When Sonia Hernandez learned that the MassHire Worcester Career Center was halting in-person appointments due to COVID-19, the Operations Manager's thoughts turned immediately to staff and sustainability.
"Taking care of our staff and supporting our clients were my top concerns as the doors were closing," reflects Sonia, who manages
10 staff including
Career Counselors, a Supervisor, and a Clerk. "We talk a lot as a team about how to cope with changes in the workplace but things happened so quickly we're relying on our teamwork and training to keep serving current clients and take on new ones."
Frequent conference calls, encouraging emails, supportive texts and shared digital spaces are just a few of the tools the team uses to provide remote services to clients. From Career Center Seminars, RESEA, DTA-WPP, Resume support, assisting with job applications and referrals, to helping clients with Unemployment Insurance Benefit claims and questions, the team appears to have transitioned smoothly from their cubes to their kitchens (in some cases).
While Sonia admits that m
aintaining relationships with staff from afar is a new challenge, people on her team laud her inspiration, inclusiveness, and motivation. "Her
frequent texts and calls have helped me more than I can describe," said one, adding, "Even though our team is separated, I still feel like I'm a part of our MassHire family. Every time I hang up the phone from one of our meetings, I felt uplifted and inspired."
Cameron P.--a student from the Whitinsville 
