Recruitment process at ANIXE from Joanna's point of view
It’s no secret that starting out in a new workplace is exciting - it’s a brand new chapter in our career. Joanna, our new Supplier Integration Project Manager, joined ANIXE not that long ago. She has had a very successful career in the IT sector but wanted to find her ideal work place. We asked her about the recruitment process she went through with ANIXE and her impressions during the interview and first days in the company.
How did you come across with ANIXE?
My story with ANIXE started quite normally. One day, I decided it’s time for a change and I began looking for a company that would offer me some new challenges and at the same time also attract me with its organizational culture and hold the same values as me: transparency, win-win relationships, comfortable work atmosphere, and lack of dress-code. I decided that I would not blindly shoot out job offers, but I would look at the companies my friends recommend on LinkedIn. This is how I came across ANIXE for the first time.
What intrigued you about ANIXE?
I was intrigued by the name of ANIXE and it’s connecting the "travel" industry with "IT", which interestingly is unique within the Polish market. I was curious about what ANIXE offers and which one of these solutions would be for the future. And also, ANIXE has an office in Athens! Then I thought “Hmm, that would be it!”. Usually, the companies where I had worked had their headquarters in northern countries, while Greece is especially close to my heart, so there was a thought - it could be a different and nice business culture. Another thing that encouraged me to apply to ANIXE was the size of the company – for me the perfect number of people working in a company is around 100-200. I already knew that I did not want to go back to corporate life, but also a small company didn’t fit me either. However, with such a number of employees at ANIXE, there is usually a friendly, sometimes even family atmosphere, meaning you can work really well.
How did the recruitment process look like?
In one word – PROFESSIONAL. The first stage of recruitment - an initial interview – was made by phone with Ania, the recruiter. She is professional in her approach, she was very specific and asked really 'meaningful' questions. The next stage was a meeting at the office. The conversation lasted for over an hour, but thanks to the way it was conducted I felt like it was just a moment. And again, the professionalism of the recruiters made a great impression on me. The questions that I was asked were directly related to my CV and experience, which meant they actually had read my CV carefully. The important thing was that there were no questions like "Explain the concept of "database" in three sentences so that an 8-year-old kind can understand it" or "How many coins would fit in this room". Instead of that they asked me about important things like “What did you do as a Product Owner?”, “How did you verify their compliance with customer requirements?”, “How did you introduce Agile to the company?” or “On what basis did you verify which SCRUMO ceremonies / artifacts function well?” Their approach assured me that they were looking for someone unconventional and real, not a person who would simply fit into a predetermined model.
What was your first impression when you entered the office?
Right after entering the office, my attention was drawn by the office design, which was diametrically different from those which I was used to working in. None of my previous places made such an impression on me - because of the interesting design, refinement, originality, but also the aesthetics and practicality. It was the cherry on the top for me. Frankly, we spend about 8 hours in an office every day, so it is an important element of our lives. I was very happy when Ania suggested a short tour of the office, so I could see more than just the entrance.
How do you evaluate your first day in ANXE?
There was a little stress to be honest, a lot of new faces and presentations, but it was really nice to feel that the girls from HR do try to take care and reduce the stress for the new-comers. All the people were friendly from the beginning and everyone was smiling. We also received schedules with information about the training waiting for us over the next few days and a guide about how the onboarding period would look like for the next 3-6 months.