My first year – By Brian Sparkes
I can’t believe that it’s coming up to my first year working at San-it. What a year it’s been!
Right from the start, back in April 2018 I was made to feel welcome by all the team. When I first walked in, there was a real buzz in the atmosphere, everyone was laughing, joking and talking about what they’d been up to at the weekend.
When everyone had arrived, we started the day with a team induction – everyone introduced themselves, described their job role and a bit about their hobbies and likes. I have to say, as someone who is not overly confident in speaking to a group, it was a very relaxed way to get to know everyone in a short space of time.
Back in the office we got stuck in to the daily routine. I was given an induction buddy, shown all the different software’s that I needed to use to do my job effectively. Some of which I had used before and others I had never even heard of. By the end of my first day my brain was swelling with information. The first two weeks, every day was somewhat the same, processing information, getting to know software, and most importantly getting to know the team I was working with.
Something that really helped me in the first few weeks was everyone’s willingness to help, nothing was too much trouble, no matter how many questions I asked…and I asked a lot! As soon as I was comfortable with everything, I jumped in feet first.
San-iT invest a lot in training and the wellbeing of their staff. We have regular training sessions with a leadership coach, a chap called Martin Murphy. He has been inspirational in his coaching. Some of the discussions around Elite Teams, coaching and leadership have given me the courage and opportunity to discover leadership qualities in myself. The Elite Team concept is fantastic. Smaller groups working well together to achieve a common goal. Everyone knowing what the other is working on, everyone helping, everyone taking responsibility for daily tasks, supporting customers and supporting each other.
Before I knew it, six months had been and gone. I had finished my induction and believe that I had firmly cemented myself within the team, and the company.
The last few months have been great too; I have seen myself grow as a person. I have become involved in a number of different projects, taking on a facilitator role within the team, helping them to be more effective as well as working closely with other teams to complete objectives.
As I come to the end of my first year, I am thinking; I don’t know where it’s gone, it has really flown by. The people that I work with are colleagues, they are friends and together it’s what makes San-iT a great place to work.
I feel immensely proud, of what I have achieved in my first year, and that I am contributing to a company that appreciates my efforts. It’s great to be getting acknowledgement for doing things well, and team support on the rare occasions that it doesn’t. I feel that I come to work everyday because I want to – not because I have to.
I am looking forward what the future brings, by continuing to grow as a person, personally and within the company. To continue pushing myself to learn new tech and software with a company that encourages it, and to continue working with a company that sees each employee as not just a number, but a valued member of their team.
