During these difficult times, people have come to appreciate the support that distant work colleagues can provide, so it’s vital that companies hire HR experts who can keep others happy and help them develop their careers from afar—at Activus Connect, we call this elevating Ambassador experiences.
Based in Washington, Jessica Williams, is an AX Support Generalist, which means she provides our Ambassadors with the best possible experience on the job. The role covers several human resources tasks, including employee relations, benefits, working closely with leadership, along with the personal touch she brings to her role.
“People often view human resources as the negative part of a job, but not every HR department is like an iron fist,” she laughed. “Part of providing enhanced ambassador experiences is ensuring consistency throughout the HR side of the company by giving everybody the same level of fair, respectful treatment they’ve come to expect in their roles.”
Adapting to the SmartVirtual™ Lifestyle
Before Activus, Jessica worked in HR for a couple of other companies, igniting her passion for helping employees early on. All her previous positions were in-office, so, since joining in April 2020, she has been adapting to the work-at-home lifestyle for the first time.
“It’s totally different from what I’m used to and what I expected,” she said. “I always assumed remote work was a leisurely, relaxing way to spend the day, but it’s essentially the same as being in an office—you’re expected to get online, start on time, and settle into your workspace. Changing my mindset took some getting used to, but after a while, I really started to enjoy the benefits of working from home.”
As a self-confessed socialite, Jessica does miss the human-to-human interaction that comes with the office setting but spends more time focusing on herself and the things she enjoys out of work, like walking her dogs and spending more time with her family. “With 13 nieces and nephews, plus 2 more on the way, I need all the free time I can get,” she laughed.
Culture of Equality
With so many children looking up to their auntie, Jessica tries to set the best examples for all of them by being a woman that respects herself and shows passion for what she believes in. She is highly passionate about standing up for inequality and inclusion, which involves actively advocating for everybody to enjoy the same rights, regardless of lifestyle or personal choices.
During her time in other companies, Jessica has seen plenty of discouraging examples of inequality and discrimination based on gender, race, age, and physical disability, so she needed to find a company with the same values as her.
“Activus Connect echoes the sentiments I have and supports the same causes as me, which attracted me to the job in the first place,” she said. “Felix and Minerva’s open-mindedness and the desire to give everybody a fair opportunity without judgment really resonates with me and attracted me to join them on their journey.”
Professional Development Opportunities
Before starting her professional life, Jessica completed her master’s in music, focusing mostly on vocals. She also played piano, saxophone, clarinet, flute, violin, and guitar, so she had many musical strings to her bow.
“I thought I would go on to be a music teacher,” she explained. “I still have a lot of love for music, but I don’t really study or practice it as much as I used to. Today, my passion is helping people develop, improve, and build life-changing careers, which is why Activus is such a great fit for me—instead of teaching music, I’m teaching people how to treat others fairly and equally while setting them up for success in their careers, which is just as fulfilling.”
While Jessica spends her time helping others succeed, she also appreciates the same treatment from her colleagues at Activus.
“Activus has always expressed interest in my growth and wants me to get where I want to be, so it’s great to grow as the business grows,” she said. “I also love working for a business that hires and supports anyone and everyone. I legitimately feel like I work for a company that is run by good people, which is a rare thing in this world.”
Advice for New Ambassadors
Jessica’s advice to new Ambassadors and remote workers is not to fall into the trap of spending lazy days at home.
“Wake up, brush your teeth, dress yourself to go out, and stick to a routine every day because it really motivates you to log on and get to work,” she said. “It’s all too easy to do nothing when the couch and the TV are so close, so be sure to spend time doing something you love every day and continue developing skills and hobbies that you consider valuable. It’s all about finding the right balance.”
Like Jessica, we believe that when Ambassadors take good care of the customer, we’re able to take great care of our Ambassadors. We call them Ambassadors because they’re the real drivers behind our success—we don’t have a business without them.
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