Welcome on Board the Storyblok Team

In January of 2021, I set myself a new year’s resolution goal to “find a job I would enjoy”. So, my journey to Storyblok was defined by extensive research dedicated to finding a company that would allow me to work from anywhere in the world and travel, ditch the 9-5 lifestyle and be flexible, and be as creative as I could possibly be. To my luck, in December of 2021, I came across Storyblok, and from the first interview with the Talent Team, I knew that I had found the one! The interview process was different from any other company I had ever interviewed for. It allowed me to meet different teams and get a great understanding of the company from the start. Three interviews later and I was invited to board the Storyblok spaceship! And so began my onboarding process!

I remember the Sunday before I started, I was anxious and did not sleep. The thought of “it seems too good to be true” kept turning in my head. Plus, I was beginning a 4-week onboarding process, which was a completely new and strange experience for me. Most of my previous employers had a 2-week maximum onboarding process that consisted of reading through boring policies and procedures, stuck in an office or at home feeling disoriented and worthless.
So, I questioned, “why 4 weeks of misery?”. Little did I know, it would be a month filled with engaging readings and tasks, meeting people from all over the world, on-hand training, and lots of fun activities. Moreover, it was too good, it was all true, and I wasn’t the only one who agreed with this statement!

Meeting the Team

The onboarding program was self-explanatory and I had the support of the talent team as well as my team. I remember being surprised by everybody’s interest in getting to know me, welcoming me, and offering their help. From day one, I felt welcomed and appreciated. I was advised to take it easy and take as much time as I needed to learn about the company, my department, and above all, meet as many colleagues as possible. So, in the first 4 weeks of my journey with Storyblok I met more people than I have met in the past 4 years. And not just any kind of people, but amazing individuals with whom we didn’t just meet, but really took our time getting to know each other over virtual coffee chats. In a matter of weeks, I learned about different cultures, languages, traditions, and much more.

To give you an idea, in my conversation with Christian(Developer Experience Team) we talked about the structure of the Italian language, the different dialects, and the regions associated with those dialects. From Christen (Marketing Team), I heard that you can learn how to ski in Dubai, of all places. Elena (Partners Team) told me that in Moscow you don’t need to have a car because the transportation system is so great. From Trey (Marketing Team), I got tips on places to visit in my city of Atlanta, GA. Sebastian (Developer Experience Team) encouraged me to visit Japan and warned me about the crowded public spaces and the very small hotel rooms. Lastly, Adelina (PR Team) made me laugh by explaining that Paris is not at all like Emily from “Emily in Paris” depicts it.

I remember thinking “what a small world” while I was realizing the benefits of working in a truly diverse and international team. It turns out Christel (Marketing Team) and I went to the same high school, United World College, and Sofija (Design/UX Team) and I had gone to the same festival years ago. Both Marian (Partner Team) and I had worked in the banking industry in the USA and were happy to have left the corporate world behind us. Above all, they all gave me excellent tips and advice about Storyblok.

Learning at My Own Pace

It did not take me long to feel like I fit in. It was at the beginning of week 3 that I felt like I got this! The onboarding process was extremely well-organized to give me a soft start to Storyblok. Each week I had dedicated readings and resources to learn from. In these 4 weeks, I never felt misguided or disoriented.

The best part was that at the end of each week I was given a task to complete and this task was shaped so I could use what I had learned that week and apply my knowledge. I remember thinking: “What a great way to learn”. These tasks were not just about knowledge, but they helped me express my creativity and they got me excited about my future with Storyblok. By the end of week 4, I was very comfortable with my knowledge about Storyblok and the company's operations. My confidence was increasing as I was being encouraged to share my ideas and speak my mind. I remember feeling so accepted, accomplished, and knowledgeable. A feeling that only gets stronger with time.

My manager and my team were extremely supportive and full of feedback. In addition, people from all departments were reaching out to me to ask how I was doing and if they could help in any way possible.

Fun, Fun, and then some Fun!

As you can tell, my onboarding wasn’t just about learning and completing tasks. A big part of it was making sure I had fun! I was part of entertaining and informative meetings, I was interacting with colleagues on all kinds of topics that were introduced in our Slack channels, I started planning summer reunions with colleagues, and much more. The cherry on top was an online GINspiration History & Cocktails event organized by my team where we got the opportunity to get to know each other as well as make delicious gin cocktails. All of these activities made me feel like I had been part of the team for a year, not only a month.

Today, being fully onboarded makes me a little nostalgic about the magnificent 4 weeks I spent learning about the company, the team, and, above all, having fun in the process. However, the journey is only beginning and I can tell that it’s going to be an extraordinary one!