Introduction

My journey with Responsiv started when I sent over my application documents to a company that, as I believed, was a forward thinking, modern company with great potential to develop my career.

I was lucky enough to secure an initial interview with Henry and Heather, two members of the management team. The atmosphere they established during the interview made me feel at ease, and from this moment on I was sure I made the right choice in applying.

Because of the professional yet welcoming tone of the interview, I was able to best show my skills. It also made me certain that what I read about Responsiv as a potential employer was true, and an accurate translation of the company’s vision and mission was made.

Starting Out at Responsiv

On my first day, I was given a very warm welcome from Richard (CEO), Heather (Operations Director) and Henry (COO). Meeting the Management Team in such a way was already a big difference from my previous experience with large organisations I used to work for.

What followed, was an invitation to a local restaurant along with the rest of the team, where I was told that pub lunches are essential in keeping the team close and helps them switch off from work and have fun.

So refreshing!

Responsiv does a lot of social events and activities for their employees. This includes golf, adrenaline days, and bowling to name a few, with plans to organise paintballing, a trip to the wind tunnel, and many other social activities.

Within my first couple of weeks, the Marketing Team invited me to participate in the 3-day IBM Partner Regatta, as well as a top class Responsiv Christmas Party – 5 months ahead.

The social and mental wellbeing of the staff is very important for Responsiv and can be seen through their attentiveness to these activities and the benefits they offer.

Training and Opportunities

What I found truly impressive, is that before I have even started to work for Responsiv, I was offered a couple of funded courses, which will help me build a good foundation and introduction into the IT world, as my background was not IT-related.

This demonstrated to me how much Responsiv cares for its staff members, investing in them and treating them with value. When I joined, I learned that this is normal practice for Responsiv, and all staff members have been provided with the same opportunities and more. These opportunities for training and education are beneficial both for the business and for the employees’ individual careers.

From day one, a 30, 60, 90 plan was created for my professional growth and targets within Responsiv and my new role. Again, this proved to me how, despite being a relatively small company, Responsiv is structured and has very clear expectations from each individual. There has been consistent follow-ups for my development pan, with regular check-ins from my Line Manager to ensure my start is going as smoothly as possible.

To demonstrate this training, I have already completed a Business Analyst course. This will help me create process models and see which areas of the internal processes can be automated to reduce cost and improve efficiency. This is just one of the courses I have undertaken whilst at Responsiv but goes to show the variety of options available depending on where you and the company want your role to progress to.

Moving forward, as a Line Manager, I am looking to absorb as much knowledge as possible and use this rare opportunity of effective and efficient training to my own and Responsiv’s benefit.

Training here is not empty words, but reality with lots of variety!

Management Team

The senior management team is very approachable, either online or in-person in the office.

Reaching out to anyone from the top management team is not intimidating at all. In-line with the educational culture, they welcome questions/suggestions and are there to guide the team when needed. This is a huge contrast from my previous experiences where the senior management was isolated and looked from above on the less senior employees. Responsiv staff at all levels are available to give advice and help out when necessary.

The part that I loved most about Responsiv when I first started was that the senior leadership team and the board are thriving to give staff constant training to equip them with the knowledge that will help them explore their potential further. They are invested in my career and ensuring I can do best in my role, being confident and feeling supported.

So Far and Going Forward

The tasks that I have been given are interesting and serious, but still in line with my education and skills, so I am able to approach them with confidence.

Frequent training sessions on Responsiv products, starting from very basic IT theory to the how and why they became top-of-the-market products helps everyone become aware of how we deliver value. There is constant knowledge-sharing, which keeps not only new-joiners, but everybody up to date on products and projects; it is a key element of existing company culture

As a leader I need to understand the role of each of my line reports and educate myself with the technicalities as much as possible, to make sure my team is productive and efficient. The opportunities I have been exposed to in my time at Responsiv have started the process of this being a true reality.

As Responsiv is growing, with a new recruitment campaign launching, I am looking to plan how best to choose the talent that fits the Responsiv team. I have consistent 1-2-1 meetings with the Project Manager to map out current and future projects we have, allocating resources accordingly. Responsiv has a clear expectation to deliver what they promised, on time.