Working at Matillion: Starting a New Job in a Remote World
After researching your prospective employer, applying for an exciting role, going through the interview process, and finally getting the offer — you’re ready to start a new chapter. When joining a new company, it’s always been standard to visit their offices, meet some of the team and the managers in person, and build up that rapport throughout the interview process. However, in a remote environment, this just isn’t possible for most job seekers. That’s definitely been true about interviewing and working at Matillion.
Setting the right tone in a remote environment
Remote working is here to stay, so companies and job seekers are adjusting to this new way of onboarding. Matillion is no exception. We have grown our engineering team by 17 members since January 2021, with eight more scheduled to start soon.
To ensure our remote onboarding process is working well, we asked two new members of the team what about Matillion appealed to them and what their experience was like onboarding virtually.
Collaborative conversations
Here at Matillion, we strive to create an engaging interview process via Zoom. Graham Cook, who joined us as a Senior Software Engineer in March, felt engaged, even over the remote platform. “The second interview was really detailed but enjoyable. Collaborative conversations about code review, which were more of a conversation than a test, meant we all had a strong discussion on the tech. It gave me a great insight into working life at Matillion.”
Friendly and forward-looking
Dan Tydeman, Test Automation Engineer, joined us in January. Dan was instantly drawn in by the data integration platform that Matillion creates. “The main thing that interested me to apply was the plan for expansion (both company-wide and technology-wise), and in particular for me the aim to introduce more test automation to existing practices and build with automation in mind.” Dan felt this was demonstrated throughout the interview process: getting to complete the Technical Test (an exercise where candidates review code to demonstrate their knowledge) in his own time, and participating in interesting discussions on the tech itself, presented in a friendly and welcoming manner that aligned well to Dan’s attitude.
What made working at Matillion the right fit?
Both Graham and Dan enjoyed a swift and efficient offer process (We try not to hang around: Our goal is get decisions out quickly to all candidates!). Both candidates were interviewing with other companies: why did they choose Matillion?
“The opportunity to be the best version of ourselves”
Graham felt that it was very clear from speaking with members of his team that engineers here are “given the opportunity to be the best version of ourselves, and have the ability to expand and develop, and there is a culture of continuous improvement”. Another reason he chose Team Green over other opportunities was “the stability and growth potential of the sector itself. The fact that data transformation is a big area of growth, and Matillion particularly is a growing player in the sector means that you can be part of something with direction.”
Coming onboard, remotely: How do you make it work?
Ready to go from Day One
The biggest challenge companies face in a remote working world is remote onboarding. At Matillion, we start by initiating a conversation with new joiners and IT around the tools they will need to get the job done. Both Dan and Graham liked that equipment was delivered efficiently. On their first day, everything was ready, with easy-to-follow setup instructions and lots of hands-on support via zoom and Slack!
The Buddy system
Dan also enjoyed one of our favorite parts of onboarding – the buddy system. “The buddy system helped a lot, knowing I had someone I could ask any questions to at any time was invaluable,” he said. “Also, the amount of documentation available was massively useful as it allowed me to upskill quickly, and get to grips with the standardization. Coupled with the fact it has always been easy to get information from people as to where, who, or how to ask for help.”
A personal welcome
Graham also appreciated the introduction to the whole company, with a personal message on our company-wide Slack channel, and also a one-to-one meeting with Matthew, our CEO, and Vicki, our VP, People Ops. “This was unusual, and made me feel a part of the company straight away.”
Setting – and crushing – goals and objectives
Both Dan and Graham felt the encouragement to learn and develop professionally was massively influential to ensure a good first few months. Discussions around goals and objectives are frequent, and actionable processes are put in place for continuous development based on what each employee wants out of their career.
What’s been best so far?
When asked what his favorite thing about Matillion has been so far, Dan said, “The space to learn is amazing, it’s great to have the opportunity to develop myself. Access to Udemy and our monthly Hackdays have been very beneficial.”
Graham agreed, saying, “The ability to develop yourself is encouraged, not grudged.” And Graham’s favorite thing about Matillion?
“I think it would be the support and drive to do things properly using the latest methods and best practice, rather than just quickly (which so often is the case elsewhere.) Knowing you have the opportunity to do things right.”
Want to join our team?
Want to experience Matillion for yourself? If you are interested in joining a rapidly growing, market leading and innovative company with a focus on learning and development, take a look at our careers page and come join us!