It’s all part of the process

Starting a new role can be daunting, but at eg it’s all part of the process

Starting a new job can be daunting. Many new-starters face a minefield of complex new processes, different systems to learn and numerous names to remember… and that’s if there are suitable processes and systems in place, to begin with.

Quite often inductions (which can be arduous, but absolutely crucial), fall to the wayside and newcomers are expected to ‘find their own way’. However, this isn’t throwing someone in to the deep end, this is throwing someone in to the deep end, blindfolded. It will take a lot longer for companies to leverage a new employee’s full expertise if they do not provide them with the foundational information, which will enable them to get on and actually do their job. I have worked in marketing for a long time, across a variety of disciplines and this has been my experience numerous times. This is nobody’s fault; new roles often crop up because an existing team is overstretched and fitting the time in to induct a new starter and go through the rigmarole of navigating the shared drive is a commitment they simply cannot afford. I have now come to expect this when starting afresh.

However, joining eg technology has been very different.

From day one (obviously after having signed contracts, non-disclosures and confidentiality agreements), information has been at my fingertips. There is a process in place for every occurrence and each of these is clearly signposted, documented and linked via the company’s thorough induction. ‘Organised’ doesn’t come close, and it is thoroughly refreshing! I have been thrown in at the deep end, but have been provided with breathing equipment, a wet suit and a full aquatic support team.

More often than not, as companies grow, they have to retrofit an infrastructure and as such a process. Systems are applied like an exoskeleton to hold together an already siloed team and optimise existing procedures. However, at eg the processes aren’t here to ‘tick a box’, they are not ancillary; they are embedded, they are arterial and they are thoroughly thought through. Process is deep routed in eg’s culture and as such, forms the backbone of everything we do. For somebody who is new to the company, it means that there is a well-trodden route to navigate systems and everything is easy to find and well documented. This means I am not spending my day trying to work out where an existing social media plan is saved or trying to work out the filing system; everything is clear and I have instructions and guidance at my fingertips. I also have unwavering support from the full team, which has been incredibly enabling. I have therefore been able to get on and do what I was employed to do, from the get-go!

With the exception of helping new employees, is this process-driven culture important?

Within the product design and development industry, it is vital. We have extensive experience across a wide range of specialisms, but much of what we do focuses on the design and development of medical devices, where traceability, verification and validation are crucial. The process of getting a product through to transfer to manufacture is highly involved, extremely collaborative and requires thorough documentation and complete visibility from start to finish. We fully understand that each project isn’t just about the end product, it is about the journey taken to get the product where it needs to be, and sometimes beyond that!

Every single project we run has a dedicated project manager, who oversees the full, end-to-end design and development programme and maps how the client and their requirements fit holistically into this. We understand that siloes do not work and are not an accepted part of life at egt, so our methods are not only thorough but also open and collaborative.