Six months after taking on her new role Dorota Kubikowska, Demand Planner Consumer & Ingredients, talks us through the virtual recruitment process at Glanbia Ireland

Although Dorota Kubikowska has been working at GI for just over six months, she’s yet to meet any of her colleagues. She has seen and spoken to quite a few of them on Microsoft Teams but in-person meetings have yet to take place. For someone joining an organisation as complex and diverse as Glanbia Ireland, it’s a strange experience. “I have worked remotely in previous roles but never to this extent. All the meetings I’ve had with colleagues in my department have been held online. The virtual recruitment process was also new to me,” said Dorota. Like any traditional interview, Dorota had taken the time to prepare for any question she might be asked. “That part was the same. It was the fact that you’re sitting at home and you can’t really predict what’s going to happen around you that was so different. The kids could be running around, someone could slam a door or the dog might be barking. It’s important to appear professional but I think that’s only possible to an extent in that kind of situation. What was reassuring was that you could see that the people interviewing you were in the same position, so I think there was an understanding there.” For Dorota, the recruitment process was quite fast. “I had an initial call with a lady from HR. That was followed by a meeting with my current line manager and the HR lady. A decision was made quite quickly so I presume it went well!”

Once she took up her new role the induction process was slightly harder to get to grips with, says Dorota. “After joining Glanbia Ireland, I got the opportunity to speak with my colleagues in the department which helped me to understand what my role would bring to the team and ultimately feel more at home. I found that helpful and things started to fall into place very quickly. I was one of the first people to join the organisation remotely – it was certainly an interesting if unusual process!”