I joined the Relationships Foundation on the 1st of September 2020. It’s almost been a fortnight since I’ve joined and I would like to share my experience that has captivated me. The quality that made me want to be a part of the organisation is their climate. Here are a few pointers that might help job seekers to assess the organisation that they might potentially be working for in the future as well as for leaders to reflect on.
To give a bit of background, I joined RF as a Communication, Social Media and Marketing Assistant. My past experience was with learning and development in an Indian based charity that transforms the lives of adolescent girls.
- Looking at the bigger picture
I wasn’t a straightforward fit for the role that I applied to. Plus, there is a difference in culture between here in India and in the UK. The hiring team trust my willingness to learn attitude and creativity. They value my experience working in a charity in India and wearing multiple hats to balance the resource and requirement (an advantage of working in small teams with big goals). The team has invested in a training program which will equip me to rise above and meet and outperform the expectations.
- Setting clear expectations
The role that I’m into is a new full-time role. In my previous organisation I had supported my team on an ad-hoc basis. The team was transparent about the role and the responsibilities that I will be taking up. They asked for my willingness and interests and they didn’t want me to feel that it’s being imposed on me.
- Compassion
I’m an offshore employee, who lives in a different time zone. The team is so supportive that they don’t expect me to work at their time zone. The leaders’ meetings are scheduled considering my availability as well. Most cases the meetings are scheduled based on the leader’s availability and the rest of the team attend if available. Since the meetings (even the mundane ones) are planned in advance (at least a week before), there aren’t any last minute requests or burning urgent tasks to be accomplished overnight. The working hours are task driven and there is no stringent per day working hours. As long as I complete 35 hours per week, I can take off for the rest of the week. So if I work extended hours one day, I could work lesser hours another day. This helps me maximise the time for work and personal life.
- Resourceful
The team gave me much needed support and resources so that I could start working right from the first day. The team is enriched with experts with decades of experience. Yet, they are open to new ideas and encouraging without any preconceptions.
- Constant Communication
After my interview was over, there was a slight delay in releasing the offer letter. The team regularly communicated their progress and most importantly they apologised for the delay. I felt so warm even before joining them. This was wonderful. Having taken career breaks, attending many interviews, this was the first time I saw / experienced the right kind of treatment – being valued!
- Encouraging Vulnerability
No-one is always right, ever ready and at their best. Being new to the role, and getting back to a full-time role after a sabbatical, working for an organisation that is far away, with way senior people, belonging to different culture, I was jittery as I might ask too many questions that could be stupid and time consuming. The team was super normal and to my surprise they constantly share about their failures, things that they don’t know and team-up to learn new things together.
- No micromanagement
This is yet another quality that amazed me was no status call / daily reports. I’ve seen my friends, colleagues, family and my own self spending so many hours throughout the week or in a day. This is very helpful as it saves time on talking about the accomplishments of the day, doesn’t make me do things just for the sake of completing / entering it into the report.
I’m not saying that these are the only characteristics of a perfect organisation. However, the point I would like to highlight is that considering the employees as humans, being compassionate, respecting their personal space and life are the basic criteria of a good organisation and it is the responsibility of every leader to create such an environment to their team members.
What are your thoughts about such a team?
