After over 5 and a half years in my last role the thought of starting another role somewhere new, whilst very exciting, was also pretty terrifying.
After over 5 and a half years in my last role the thought of starting another role somewhere new, whilst very exciting, was also pretty terrifying. This was reduced massively by my new manager Nimira keeping in touch the few weeks before I was due to start and inviting me in to meet the team to get to know them. To top this off, before day 1 even started, Esendex sent over a congratulations card signed by all the team, saying they were really excited that I was joining the team and even better it came with a huge box of chocolates that my husband and I finished off in less than a day! Still nervous for day 1 of course, but excited about joining a lovely and welcoming team.
First day
Day 1 comes around really fast and starts with lots of time with Nimira, going through my induction plan for the first couple of weeks, which is jam packed with meetings with key people I would be working with across Esendex, as well as training about all the products, systems and processes, to help me get up to speed and stop feeling like such a newbie. We also spend lots of time going through the organisation chart, to clarify who’s who and understanding the different business areas.
After a break for lunch, we start the walk round the office to meet everyone in the Nottingham office. A bit daunting to begin with and not much probability of remembering names, but everyone is extremely welcoming and friendly and thankfully there is a desk plan and employee list available to help with the names and faces part! The offices are all open plan, with music playing on every level and a relaxed dress code. There’s a real buzz around the office, with clusters of teams gathered around whiteboards focussed on various projects. There’s also an amazing den/games room and lovely patio area to make the most of the nice weather during lunch/breaks.
Day 1 ends with an induction meeting about the Office Facilities, all the standard health and safety bits and pieces, but also an overview of some fantastic perks – a massive array of free tea, coffees, cereals, crumpets, fruit, ice creams and popcorn to help yourself to. The next few days I have my first session with Michelle the internal Learning and Development Specialist who starts to show me a few systems and products, which is invaluable. I also spend some time with Demi the HR Officer, who talks me through a whole host of other benefits and perks available when working at Esendex – 27 days holiday, pension, private healthcare, childcare vouchers, dental, birthdays off, cycle to work scheme, length of service awards, annual bonus, £350 christmas vouchers and subsidised car parking (to name a few).
Week 1 and beyond
The rest of the week flies by with a few more firsts, lots of first meetings with different people across Esendex, first ice cream (at Esendex) and first time trying to figure out G-suite (still working on it)! Week one ends with my first beer o-clock, with everyone heading to the beer fridge in the den/games room at 4pm on Friday. A nice chilled cider and a chat, whilst watching a game of table tennis is not a bad end to the week!
Week two confirms I’ve made a good choice about the new role as the team continue to make me feel really welcome and we have a lunch out on Esendex to celebrate me joining the team. It’s great to spend some more time with everyone and get to know them better. The rest of the week continues with more induction meetings, nicely spread out so it’s not too overwhelming and gives me a chance to absorb all the information. What’s really clear when you meet with anyone is that everyone really believed in the values (Passion, Innovation, Ownership and Integrity) and want Esendex to be a great place to work!
It’s really positive to hear about two new acquisitions during my first couple of weeks and hear about the company’s growth when watching the last quarterly company update, presented by the Executive Management Team. The rest of the week continues without a hitch, apart from burning some popcorn in the microwave! All in all the first few weeks have been really exciting and I’m looking forward to being part of the team and helping to make Esendex an even better place to work!
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Post written by Charlie Filsell – Senior HR Advisor
