Starting a new job is an exciting time but often has its challenges. And starting a new job in the midst of a global pandemic, while working remotely is an entirely different experience.
Troy Wheeler recently started as a Technology Success Analyst at Timewade and his entire induction was conducted completely remotely.
Despite the possible challenges of a remote introduction to a new team and job, Troy has settled in seamlessly.
In this blog, Troy shares his experience of the remote onboarding process and how he’s enjoying life at Timewade.
First day
“I have to admit, starting on my first day was extremely daunting. I hadn’t experienced working remotely, let alone a remote induction before. But I needn’t have worried, I felt welcomed and at ease from the start.
“I spent my first day remotely on calls with our Operations Director, Jordan. We started by going through the usual documents and admin of a new job.
“We then went through the details of the role and what I’d be doing. For example, we looked at the infrastructure I work with now such as Sophos (Security Solutions), DrayTek (Routers), and Zyxel (Network Switches).
“We also covered a technology alignment review which is a key part of my role. The review is a best practise check of over 550 questions that we run through assessing our clients’ tech and business environments. It consists of 6 categories; cyber security, core infrastructure, business applications, business continuity, server infrastructure, and endpoints and assets.
“The review aligns the business with Timewade’s unique Technology For Success best practices to help businesses plan for the future.
“It was a lot of information to take in but I never felt overwhelmed because Jordan broke it up into bite-sized chunks and asked plenty of comprehension questions to check my understanding.
“It was a huge help having the Operations Director explain everything on my first day.”
Integrating into the team
“During my first week I was given an overview of every part of the business through video calls and shared screens. It recreated the office feel really well.
“I shadowed each member of the team for a day to gain an insight into how everyone across the business worked from administration to the service desk.
“As a Technology Success Analyst, each day onsite with a client is really varied and the time I spent with the team at the start helped me build notes and prepare me really well for questions that clients ask.
“My introduction with Ross, the Service Desk Team Leader, provided a useful insight into some of the things I do when I visit sites, and helped show me how to communicate with clients effectively.
“The remote induction with James, Lead Technology Success Analyst, gave me a detailed outline of how to conduct reviews and interact with clients. Meeting James early on set me up really well with what to expect when I go to a client’s site as James and I work closely together.
“I was made to feel really welcome at Timewade from the start and straight away I felt like I had joined a friendly tight-knit business.
“I quickly felt part of the team and received welcoming messages from everyone, and they all followed up on how things were going and checked I was getting on well.
“It was my first experience of working remotely, and the warm welcome and comprehensive introductions with the team really made things easier.
“Since then, I’ve been lucky to meet more of the team in person on client site visits.”
Equipment and software
“During my first meeting with Jordan he made sure I had all the equipment I needed so I can perform to my best level.
“He arranged for me to have a full office setup; screens, office phone, laptop and iPhone so it’s easy for me to work at home and onsite.
“I learnt a lot from my colleagues really quickly. For example, James gave great advice on what’s the best home setup, on a technical level.”
Feedback, development and the future
“Once I’d had a bit of time to settle in, I had my first personal development plan with Jordan.
“As the weather was good we met at Darts Farm for a coffee and made a progression and training plan, which we review in monthly meetings.
“Timewade are big on development and growth, and are keen for all employees to gain further industry-recognised qualifications, which they pay for.
“This gives us fantastic progression opportunities and we can constantly develop professionally.
“The support from the Timewade team has been great. Everyone is willing to call to help and they always explain the bigger picture as well as the small details in response to any question I’ve asked. From this, I’ve been able to build up a database of notes to support my learning and day-to-day work.
“I’ve enjoyed having Timewade’s values set as the standard for us to work towards; Build Partnerships, Be Professional, Be a Leader, Drive Results, Be Brilliant, and Today not Tomorrow.
“After learning so much already in my time with Timewade, I look forward to continuing to develop here.”
If you’re interested in finding out more information about working at Timewade visit our careers page and keep up to date with the latest news by following us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
