A Look Inside Leader/Follower Relations at Salesforce

Hope D’Orsi, a Richmond alum, is currently an employee of the well known customer service platform Salesforce. Hope began her career at Salesforce in February of 2020 and has had a very interesting and rewarding six months. Due to the global pandemic, Hope has been working remotely since early March. When asked about her experience working remotely Hope said, “It has been a difficult adjustment to make, especially since I had only been at the company for a month before we went remote”. While Hope had a difficult time adjusting to working remotely, she has enjoyed the flexibility that it has allowed. That being said, this flexibility does not come at the expense of productivity. Infact, Hope has been able to maintain the same productivity level she had prior to going remote. According to Hope, her relationship with her manager has made her far more productive and determined. “Salesforce is a very special community. Everyone within the office has a level of respect and admiration for one another, regardless of job level. I personally am inspired by my manager and count on her to lead me when I am confused”. At the beginning of her remote experience, Hope was meeting with her Manager daily over zoom as she was still getting adjusted to both Salesforce as a company and her work from home lifestyle. She would also meet with her team everyday. Now, five months later, Hope has gained more experience and confidence within Salesforce and only contacts her Manager once a week via Zoom and once a week with her team. “It is amazing having a Manager who is so trusting and relaxed. She knows that she has trained me well and that I am more than able to handle myself within my position”. While Hope works directly under her Manager, the structural organization of Salesforce supports team work. Hope’s team only requires one weekly meeting but she is often in communication with team members throughout the week. “In the office we all sit at one large table so I got used to talking through ideas with them, now that we are remote we have taken to email to communicate, making sure that we are all on the same page”. Overall, my interview with Hope provided me with some insight as to what the day- to-day operations are like at Salesforce and the wonderful work environment that they have created.