Expectations vs. reality: How do our newcomers feel after they started at Qvik?

Our new employees mean a lot to us. We want to make sure we are doing all we can to make their start at Qvik as smooth as possible. That is why, among other things, we arrange three milestone discussions with our new employees during the trial period.

So how do people find Qvik after they started working here? Is it what they expected? There are certain elements that pop up in each milestone, namely the Qvik spirit and culture of doing things together and supporting each other. Also, many talk about their steep learning curve after starting to work on a project with skilled colleagues.

Real talk – what’s been said

Each milestone discussion we have with our newcomers during the trial period has a different focus. We talk about how things are in general, how the project has started, is the work equipment ok. Also support needs and the professional focus for the coming year are discussed, and feedback is given both ways.

“I got a truthful picture of Qvik during the recruitment process. It’s been like they said: flat organization, open culture, possibilities to learn. It’s been good”, one employee said.

Things we value as a company and what we expect from our employees are high integrity and ambition. We’ve been happy to learn that this also shows to our new employees.

“I like the fact that we aim really high with the services we make. We have a good gang, team spirit,” one recently hired employee explained.

Qvik has grown a lot during the last few years but while growing, there are some things we don’t want to lose. One of them is being able to be ourselves when we are around each other.

“What I appreciate here is that people are accepted as themselves. You don’t need to be something you’re not.”

And, as said, the opportunity to learn and grow as a professional is often mentioned.

“I got a central role in a project right after starting at Qvik. It’s been challenging but it has taught me so much. Luckily there’s always been more senior Qvikies supporting me. It’s really cool to work here – I’ve gained many new friends already during my first months here.”

By the last milestone discussion, just before the end of the trial period, newcomers are usually settled into their projects. They know their way around in the company, have made their first breakfast at Qvik, have joined a couple of clubs and are considered an integral part of the Qvik team. At that point, we once more make sure that we know where the person’s motivations are for the coming years, and direct them towards the coaching process which is our key tool for professional development.

“I have a feeling that the company lets me choose my career direction, and supports me to reach my goal.”

Shaking off the sugar coat..

Despite the good feedback, we are not perfect. We make mistakes and sometimes don’t handle situations the best possible way. These milestone discussions are a good way to stay up-to-date on the areas we should improve in. Sometimes people wish they would work in bigger teams or question why we work so much away from our own office and community. Sometimes we have failed to speak English so that everybody can join conversations and understand jokes.

As we hope the milestone discussions are helpful for the newcomers, they are also an important tool for us internally to improve our recruitment, onboarding and ways of working as a community. The key is that we listen to our people and take their comments seriously. It is absolutely fundamental to keep up the discussion and host an environment where it’s easy to raise even difficult questions. We see the fact that people want to point out also negative matters a good thing: it means that people care about the community they work in and want to make it better.

From candidate experience to employee experience – how does it actually work?

Our candidates usually come via sourcing, applying or employee recommendation. Naturally, depending on which one it is, there are different ways of approaching candidates. One thing, however, remains: we want to put the candidates on the same level by providing them all with the same basic information about Qvik. In the interview, we discuss our history, today and future; our projects and ways of working; our community and people; our benefits.

The basis of our recruitment process is being transparent and authentic about what we are as a company and community. We talk about the good things like our projects, great team spirit and the possibilities our growth offers.

We also talk about the things we want to improve, such as internal communications and the support we offer for our employees’ careers and well-being. We try to add a more personalized experience by arranging the interviews, whenever possible, on Friday mornings which gives the candidates the possibility to stay for our weekly breakfast. If anything, that’s a real Qvik experience.

In the interviews, we want to hear how the candidate sees her/his future, and consider if we are able to fill the expectations. Sometimes the person has applied for one position but her/his true motivation is to learn something else. And that something is what interests us the most. If it matches with what we can offer, we already have an initial career path planned, before the person has even started!

When the employment contract has been signed, we take the newcomer into our community and start planning their resourcing. We invite them to our Welcome Onboard Flowdock group, and to our events and meetups. We connect via social media, start the internal hype about the new Qvikie and get ready to welcome our new Qvik family member.

As an in-demand digitalization agency, we compete of professionals with other in-demand IT companies. Although finding a new employee is no rocket science, it gets more difficult when you are searching for both skills and a mutual cultural match – and that’s what we are always looking for as a company.