These are unusual occasions, however because of our tech and our sensible workforce, our enterprise is working as regular (simply, from dwelling). That features hiring – in actual fact, we’re rising quicker than ever earlier than.
When you’re fascinated by becoming a member of our workforce, right here’s what you’ll be able to count on from the hiring course of, and what we’ve been doing otherwise to welcome new of us into the workforce, given the bizarre circumstances.
Our hiring and coaching course of
When you’re trying to be part of our operations workforce…
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The appliance course of
- We begin off by working with our recruitment companions, who get to know potential candidates by way of cellphone and Skype interviews. They’ll take you thru a few verbal and numerical reasoning checks.
- Subsequent, we’ll have a primary spherical video interview with two operations workforce leaders, which is the place we actually get to know whether or not an applicant matches the Octopus dynamic.
- After that, we’ll schedule a closing video interview with an operations supervisor.
- Congratulations! You bought the job!
Getting educated up
- Pre-training: New individuals becoming a member of as power specialists all undergo an preliminary 2-3 week pre-training interval the place they stand up to scratch with our programs and get a really feel for the workplace earlier than they get assigned to a workforce. Usually pre-training for newbies is predicated within the workplace they’ll be working from full time, and new starters will work carefully with just some trainers primarily based in the identical workplace. Now that our pre-training is absolutely distant, all new workforce members get time with trainers from throughout the enterprise, and there’s masses extra communication between workplaces and selection in coaching classes.
- Coaching: Our newbs be taught all of the ins and outs of the power business, normally by way of classroom-based studying cut up between our Soho, Leicester and Brighton workplaces. This implies trainees get a style of Octopus life in most of our major websites, and get to satisfy as lots of their new teammates as doable. Whereas that isn’t doable in fairly the identical manner anymore, we’ve tailored to fully-remote studying with heaps extra interactivity and possibilities to satisfy Octo-experts from throughout the enterprise.
- Becoming a member of a workforce: After just a few weeks of coaching, every new starter is assigned to a workforce (our operations mannequin splits fully-trained buyer consultants into mini-teams which every take care of all of the wants of a portion of Octopus accounts, in order that prospects typically at all times get to talk to the identical small group of helpers). In the course of the pre-training and coaching course of, we work arduous to search out the workforce that our new recruits will match into finest.
- MORE TRAINING! After 2-3 weeks, our new recruits are prepared for the second a part of the coaching. That is the place we go over extra sophisticated points and eventualities.
In any case of this, the transformation is full; now we have our new Octopuses fully-fledged and able to lend a tentacle to our prospects.
When you’re on the lookout for a job in a unique workforce…
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- Intro cellphone chat. First, Matt or Olivia in our expertise workforce attain out to candidates, attending to know them in a fast, casual cellphone name. This can cowl your CV, curiosity in Octopus, and have a look at whether or not there’s a good match on each side. This normally takes about 20-Half-hour.
- First interview. That is normally an off-the-cuff meet with a hiring supervisor (and typically a take dwelling problem). Whereas this may normally occur within the workplace, we’ve shifted these conferences, and lots of of different onboarding processes into digital codecs.
- Second interview. The subsequent stage is usually a extra formal meet, usually with two hiring managers.
- When you’re profitable, Matt or Olivia will undergo the provide with you verbally, ship a conditional provide, and put together your contract.
- Coaching… The specifics of your coaching will range relying in your position, however you’ll be stored updated by our expertise workforce!
Throughout unsure occasions (and at all times!) we’re right here to information you thru the method
Matt and Olivia are a few the pleasant faces in our expertise workforce, and they’re right here to be sure to’re at your finest while you interview with us. They’re readily available to share suggestions with candidates (and with hiring managers at Octopus) earlier than all interviews. Proper now, they’re specializing in this much more than normal to verify candidates really feel comfy to assist make up for among the head to head contact we’ve misplaced.
