In these unprecedented times, our primary working arrangements have shifted to remote work which has curtailed our opportunities for social interactions. New employees did not get the opportunity to meet their colleagues in real life, and old colleagues reminisce about the days of water cooler talk. To keep the fun and team spirit alive, Workato APJ rolled out the ‘My Workato Buddy’ initiative to encourage our colleagues to ask each other out with a simple “Will you be my Workato Buddy?”. They can choose to either go for a meal or activity in real life, all expenses covered by Workato! In this feature, join us as we travel across the APJ region to hear from our teams about their experience!
India
“Sriram and I knew each other before this meet up only as colleagues but during this meet, we ended up finding out so much more about each other! We’ve already decided to meet at least once a month since we live close by.”
–Vasanth Chakravarthi, Solutions Consultant
Having grown up in the same city, the two buddies connected over culture, food, and also discovered their common interest in badminton. Talking about anything under the sun, they found out so much about each other, like how Sriram volunteers to teach Mathematics and English to grade 8 and 9 students in his spare time, and how Vasanth has travelled to at least 14 middle eastern countries!
Singapore
“I am so grateful for our team synergy, and meeting my teammates in person really cemented that. We had a great time out together. Thank you People Ops team for this initiative!”
–Effie Tan, Content Writer & Strategist
From the sunny island of Singapore, meet Prapim, Effie, and Miranda. Despite working in the same team, the three ladies only got the opportunity to meet each other in person during this meetup. Bonding over delicious Japanese food, the group found out some fun facts about each other: Miranda and Effie both come from TeoChew and Peranakan heritage, Effie doesn’t eat spicy food but loves a good bowl of tom yum soup, and Prapim’s favourite Korean actor is the beloved Goblin, Gong Yoo!
Philippines
“Janine and Cess are so fun to be around! It was really nice to have such down time with them, especially after going through Typhoon Rai.”
-Grace Villamero, Operations Assistant
Setting sail to the Pearl of The Orient, meet Janine, Grace, and Cess from the Philippines! Having recently experienced the devastation of Typhoon Rai, the trio were grateful to have found comfort and support in each other through this meetup. Apart from living in the same city, Cebu, the group discovered that they were all pet lovers. Janine has a cat and Cess has a dog! Striking hearty conversations over good food, they have learned more about each other beyond just being colleagues.
Australia
“I am really grateful for how welcoming David and Siddarth are, always making sure everyone feels a part of the team.”
–Jeremy Appleyard, Solutions Architect (Presales)
To the land down under, let’s find out more about this group of buddies who share a love for… dumplings! Meet Jeremy, David, and Siddarth, the three buddies who bonded over their passion for food. Being big fans of spicy food, David and Siddarth took this opportunity to introduce Jeremy to the fiery world of spice—a challenge he valiantly took on and gladly enjoyed! Having already gone on subsequent meetups, these three have definitely broken the ice and become best pals. We’re so looking forward to their next food adventure!
Japan
“This was a really nice time for us to all get together to know each other better.”
–Yuki Shimizu, Solutions Consultant (Presales)
Rounding up our Workato Buddy experiences, let’s head to Japan. Meet Yuri, Yuki, Tomomichi, and Keiko! Due to current COVID-19 safety restrictions in Japan, the foursome had to meet virtually instead, but this did not dampen their spirits. After work hours, the group met for a relaxed drink session and discovered they all loved travelling…to Wine Country! We hope that when the restrictions loosen, they will finally be able to catch up in person.
