Changes are good and stimulating. Interview with Ela from Customer Support
Starting at AUCTANE, Ela joined the team responsible for integrating clients into our platform. After 5 years, she decided it was time for a change and decided to switch positions. What brought her to this decision and how was the internal recruitment process? Ela shares her experiences on our blog.
Ela, you have been in a new position for a few weeks now. Tell us what you were doing before and what you are doing now at AUCTANE.
For 5 years I was in charge of implementing new courier modules, and for the last 2 years I did this for one of our key clients. Also changes to configurations already in place were our responsibility. My responsibilities also included liaising with the development teams in the area of reporting bugs found during the implementation process, as well as supporting the client during the launch of new implementations.
A few weeks ago, I joined the team in the Customer Support department, where I am responsible for supporting customers in resolving production issues. My duties will also include monitoring the performance of the system and responding to incidents that threaten its correct operation.
These are different departments and areas, but certainly what they have in common is building and maintaining lasting relationships with our customers.
What made you decide to make this change? Was it your decision or did you discuss it with your manager?
It was entirely my idea. There simply came a moment when I felt the need of a change. I was looking for new challenges, I wanted to learn something new or deepen the knowledge I had gained in my previous team. I value working at AUCTANE, so in the first instance I decided to see what my company offered. I found out about an internal recruitment opportunity and applied.
Let’sgo back to the beginning. Where did it start and how did the first recruitment phase go?
You could say it was such a standard internal recruitment. First of all, I had a pre-interview, where I learned what to expect when I joined the new team, what tasks awaited me and what I would be responsible for. I was convinced that this was the right direction to take, so I took part in another interview, this time a recruitment interview.
The interview took place in a pleasant atmosphere, because on the other side were my colleagues whom I already knew in the company, but at the same time it was also very professional. Colleagues very diligently checked my previous knowledge, meticulously checked my suitability for this next step in my career development.
Familiar faces on the other side made it easier to recruit or was there stress nonetheless?
There was some stress (laughs). As I said, the interview was very professional and I also tried to approach it that way, to show myself at my best and to prepare myself accordingly. Of course, the atmosphere was a bit different to the first time I applied for a job at AUCTANE, but I think both myself and my colleagues wanted to play open cards, to make sure we would fit together, working in the same team.
We already know that you passed this interview. Did you have to wait a long time for the final decision?
No, the decision was quick. There was a longer transition period, because it took a few months from the decision to actually taking up my duties in the new position. This was due to the fact that I had to close things in the previous team, I couldn’t leave it with open topics. I had my commitments, ongoing projects that I needed to complete or get to a stage where I could pass them on to team members before jumping into the new team full-time.
All the while, however, I was preparing to take on the tasks of my new position. In the last week before moving to the new team, I had daily onboarding meetings to learn my new responsibilities.
Also read: What keeps me at AUCTANE? The atmosphere! – An interview with Witek, Support Manager
Is your onboarding complete or are you still learning?
I am still learning all the time. I’ve been trained in the processes that apply to my new team and I am already performing some tasks on my own. For some of them, I have a supervisor watching over me, guiding me and suggesting how to approach them appropriately. In addition to this, I am also learning many products and tools that I have not been familiar with before.
Of course, this implementation process is shorter in my case anyway. A new person coming into the company would certainly have an extended onboarding. I already know the environment, the software and products, how to work with core teams, so I am certainly in a better position in this respect.
Now there’s a lot of learning ahead of you. Tell me, what benefits do you see in internal recruitment and what has the whole process given you in terms of your development?
Changes like this are really exciting and stimulating. I can learn new things, focus on new challenges. In my case, it has a positive effect on my motivation to work. It gives me the chance to try my hand at a new area without having to change the company or the team of people I work with.
Are you already thinking about the next steps of your development?
I think I will definitely have a lot to learn in the near future before I get to the level I would like to reach here. In addition, the team I have joined are very positive people and I would like to work with them for a long time. The desire to develop is one thing, but the atmosphere I have found here is another reason why I would like to be part of this team for a long time. However, I don’t rule out the possibility that I might want to change something else in the future.
Ela, thank you for the inspiring interview. We wish you success and interesting challenges in your new position. We are keeping our fingers crossed for you!
Thank you.