Coronavirus or not, we’ll hold you absolutely conscious of the place you’re within the strategy of making use of for a job right here, together with explaining why we’re doing what we’re doing, and ensuring you are feeling comfy sufficient to name and ask questions if one thing isn’t clear.
Becoming a member of the workforce
It’d really feel slightly scary beginning a brand new job remotely, however we promise we’re tremendous pleasant and we’re doing every little thing doable to provide you a style of life within the Octo workforce from dwelling!
James Doyle, who masterminds our operations workforce hiring, sends out extremely cute welcome packs for brand new workforce members:
When you can’t deliver the Octopus to the workplace… You deliver the workplace to the Octopus!
Throughout lockdown, we’ve been sending our new starters a welcome pack with every little thing that they’ll want, from the laptop computer they work on and information to getting it arrange, to a small plant for that genuine workplace vibe. (As soon as we’ve found out the best way to remotely brew everybody a cuppa we’ll have actually achieved work-from-home enlightenment!)
Meet Charis and Conor, two of our latest power consultants!
Ensuring Octopus’ tradition isn’t misplaced on this new world is absolutely vital to us. We’ve additionally managed to movie our workplace nearly so candidates can see a stroll by way of of what atmosphere they’d be working in.
Bina, a member of our coaching workforce explains “It’s been an fascinating expertise and a welcome problem. I’ve positively needed to suppose extra on my ft and I really feel extra linked to the brand new starters. Every day has been totally different however it’s been superb!”
Bina’s experiences are echoed by Connor, one of many first new starters to affix our operations workforce from dwelling!
“I used to be made to really feel welcome in a short time. I keep in mind popping out of my second interview and principally began a gross sales pitch to signal my mother and father up.
Being trusted to work productively even on the primary day actually set the usual for working right here. Octopus additionally despatched us a reusable espresso cup and a cactus pot. (My pot broke however the cactus is alright – don’t fear!) That little contact on the aspect was very nice.
In coaching each morning, our coach Jack would do an ice-breaker simply to get to know us higher. I felt actually engaged by this, it was virtually as if the space wasn’t a factor.
I’m now in Crew U primarily based in Warwick and I already really feel like a part of the workforce. I really feel very aggressive and need to show that my workforce is the most effective at Octopus!”
Being adaptable in a disaster is what Octopus is all about
Octopuses are an important evolutionary success story, having tailored to an unlimited array of difficult environments over thousands and thousands of years. I’m certain you’ve seen the movies of those versatile creatures squeezing themselves into the tightest cracks and crevices, and benefiting from no matter circumstances they’re in.
Because of our tech-based agility, and an organization tradition that places a excessive worth on accountability and decentralisation, we reckon we’ve been capable of reside as much as our namesakes’ repute fairly effectively to this point. (Have a learn of our response to the Coronavirus outbreak throughout all aspects of the enterprise).
As a tech-led enterprise, a powerful digital neighborhood has at all times existed at Octopus. We’ve an enormous (and rising) Digital Operations workforce, for instance, which has been working flexibly and remotely for over three years. Because of this not solely is our workforce set as much as work remotely and entry all the identical sources because the in-office employees, however there’s additionally present social and neighborhood buildings the place newbies and oldies alike can get assist and meet pleasant faces for a digital ‘tea break’ chat (and memes).
Olivia in our expertise workforce explains it finest: “Our individuals had been already working from dwelling. We’ve distant groups all throughout the UK – so robust digital foundations had been already in place. The pandemic has simply additional entrenched the truth that companies must be extra adaptable and agile… working from dwelling, works!”
James Doyle, our operations workforce recruitment and on-boarding wizard agrees: “the outcomes have been superb, and groups throughout our 4 workplaces at the moment are nearer than ever earlier than. We’ve discovered about flaws in the best way we had been doing issues earlier than, and we’ve additionally saved loads of time by bringing the workplaces collectively. I’m so pleased with everybody who has performed a job on this course of, and the way rapidly they’ve all tailored. It provides me confidence that no matter problem is thrown at Octopus subsequent, we’re effectively up for it!”
