Life is full of uncertainties, but two things are certain: the pandemic caused widespread change and transition in our lives. WeTransfer's culture thrives on togetherness, whether in-person or online. Our environments play a big role in our creative culture, and in the past three years, we've adapted our ways of working to be fully hybrid, and we've found that connection can happen anywhere – whether it's in Amsterdam, Portland, Scotland, or Portugal.
We’re so proud of the way we work that we asked a few of our colleagues if they’d let us into their lovely homes to capture the spaces and places they inhabit on a daily basis. They all tidied their desks for us too, which was nice of them.
Photography by Tom van Huissteede
Alessio Puddu, Amsterdam
First up, meet Alessio. Hailing from sunny (don’t you forget it) Italy, Alessio is an Advertising Sales Director here at WeTransfer. Day to day, he manages our tech and SaaS verticals. Alessio splits his time working from our Amsterdam office, and his apartment in the eastern part of the city.
Do you have any daily rituals that you enjoy when working from your own place?
“I used to love taking a cold shower in the morning, and it’s something that I’m able to do again working from home. I can do it mid morning, not right after breakfast—I’d die if I tried that. It’s something that I love doing, it really shapes my day for the better.
Here in Amsterdam my main hobby is also Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Working from home gives me time (actual time) to do this.”
When you’re in the office, you’re spending most of the daylight hours inside. But when you work from home you can go for a walk, you can sit on the balcony when it's sunny—you can really catch the sun and follow it everywhere it goes.
What has flexible working given you time for?
“If I compare myself when I go into the office, maybe once or twice a week, compared to when I’m at home, I’d say I’m quite a bit more productive. There’s no peer pressure of starting at 9 and finishing at 5—especially in a city like Amsterdam where it’s the norm to finish work at 5 pm. Sometimes I need to work longer (that’s the nature of my job) but I noticed that when I did stay later in the office, I’d feel a bit bad—kind of lonely. But at home, I don’t feel the outward pressure of anyone else’s schedule. I don't feel guilty if I need to start to work at 10, because my brain is set up to start to work at 10 instead of eight o'clock, you know?
I also play guitar, and something that I noticed is that I use breaks in such a different way here at home. I love talking with colleagues, don’t get me wrong, but at home when you take a break it really is a break. My brain totally switches off, and sometimes I’ll play a bit of guitar.”
Ciara O’ Shea, Amsterdam
Ciara is a Senior Creative Producer at WeTransfer, spending (most of) her time working from her bright and cozy flat in De Pijp, Amsterdam, and the rest from our Amsterdam office.
How has working from home shifted your idea of ‘home’?
“I was really excited to document my home, because this is my first apartment by myself and I’ve been quite surprised finding out what my taste is. I would have thought when I first moved into my apartment that I’d have gravitated towards blacks and browns and greys and beiges, but the first thing I bought was this bright red dresser—I was totally enamoured with colour. So it’s been nice working from here.
When I moved here, it was May or June of the pandemic and so I knew I'd have to set up something akin to a small working space. I really wanted to make sure that I still had corners of the apartment that were dedicated to other things. I don't actually read in this [points behind] corner, which is funny, but it’s just in my mind that this is my corner where my books are. And then I have another corner where my piano and my keyboard and guitar are. So I kind of liked that there were segments for me, that made me feel like if I turned the corner, there was something different. I think compartmentalizing was really good for me, especially when I'm working from home. I’m sure everyone feels (or felt the same), wanting to create a space that feels like they're not just living and breathing work.”
Working hybrid has helped me find a natural rhythm for me. It's been really nice to figure this out for myself—and it's nice that WeTransfer actually gives us the space to do that.
What does a day in the life of look like for you?
“It looks messy as you see it now, but there’s a little kitchen table in the corner there. I usually sit in that chair, and the sun comes in and hits it which is nice. I usually start my day there, with a coffee, or sometimes I’ll chill on the sofa. It’s definitely something I find myself doing—sitting down in the morning with coffee, for an hour with a book, or having my lunch working at the table. I like to switch things up often, too. I used to have a totally different work space but now I find I like it better. I had this monitor, over there in the corner, that was very 2020 work from home vibes, you know? I think it’s better now.”
Check out more tales of creativity from our people at home.
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