Good Times, Stronger Bonds: The Heart of RareJob’s Events
Employee JournalsI began my journey with RareJob in 2015 as an Online English Tutor. The following year, I applied for an office-based position and became a Performance Evaluator and Mock Student. I was able to experience working in various teams throughout the years, and now I am currently training tutors under the Onboarding Team as a Coach.
Through the years with RareJob, I’ve come to enjoy and look forward to the company events. We usually celebrate occasions like Valentine’s Day, Family Day, Mother’s/Father’s Day, and RareJob’s Anniversary. These events are fun and give employees a chance to take breaks from daily tasks, while offering great opportunities to get to know colleagues better and enjoy time together.
Before we shifted to remote work, you could tell an event was coming by the atmosphere in the office. You would know it was near when you see balloons and all sorts of decorations being set up. If it was RareJob’s Anniversary, the color green would fill the lobby. For Valentine’s Day, you’d see a lot of red and heart-shaped balloons and cutouts around. The HR and maintenance staff would get busy with decorating and preparing for the festivities. On the day of the event, the lobby would be filled with people from different teams and departments. It would become so crowded that there often weren’t enough seats for everyone!
Programs were usually fun because of the games, contests, raffles, performances, and energetic hosts—sometimes from HR, sometimes from other teams. After the program (or even before it ended!), people would line up to enjoy the overflowing food in the pantry. Looking back, I realized that the benefits of these company events extend far beyond just the fun and food. They are instrumental in building stronger relationships between colleagues, creating a more positive and encouraging work environment, and making us feel more connected to one another.
When the company transitioned to a work-from-home setup due to the pandemic, the events had to be entirely online for a couple of years. It was unfortunate that all those activities could no longer be done face-to-face, but the company managed to adjust and eventually, find new ways to conduct them. As we all know—except perhaps the new hires—we are still able to have games, contests, raffles, performances (imagine!), and energetic hosts in the online setup, like we did onsite. Although we’re missing out on the overflowing food part because it’s online, we still enjoy all the fun our company events have to offer.
Speaking of company events, last March 27, HR organized an online Game Night where teams competed to answer questions related to Filipino pop culture. It was my first time joining something like that, so I was a bit hesitant. But I’m so happy I did! I became teammates with a close friend, and people I had worked with but hadn’t really connected with yet. When game time came, even though we faced technical difficulties and doubted our pop culture knowledge, our team won first place! It was a memorable experience that I’m sure we’ll remember and talk about when we have the chance to spend time or get together again.
Joining clubs is also a great way to connect with new friends and make one’s stay in the company more meaningful. It’s good to spend time with people who can help you grow and who share the same interests. I am currently part of the Fellowship Club, and our members come from different teams. We do icebreaker games, Bible discussions, and breakout groups in our online meetings. Our club has been around since 2019 (when HR launched the Club System), and I would say that it’s one of the best things that happened to me in RareJob. The values and learnings I’ve gained through the club have greatly helped me in my relationships with my colleagues and my work as a Coach.
I’m glad that the company conducts events and activities throughout the year, both online and in-person, and even encourages and supports activities at the department, team, and club levels. Personally, I love having the chance to meet new people and make new friends. It’s wonderful to know people in the company not just because you work with them, but also because you share similar interests, enjoy their company, or admire certain talents or attitudes they possess. These experiences have made my work more enjoyable and fostered strong working relationships. They have opened my eyes to the diverse talents and perspectives across the entire company, creating a vibrant and supportive work environment where everyone thrives.
