Onboard, locked down

Onboarding during a pandemic and the evolution of remote ways of working.

For Redvespa, the world is our talent pool, and we’ve dipped into that pool to recruit many exceptional BAs. Once onboard, we ensure our new people get the best experience possible through an induction program that makes people feel welcome, comfortable, and part of something really special.

I joined Redvespa three days prior to our offices being closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Before joining, I was set up with the tools and paperwork required so that I was good to go on the first day. While there was a planned induction in place, it was evident by day two that we needed to prepare for lockdown.

The office team was flexible, and priorities changed to ensure I was familiar with the critical operating systems and to be able to work from home. I was able to meet my immediate Auckland team and even had Hangout meetings which was great to build confidence with remote ways of working. While Redvespa has three physical offices, it really doesn’t feel this way and the physical barriers were broken down further with everyone working remotely.

Once the Level 4 Lockdown was imposed, the management and support teams at Redvespa mobilised and invites for virtual coffee catch-ups were set up every few days, along with daily stand-ups which sometimes involved a quick quiz. With an empty calendar, I accepted all social connections and meetings, often joining as an observer to meet more colleagues and get a sense of how the business operated.

My induction continued remotely, and I never felt disconnected or worried about what she should be doing. As a Client Relationship Manager, my “normal job” was off the table but I explored systems and always found people willing to explain things. I was also encouraged to join some amazing initiatives which evolved over the eight weeks in forced Lockdown. This allowed me to contribute and feel like I could add value, which was really important to me.

As New Zealand moved to Level 2 and Redvespa forged their new way of working, I’ve been able to retain and benefit from all the things I appreciated while Working From Home and through the special, and unique, introduction I had to Redvespa. The technical, administrative, and capability elements were amazing, but it was the culture and a real sense of caring for the Redvespa team and our clients that resonated with me.

During Lockdown, Anna Wilson (Redvespa’s Head of Market Engagement) successfully recruited a Client Relationship Manager for our Christchurch community.  While our new CRM will start her journey post lock down, Redvespa will apply the learnings from my experience and implement new ways of working to make sure our new recruit, and all those to follow, get the best experience possible when joining the business.  

This story starts for our new CRM as it ends for me: as part of a constantly evolving process. Redvespa are always evaluating how to improve and exploring finding new ways of doing things. We apply this in our own business and, through our own learning and development, we can help our clients on their evolving journeys.

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