New year, new starters: How we support our latest joiners

As a company, we care passionately about our people. As we leave 2020 behind and stride into 2021, we feel it is important to pay particular attention to our new joiners, who have joined the company at such a unique and challenging time. 

To better understand their experience of joining a new company remotely, I took some time out with our most recent joiners to discuss how the company has supported them throughout this process. 

Read next: Employee Appreciation Day: Why employee appreciation is more than just a day at Credera So firstly, how did you feel before joining us? Did you have any concerns, and what did the company do to help?

Rebecca: Joining an organisation without having physically met anyone seemed terrifying at first! One thing that immediately helped was the fact that everyone switches their camera on during meetings, allowing me to connect with the team.

Adam: Joining any organisation at the best of times is a nervous experience and arriving remotely adds another factor to the unknown. For me, Credera were amazing at communicating what to expect in my first week before I joined. On joining, it was great to see so many people reaching out and putting time in my diary to say hello.

Daniel: I also felt anxious before joining and had no idea what to expect. Credera kept in touch during the weeks before joining and made sure that I had everything I needed before my first day. A simple thing that helped a lot was receiving a day one meeting invite to my personal email – this removed my biggest fear of logging on and nobody expecting me!

Izzy: I didn’t expect to have much social interaction with my new colleagues whilst working remotely - I couldn’t have been more wrong! There are plenty of regular calls with different groups within the company and we even had an evening of remote candle making, which was great fun.

Arsenio: I would agree with the others. Another thing that allayed my concerns was that my computer was set up and delivered to my home before my start date, and I had immediate access to the company systems that I needed.

Our company talks a lot about culture - what does our culture mean to you?

Arsenio: Even before joining, I could sense that the company’s culture revolved around putting people first, showing team spirit, and promoting inclusion and cooperation, which is particularly important to me.

Adam: I’ve found that it has been very easy to talk to people and discuss ideas, and I have been welcomed each morning with a smile from my team. It’s a great feeling to be part of a team where everyone is looking out for each other.

Simon: It’s the people first approach that is the standout point for me. It’s meant a great deal that Credera cares about my family circumstances and supports me with the flexibility I need to allow me to work from home whilst caring for small children.

Wassa: Credera has a very friendly and inclusive culture and there is a strong emphasis on people's wellbeing and growth. For example, the amazing support I get from account managers to help me excel in my career, the generous training budget, or even just the ease of randomly popping some time in someone's diary and having a virtual coffee chat.

Izzy: For me, the culture is about being open and welcoming and working together to do great things - everyone here is very supportive and down to earth. It doesn’t matter what grade someone is or how much experience they have - everyone’s contributions are equally valuable.

We’re all working from home right now - how has Credera supported you to a establish a successful remote working environment?

Daniel: The company has gone above and beyond in ensuring that I have a good remote working environment. We all get a healthy budget towards new IT equipment, including any additional equipment that might help to support us as we continue to work from home.

Rebecca: I used some of the budget to get an office chair, which has made my working day a whole lot easier!

Wassa: The home/IT set up definitely makes a difference. Credera also recognises that working from home can impact on your energy levels, and I feel that I am encouraged to take the time to recharge. As a new starter, being told this early on is really encouraging.

Sarah: Everyone has mentioned the budgets and equipment – which is definitely a huge positive. I also found it really useful to have so much structure around my induction. I felt like maximum effort was made to onboard me so that I could hit the ground running on my first day.

What helps you feel connected to the firm whilst we are all working remotely?

Arsenio: My team and I have three weekly meetings and I have one-to-one interactions with my manager most days of the week too, which helps me keep connected. We also have a company-wide ‘all hands’ calls and monthly meetings which help us to stay updated and interact with one another.  

Wassa: Despite not being able to meet anyone in person, Credera has done an amazing job to connect all of us virtually. Outside of the company events and Yammer groups, there have also been additional events like virtual gaming sessions and a health and wellbeing challenge, which motivated me to get moving more around work.

Daniel: To Wassa’s point – one thing that disappears when working remotely are the ‘corridor chats’ with colleagues. I personally find the communities we have set up on Yammer really help to enable those lost conversations and allow you to build connections with colleagues.

Izzy: I would have to agree with everyone else. The things that have really helped me are the regular call I have with the other people from my office, the interest groups we have on Yammer, and the slack channel with the other developers on my team. There’s always something going on!

Lastly, describe your experience of joining us.

Izzy: Exciting!

Adam: Super! It’s been a great start to my career at Credera, and I’d like to thank everyone for being so friendly and for making me feel so welcome.

Sarah: The company has been all that I expected. It’s a place where smart, diverse, and ambitious people who value their integrity come to work, and everyone is really well looked after.

Daniel: It has been a pleasure. Since my first day, I have felt valued and am really looking forward to getting more involved as my time here develops.

Wassa: I'm excited to be part of an organisation with such a positive, people-driven culture.

Arsenio: Joining the company has been as smooth and seamless as it could possibly be. Thanks to everyone that has made it happen!

Rebecca: I am just so proud to join a company that goes through such great efforts to make sure that its people are okay.

As I reflect on my conversation with our new joiners and draw this blog to a close, I am reminded of my own experience of joining the company and how special it felt to become a part of such a people-centric firm.

If you are interested in joining our diverse and growing community, be sure to check out our most recent vacancies.