First 100 days as an Intelexian

Today marks my 100 days at Intelex. My first hundred days as an Intelexian. It’s hard to believe it was just over four months that I sat on a plane towards Toronto about to start my onboarding in our corporate HQ. Time flies.

To mark this little milestone, I want to reflect on this journey and the company. What is it that actually made the last hundred days stand out for me?

People – In fact, Intelexians. That’s a thing. An official noun. Very smart and kind people who work extremely hard for the customers and also know how to have fun along the way! Clubs are another unique thing that I have enjoyed. By joining Intelex, you can choose any clubs you want to be part of. If you’re into building Lego, running, sport, video games, candy crush or baking, there will be something for everyone where Intelexians come together and share their love of an activity.

Fitness – I like sport, I really do, especially running. Still, I don’t think I ever had so much sport in my life before joining Intelex - and I love it! Sport is a big thing here. People are into many different sports, gym, F45 training, running and anything that keeps you fit. Once a month the whole company goes to F45 class together (F45 - intense cardio or resistance workout (sweating) for 45 minutes). Nothing better than getting moving during lunchtime. This is a very important part of the calendar, something not to be missed out on. Of course, if someone doesn’t want to take part that’s ok too as we support each other’s choices as a team! Sport is just a big part of our lives here. We also played golf after our QBR meeting. As I mentioned, I love running, but I would do 10k runs maybe twice a year and that’s it. Here, there’s a team who’s running Half Marathon in two weeks and I’m joining them. On my own, I wouldn’t be brave enough to even think I could run half marathon but I’m going to give it a go! I might be the last one in the team during the run but that’s not the point. I’m challenged to do something I wouldn’t even think of by myself. And that’s how we do it here – challenge and support each other. Did I mention that we have after-work running sessions booked in our calendars? But that’s not all! There’s also a ￡500 fitness allowance per year to be used towards anything fitness related. Great stuff. You’re basically encouraged to go out there and try different things, sign up for some cool sport lessons (I tried golf and my next lesson will be ice-skating) or buy your ski lift pass. Not too shabby.

Training and Education – The EMEA team is still growing. When I joined, there were just above twenty employees and now we’re around 35. How long can you be the ‘newby’ when there are more team members joining after you and you are expected to know what you’re doing. It’s amazing how much great training and education opportunities we receive as a team. Line managers are always here to answer questions and are just there for you. Every day brings a new lesson, but you are never left to figure things out on your own or put in uncomfortable situations. What Intelex is doing really well is investing in people. Numerous training sessions to choose from, delivered by highly regarded Learning team and their leaders. Generally, from onboarding to ongoing training, you are most set up with the tools for success.

Culture – Culture is almost the best differentiator for Intelex. It is recognized by many awards for best workplaces. For me the most important cultural value is that we all are culture ‘add’, and not culture ‘fit’. You are not required to fit in or blend in with everybody else. Instead, you are bringing your whole self to work, with all your likes and dislikes, principles and values and adding your perspective to the team. Your life outside work matters a lot. Having flexibility to do the school run when needed or work remotely is extremely important to me, and I am able to be flexible. Knowing that you and your family are most important value within the company is - invaluable.

Office – EMEA office is based in Reading Thames Tower. Sufficient to say, there is the best rooftop view in Reading, and great artisan coffee! This is an office place that provides stylish space and events, from talks and wellbeing (massage and manicure) to breakfasts and lunches for residents. 

Customers – I love working with our customers and getting to know them and their industries better. I’m fortunate to work with clients from different sectors, from chemical industry, to aviation and governmental institutions. I am learning a lot from them all. I enjoy looking at how well they are doing and knowing Intelex is a part of it. We have amazing clients who are making the world a better place, literally.

Customer Success – I’m proud to be part of a young and knowledgeable team, led by an inspiring young lady who is always there to point in the right direction. I love my role. Being in charge of my customers enables me to make sure I'm orchestrating what needs to happen for them and ensure they are experiencing real value from our technology. Also, did I mention that senior leadership are absolutely invested in every department and make a point of listening to our ideas and making things happen? Invaluable.

Going back to beginnings, it all started with Talent Acquisition. Before joining Intelex, I had an idea about the company I wanted to work for. It was important to join the place that will value me. Not only as a contributor but as an individual with likes, dislikes, personal goals and values. I was talking to many companies in the pursuit of the ‘great one’ – the one I would commit my time and talents to. I wasn’t always clear what I was after, but in that journey, it was definitely clear what I didn’t want to. And guess what? Intelex ticked the boxes I didn’t even know I had. The recruitment process was so smooth and straightforward. I felt that my time in conversation with every Intelexian was valued and focused. There were not endless ‘next stage interviews’ and unnecessary waste of time (likewise many other companies who are making recruitment process your full-time job!). Most importantly, as I was on a very tight deadline to review other offers, they were incredibly fast to give me the offer I was asking for, letting me know they wanted me, they valued me, and that they would act quickly. Worked well for me.

Onboarding – spending first two weeks in Toronto was the best possible start of a new role in a new company. Days went by quickly, filled with corporate learning and meeting other Intelexians, talking to them, finding out what is it we will be working on and how to make the most out of it. Even now, months after, our ‘onboarding class’ still has an active Teams chat that we’re using to chat and share information.

To summarise, in the last hundred days, we as a company had some great news and some sad news. We had the biggest acquisition in the EHSQ world that is propelling our product to EHSQ 4.0 ecosystem. We also experienced the loss of an inspiring colleague. All of it is part of our lives – lives that we happily bring to work every day. Cheers to many more days as an Intelexian!