First week in new WFH job has been weird
Discussion
Thanks all
I did ask about the managers role but they wanted someone with specific experience which I lack. They had two final candidates but one pulled out as they had another offer. So it looks like this final person is the one.
Had a couple more calls which were good. Spoke with a colleague in Singapore who is actually Australian. Spent a good hour or more going over lots of little things which I was confused about
I don't think there is huge cause for concern. Please note that I moved from a public sector role into a completely alien private sector consultant role. So for me it's extremely different.
EDIT: oh and I also get to choose my own technical laptop (as in for hands on work). The suggested item is a Dell Inspiron with an Intel i9 with 64gb ram
I did ask about the managers role but they wanted someone with specific experience which I lack. They had two final candidates but one pulled out as they had another offer. So it looks like this final person is the one.
Had a couple more calls which were good. Spoke with a colleague in Singapore who is actually Australian. Spent a good hour or more going over lots of little things which I was confused about
I don't think there is huge cause for concern. Please note that I moved from a public sector role into a completely alien private sector consultant role. So for me it's extremely different.
EDIT: oh and I also get to choose my own technical laptop (as in for hands on work). The suggested item is a Dell Inspiron with an Intel i9 with 64gb ram
Equus said:
Zetec-S said:
Nothing useful to add, just reminds me of this old internet classic... 
https://sites.google.com/site/forgottenemployee/
In his autobiography, 'Not much of an Engineer', Sir Stanley Hooker related the tale that when he started with Rolls Royce, they basically put him in an office of his own and forgot about him.https://sites.google.com/site/forgottenemployee/
Out of sheer boredom, he eventually occupied himself doing the calculations that would later prove essential to supercharging the Merlin aero engine and the development of compressors for early jet engines.
Similar situation
Joined a big company doing PS (I'm a network engineer/consultant) although none of the on boarding problems.
Remote position, with deployment on site - standard stuff for PS. Don't really have a manager which has been difficult on occasion. My first position starting remote off the bat and I have found it difficult to integrate, took me a lot longer than normal where you're in the office for a few weeks or being teamed up with people to get involved with work.
Ok now, settled in and churning work out.
Sounds like a small company to me, so might be a s
t show. Maybe just wait it out to settle in, make it your own if its a small company. Could be a good opportunity. I've managed to gel with team mates all over the world via teams or whatever it was at the time, just takes time.
Joined a big company doing PS (I'm a network engineer/consultant) although none of the on boarding problems.
Remote position, with deployment on site - standard stuff for PS. Don't really have a manager which has been difficult on occasion. My first position starting remote off the bat and I have found it difficult to integrate, took me a lot longer than normal where you're in the office for a few weeks or being teamed up with people to get involved with work.
Ok now, settled in and churning work out.
Sounds like a small company to me, so might be a s
t show. Maybe just wait it out to settle in, make it your own if its a small company. Could be a good opportunity. I've managed to gel with team mates all over the world via teams or whatever it was at the time, just takes time. Interesting to hear your experiences and it's good you're starting to find your feet. As you say, in an office you build all these relationships quicker - even just by seeing people day-to-day.
It's been good overall. I teams messaged someone in Australia yesterday who is a part of my team and had the ability to give me access to something. He replied and like everyone else was very welcoming - "hello mate, great to hear from you and welcome... " etc.
My senior boss (as my manager position is vacant) is also good. He's American so sometimes hard to read but he is relaxed and I am getting more used ot it.
End of Week 2 today
Put in some annual leave requests which have all been approved. Boss also said they're really flexible with oncall weekends (this is only during 9-5 hours). You also get £175 for each oncall day worked which is pretty good
Company is about 2000 people across the globe
It's been good overall. I teams messaged someone in Australia yesterday who is a part of my team and had the ability to give me access to something. He replied and like everyone else was very welcoming - "hello mate, great to hear from you and welcome... " etc.
My senior boss (as my manager position is vacant) is also good. He's American so sometimes hard to read but he is relaxed and I am getting more used ot it.
