I didn’t intend to switch jobs during a pandemic — it just sort of happened.
I’d been feeling emotionally depleted because of lockdown and wasn’t seeking a huge life change at the time. I was approached by Recharge to join the team as the first Technical Writer. As I went through the interview process and got to know leadership and my future team, I knew I had to jump on this amazing opportunity to make an impact.
What I didn’t know was how well I’d fit in with my new teammates or how seamless my transition to a new role would be.
I wasn’t sure what to expect on my first day — this was my first time onboarding to a remote role. Traditionally you’d walk in and someone would greet you and show you around. I wasn’t sure how that would all work virtually.
I received my brand new laptop a week before my official start date, and was told when to log in but didn’t know what my first few days would look like. I was so relieved to “meet” our training coordinator, Lisa. She planned out an easy-to-follow schedule for my first week and walked me through introductions and meeting my new team.
During the orientation process, I was also introduced to WFH initiatives like a stipend for work supplies and the option to rent coworking space if we need to get out of the house (and if it’s safe to do so in our part of the world). This really surprised me, because while other companies say they support a healthy work/life balance, they don’t go above and beyond to provide their employees the kind of support that Recharge does.
With a very open PTO policy, it is also easy to take time to recharge (get it??) when we need to. With the added stress of the pandemic, I also feel a huge weight off my shoulders knowing I won’t suddenly be called back to the office and have to weigh any risks.
I was very impressed with the structured onboarding process. We received face time with the CTO and Founder, which was really surprising to me. Usually, folks with those titles are too busy to meet with new hires. I was happily surprised that they made it a priority to get to know us!
My immediate team has been so welcoming. I feel so much support from my manager, who’s made sure to facilitate introductions with all the folks I’ll be working with day-to-day to improve our technical documentation.
My manager has felt like a partner in tackling problems, not someone I just report to. My team is international, so you’d think it would be difficult to really connect with everyone. That has not been the case at all. We meet every Friday as a team to discuss priorities and strategy while always leaving time to talk about what life is like in our different corners of the world.
My favorite topics so far are what was popular when we were in high school and our delicious regional cuisine. My manager, Kayla, let out an audible gasp when I said I’d never tried poutine. Conversely, being from the Texas/Mexico border, I’m very suspicious of the “authentic” Mexican food she says she gets in Ontario.
I’m in my 5th week at Recharge and I’ve never been this excited to come to work every day. The company is small, but they’ve really got a handle on making their employees feel welcomed and like we matter.
