Onboarding at two locations. Boldly into the team – Part 2

Hi Linus, at Arineo, two other dual students and most of the trainees work at the head office in Göttingen. So, it’s not easy to interact with them. But you were able to get to know them all. How was that organized?

Linus: Yes, I had the opportunity to visit the Göttingen office on a business trip. During this visit, I was able to meet the majority of the students and trainees. I must admit I was surprised by the diversity in age distribution: alongside trainees who are traditionally in their early 20s, we also have some who didn’t start their training immediately after school and are therefore considerably older. Regarding the schedule of the day, there’s quite a bit to mention. Initially, there was a joint round of introductions with all new employees, including the management and training supervisors. We talked mainly about how we became aware of Arineo and the effectiveness of various measures to recruit new employees. It was nice to see how open the communication was with the management and that a friendly atmosphere was present right from the start. After this first round of introductions, it was straight on to the next one with the other trainees and students. These insights were also very interesting – especially to see in which areas the other students work and how their tasks differ from mine. For me, the insight into web design and website development was definitely the most interesting, as I had never seen it like that before. After a short lunch break, we went on a tour of the building, including a round of office golf, and in the evening, we had dinner together.

Were there any unexpected surprises or funny moments on your first day at work?

Linus: The first day was rather unspectacular. As mentioned earlier, it was more about getting acquainted with the location, learning about various policies, and getting some initial tasks done. In contrast, there was a surprise during the onboarding in Göttingen. The office golf, as mentioned earlier, was quite unexpected. We went through part of a former bank building, where the headquarters in Göttingen is located. It was very exciting to visit the old bank vaults and ATMs. Definitely an event that I didn’t expect on that day.

What impressed or perhaps surprised you the most on this particular onboarding day?

Linus: The friendly relationship with the managing directors really surprised me. Of course, you read a lot beforehand about Arineo’s focus on innovative management concepts and a friendly, open relationship among all employees. However, actually experiencing it was something else.

Did the onboarding day help you to build connections with your trainee colleagues?

Linus: Yes, definitely. By the time dinner came around, conversations were flowing naturally. The previous opportunities to chat with new employees and trainees also helped us to get to know the people better. In that regard, it was convenient to use this onboarding day as an opportunity to connect with other colleagues.

And does the contact continue, and if so, how is it maintained?

Linus: Of course, it is sometimes difficult to maintain contact over a long distance when we rarely see each other in person. Nevertheless, there are some Teams meetings with all the apprentices, and recently, I was invited to join another group. This allows us to see each other from time to time and we can exchange information about our progress or give each other tips on how to successfully complete our studies or training.

Many thanks, Linus, and good luck for the next semester. We’re already looking forward to hearing from you afterward.