Marifel Cabrera – Remote-First Employee Spotlight
If the last year has taught many of us anything, it is the value of family and the newfound comforts of being home. In this month’s remote-first employee spotlight we explore that concept with Marifel Cabrera. Marifel has been part of the team for seven years and works remotely from Davao City, Philippines. Read on to learn more about Marifel, her experience working at home, and tips she has for employees of businesses going remote.
Benefits of Remote Work
Marifel started off as an Administrative Assistant, then was promoted to a supervisor role, and is now a manager. She works with a team of 25 people, some of which are also in Davao but others are on other teams around the world. This is Marifel’s first job where she has worked from home. She loves the flexibility of remote work because it means she gets the opportunity to spend more time with her family.
Marifel credits her remote job with making her life more convenient. She is not a fan of being stuck in traffic, so remote work is definitely a plus for her in that aspect as well. One of the things she appreciates the most about working remotely is that she does not have to deal with the personal issues of coworkers since they are not in the same location. No doubt, she is the kind of person who values getting things done.
Tips for Working At Home
So how does Marifel get things done with her team? She credits her approach to keeping open communication with them. She makes a point as much as possible to try to make everyone feel comfortable, and that they can share their ideas and suggestions openly. This management approach is even more important with a fully remote team.
If you feel like switching from office cubicles to working at home may be a challenge, Marifel has some advice. Thinking through experiences in the remote-first world, she says some people can get overwhelmed with the level of comfort. This can end up creating a disorganized and distracting environment – especially when there is a special occasion for family. To combat this, Marifel says it is important to remain committed to being self-motivated and learn how to manage your time. Being sure to keep looking at the bright side of your working from home situation is another tip she feels is important to consider.
Global-Thinking as a Remote Worker
Marifel says that as long as she has her laptop and a good internet connection, she stays productive while working wherever she does. But, while some people have their minds set to wander the world, Marifel says her perfect location to work remotely is in her province. Perhaps it is the amazing cuisine, like the beefsteak from Sarung Banggi, that she would choose to be delivered to her home if she could have any meal in the world.
Celebrating Global Cultures
Thinking about her hometown of Davao City, in the Philippines, Marifel says she loves everything around the area… except for the traffic. That is definitely relatable, no matter where you are from. She adds that the location is unique because it features accessible beaches, waterfalls and it has views that overlook resorts. When it comes to local cuisine, remember that meal she would choose over any other meal in the world? Yep, that beef steak is her favorite dish.
With so many countries and cultures around the world and part of our team, we will be asking each participant in this series what they value about the culture of their country. Here are Marifel’s thoughts about the Philippines:
“I value that the Philippines focuses on family and friends get-togethers, being religious and being warm welcoming.”
We hope you enjoyed this article and that it helped broaden your outlook on what it means to have a remote global team. If you are considering the move to a remote-first workforce for your business, or have already made the switch but need help improving your processes, drop us a line. We would love to work through your unique scenario and see how we can help you get started with quality workers from our global team.