End of Week 2 today
Put in some annual leave requests which have all been approved. Boss also said they're really flexible with oncall weekends (this is only during 9-5 hours). You also get £175 for each oncall day worked which is pretty good
Company is about 2000 people across the globe
It's difficult to be a new joiner under WFH arrangements unless you were brought in by an ex manager who can settle you in.
I would say visibility and trying to get into all the different working groups is the way. But show some people savvy and read the room before you come across as being too pushy and not a team player. It is even more difficult as it's very difficult to read people through a non-HD screen and internet connection.
Keep chipping away at it.
I would say visibility and trying to get into all the different working groups is the way. But show some people savvy and read the room before you come across as being too pushy and not a team player. It is even more difficult as it's very difficult to read people through a non-HD screen and internet connection.
Keep chipping away at it.
Thanks for the advice, it's been a difficult week and quite frustrating.
I've now got client work but not the equipment to complete it as it's still in the ordering process.
Two clients had to send me some physical items and as there is no UK based office, I had to give them my own home address which I feel a bit weird about. I think they do too as they asked me for assurance it would be kept secure (shrug?!). I did look online at delivery options to shops/depots/post offices but it was unclear and I was on a short timeframe but I do need to look into this.
Similarly, I don't have a work phone. This is difficult as soon I will be on-call, and expected to make international calls. When I raised it someone said "You can claim the expenses back" - but that then involves going through by bill identifying the calls. On the same note one of the clients I mentioned before asked me for a number (just for the delivery process of the items) and I had no option but to give them my personal number.
..
I don't think the company are being deliberately poor, I just think it's due to a lack of UK manager, so it's just me working UK hours and the only other UK people are sales/advisory people/other teams. I'm starting to cross paths with them now but it's still weird and I feel a bit isolated by it all.
Not unhappy just a bit frustrated and unsettled about things that went on this week
I've now got client work but not the equipment to complete it as it's still in the ordering process.
Two clients had to send me some physical items and as there is no UK based office, I had to give them my own home address which I feel a bit weird about. I think they do too as they asked me for assurance it would be kept secure (shrug?!). I did look online at delivery options to shops/depots/post offices but it was unclear and I was on a short timeframe but I do need to look into this.
Similarly, I don't have a work phone. This is difficult as soon I will be on-call, and expected to make international calls. When I raised it someone said "You can claim the expenses back" - but that then involves going through by bill identifying the calls. On the same note one of the clients I mentioned before asked me for a number (just for the delivery process of the items) and I had no option but to give them my personal number.
..
I don't think the company are being deliberately poor, I just think it's due to a lack of UK manager, so it's just me working UK hours and the only other UK people are sales/advisory people/other teams. I'm starting to cross paths with them now but it's still weird and I feel a bit isolated by it all.
Not unhappy just a bit frustrated and unsettled about things that went on this week
Find out the process for the IT equipment and put a ticket in?
You will probably find that they seek approval from your boss, then a nice new phone arrives.
Sounds like part of the induction for new starters is left to line managers who are clueless / not trained.
If they can't do the simple stuff, what happens when something difficult comes up
You will probably find that they seek approval from your boss, then a nice new phone arrives.
Sounds like part of the induction for new starters is left to line managers who are clueless / not trained.
If they can't do the simple stuff, what happens when something difficult comes up
Countdown said:
Doesn't everybody use Teams to make calls, especially when WFH? It just follows you around so wherever you log in from all your calls are diverted direct to you. It means that IT dont have to provide anybody with landlines or even mobile phones if they're not genuinely "mobile".
In this case it is for clients who want to text an encryption key, or something similar like that. Also with on-call, I will need to make international calls. I don't think you can do that through Teams.
Actually you may be able to but I don't think we have that option set up according to something I read on one chat the other day
Countdown said:
Doesn't everybody use Teams to make calls, especially when WFH? It just follows you around so wherever you log in from all your calls are diverted direct to you. It means that IT dont have to provide anybody with landlines or even mobile phones if they're not genuinely "mobile".
Chats, emails, messages, files opened, files being worked on, file edits and calls are all tracked by Teams/ MS. Just as you will see those who turn on the camera even though they aren't presenting during Teams meetings, you will have those who love making a large number of calls to spruce up their activity metrics. And people complained about putting in "office-time" only a few years ago?!Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff