Let's talk with an Epiconcept collaborator, Candice, Product Owner, who has experienced teleworking outside France for 6 months.
Thank you Candice for sharing this experience! Interview conducted during the period abroad, in Madeira – 1st semester 2023.
At Epiconcept, telework is widespread with even 44% of employees who are in full telework in other regions of France or located in Europe Candice
What is your job ?
"I have been a Product Owner since 2021 within the SSP team (Suite Santé Prévention) which offers an application around the monitoring of VAXI vaccination, STI / HIV diseases CUPIDON and DAMOC tuberculosis monitoring. I am in contact with users in order to prioritize their requests and to constantly improve the application, I ensure development deadlines and communication with users. »
What was your personal life plan?
“I went abroad several times and wanted to try a new adventure for a few months before buying an apartment in France. Leaving in January, the ideal was to find a destination in the sun! Over the course of research, the destinations appreciated by “digital nomads” mentioned the island of Madeira with well-organized infrastructures for telework. I obviously broached the subject upstream with my manager, who was not against my personal project, then I validated the feasibility with the HRD and the CEO. They helped me with the administrative procedures to facilitate my installation on site. So I started this new adventure in January 2023! »
How is working from home abroad?
“On a daily basis, things are going very well, insofar as we were already used to interacting with the team or customers, mostly remotely. There's only an hour difference, so it's not too restrictive and I can keep the same pace of work as in Paris! I am delighted with this experience which allows me to discover an island rich in landscapes and closer to nature! I have found a good work/personal life balance, I am discovering a new culture and I do a lot of visits to the island on weekends with hikes. »
Any advice before embarking on telecommuting abroad?
"You need a lot of discipline with yourself, motivate yourself as you are alone, be involved and obviously love what you do, because it's essential to get up in the morning... But this is valid even for a job outside telework ! I think it's a unique opportunity to learn and gain self-confidence, it's an enriching adventure on all points that encourages us to get out of our comfort zone and open up to new cultures. »
In conclusion ?
“I really appreciated this experience, Epiconcept is a company where the managers are very understanding, Epiconcept adapts to us and not the other way around, it's rare and very appreciable. I can mix my professional and personal life without negatively impacting one or the other. I know that Epiconcept will always be with me to accept my different life choices. I highly recommend this experience! 3 words to define the Epiconcept company? Benevolence, Collaboration and Equity »
Let's talk with 1 Epiconcept employee Charline, e-health applications project manager who decided to do full telework abroad a few months ago! Back on his experience..
Charline, what would you like to say to your colleagues / future colleagues?
"I arrived at Epiconcept in the e-Health Projects team in 2019, first as an intern following my master's 2, then I was hired on a permanent contract.
I have always had a taste for adventure and travel, I come from the Paris region, I have family on Reunion Island and I did part of my studies via Erasmus in Lithuania for 1 year.
I regularly telecommuted at Epiconcept, but I am drawn to the sun and the sea, and I wanted to try full telecommuting. I spoke about my project to my manager and our HRD during the annual interviews. I didn't know anyone on my team who had tried this type of experiment so far and I wanted to know if it was possible. My project was immediately well received, Guillaume Jeannerod wanted to know how long I planned to go abroad and where to go.
I hesitated between Italy and Spain. I was looking for a city smaller than Paris, close to the sea, but dynamic.
During the 25th anniversary of Epiconcept in June 2022, I was able to discuss with several colleagues from the Epidemiology team who live in Spain. I was convinced about the city of Valence! I knew that a colleague lived there and so I brushed up on my Spanish this summer. I have been living there now since mid-October 2022, initially until the end of January, but finally, as everything is going well, I will extend until March 2023!
I was well supported by Epiconcept in this personal project, it was well received by management, my colleagues were happy for me; We continue to exchange of course in video. And for customers, since we do a lot of remote meetings, it doesn't change anything.
As I live in shared accommodation, Epiconcept has agreed to finance a co-working space where I will work every day, it's 10 minutes from my home and only 10 minutes from the beach, where I go for lunch every day. , the decor is great! It's the first time I've lived so close to the sea, I love it!
I like immersing myself in a new environment, I find it very rewarding. I manage to find a better work/personal life balance, I play sports, I meet people, I do lots of visits. I feel very good in Valencia, I easily found my bearings.
I was able to return to Paris in November for 1 week of training, I took the opportunity to see a client, but for the holidays, it was my family who came to see me in the sun!
Guillaume and our HRD Rachel regularly ask me how I am doing, what I might need, that I can come home earlier if I express the need. I feel supported and I really appreciated that they accepted my life plan so easily. »
The final word ? An advice ?
“I recommend this experience to all those who wish to discover other horizons over a few months, it is quite possible at Epiconcept! It's the first time I've spent the holidays in the sun under 20 degrees! And on my return, I would like to continue this regular teleworking if possible by settling near the sea, why not in Brittany? »
Thank you Charline for this testimony and your experience!
