelle shared her experience, tenacity and positivity when she sat down to talk with us.
Tell us a bit about yourself, and your role.
I work at Arcadis, a leading global natural and built asset design & consultancy firm. I’m the Team Secretary for the Energy & Resources team. We are a team of 50+ engineers and technicians located in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. I look after everything admin for our business unit as well as managing my very busy Business Leaders’ diary. Every day is different and interesting, and I love it.
What has been your experience with work due to the COVID Pandemic?
Arcadis are a Flex Able Certified Employer, so when the decision to start working from home came, it was an easier transition for me. I was already working from home once a week and had a good space at home set up. Working from home full time has been a wonderful lifestyle shift for me and for everyone in my house.
I am saving 90 minutes a day in commute time each day – I don’t miss standing on a packed bus. At home, I’m preparing good food for lunch, sometimes I fit in a quick workout during lunch or go outside for a walk around the neighbourhood. It’s been really positive for my physical and mental wellbeing. At present, I will continue to work from home. I was back in the office last week to catch up with my Business Leader, it was nice to get out of the house and see the few colleagues who had also gone to the office for the day. It’s important that we don’t lose those personal connections that we had in the office. We are big users of video meetings from our home offices to keep up those connections.
What is the best career advice you have received?
My former boss used to tell me all the time “Ask for what you want. Don’t be afraid to speak up and back yourself. If you never ask, then you won’t receive.”
Describe Majer in three words:
- Personal,
- Professional,
- Dynamic.
Flexible working arrangements help organisations like Arcadis recruit and keep top talent across their industries. Communication must go hand-in-hand with flexibility to keep the team connected, supported and productive. To learn more about leadership and flexibility in the workplace contact Suzie and the Majer Recruitment team on (07) 3253 6565
