Jun 2022
After several months spent working from home, most of us are well acquainted with the opportunities afforded by the remote dynamic. Whether it be increased productivity, flexible hours, or the freedom to put a wash on between meetings – even its most fervent doubters realize that hybrid work is here to stay.
In a recent survey of full-time remote workers, 90% felt that they were as productive or even more productive when working remotely. Of those interviewees, 84% reported that working remotely after the pandemic would make them happier.
We’ve been supporting remote working since long before the Covid pandemic. In fact, some of our colleagues in the Research & Insights team have worked from home since 2009. We reached out to learn more about their experience of working remotely.
Learn from Angela Gaffney, Hayley Walton and Angela Sormani as they discuss how they work remotely, but remain connected to Preqin and their colleagues.
Creating flexible workspaces
Angela Gaffney joined Preqin in 2013 as a semi-remote Research Associate on the Performance team. In her nine years at Preqin, she has found that a flexible position perfectly suited her needs.
“Working for Preqin gave me an opportunity I wouldn’t necessarily have had living on the Isle of Wight. My manager, and senior leadership, were supportive of my career development, even though I’m working from home.”
In the post-pandemic world, many of Angela’s colleagues have joined the hybrid working model. “Since COVID, the face of work has changed enormously. Most people work from home at least part of the week – and that creates a fantastic sense of solidarity,” comments Angela.
Hayley Walton joined Preqin in 2012 on a part-time basis, also working from home. She had just had her second child, and at that point in her life was a military wife, she frequently found herself moving to new locations. Despite a self-proclaimed love for the industry, her unique living situation made it very difficult to find a flexible and supportive role.
Hayley spent many hours looking for a suitable position before she found a data input role at Preqin on the performance team, and she has since advanced to become Associate Vice President, then on the Hedge Fund Managers team. As she put it, “working remotely allows me to balance a career and a family.”
As a Senior Research Associate on the institutional investor team, Angela Sormani has been working remotely at Preqin for 7 years. With three children, one of whom has complex educational needs, it was essential for Angela to find the right balance between work and being a parent.
Angela’s colleagues have been more than happy to accommodate her priorities as a working mother. “My managers at Preqin have all fully supported the fact that I need to be present for my family, and trusted that I can get work done in my own time if necessary.”
Staying connected
We know how important it is to provide opportunities to collaborate and connect – and especially so for remote colleagues in exceptional or unique circumstances. To this end, we have always worked hard to empower our teams with industry leading tools, technologies, and policies.
Like Angela Gaffney, Hayley feels that the recent shift in the working world has made remote workers feel even more connected – especially at a business like Preqin. “I feel as though Preqin are pioneers in homeworking. With all meetings, seminars, or courses, there’s normally a Zoom option, and that really helps me to stay connected.”
While online collaboration is critical to creating connected and harmonious teams, the value of in-person activities shouldn’t be overlooked. Be it for work or recreation, at Preqin, we always aim to provide plenty of opportunities for teams to meet and build even stronger connections.
In Angela Sormani’s case, this included a recent team social, where some colleagues met for the very first time. “I recently went on a wonderful social where I caught up with colleagues after months of lockdown. Not only was it great to socialize, it was also a fantastic opportunity to learn about new developments across the business and its wider teams.”
Redefining our workplace
No matter the nature of our teams’ work dynamic – be it full-time in the office, hybrid, or completely remote – Preqin aims to provide opportunities for all of its team members to professionally grow and advance their career. As Angela Sormani puts it, “my managers have always made it clear that the opportunity to advance is there for when I’m ready.”
While the world of work continues to evolve, one thing that remains consistent is the prevailing sense of community and teamwork that connects us at Preqin. In the case of Preqin’s remote researchers, these connections are built on a shared commitment to an exceptional standard of collaboration, industry insight, and professional development.
With a strong hybrid global model, Preqin is currently hiring for a number of new remote research roles. To learn more, take a look at the Research Development Representative role.
To learn more about our company and culture, go to the main Careers page.
Want to know what it is like to be part of the Research & Insights Team? Click here.