Indeed’s Vice President of Client Success describes her virtual onboarding experience
Glenda Kirby is a Vice President of Client Success at Indeed focused on the European markets. She is also the Executive Sponsor of Indeed’s Women at Indeed Inclusion Resource Group. Glenda comes from an engineering background and loves technology. She lives with her husband, Stuart, and their two children in Dublin, spending time outdoors and critiquing her husband’s great cooking!
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Throughout my career, I’ve had the pleasure of building teams across the globe that have focused on many different disciplines from transformation, change management, support and technology with the main constant being a focus on the customer engagement and satisfaction. My passion is working with teams that are agile, innovative and have the ability to execute and share ideas. With the ever-changing world we face today, I’ve seen my team at Indeed demonstrate this from the very beginning.
I applied to work at Indeed just before the business moved to working from home in March this year. Nervous feelings were very real for me at the beginning as I pondered the prospect of a new leadership position all while homeschooling my son and looking after my 3-year-old daughter.I experienced the Indeed culture first hand through my Executive Recruiter, Valentina who had such a welcoming nature and demonstrated such enthusiasm throughout the hiring process.
Setting a tone of understanding
Our Chief Revenue Officer, Nolan Farris, met with me shortly after I started and asked how I was doing. I told him that I was nervous about minding my kids and starting a new role. His words were so kind, compassionate, and have stuck with me since the beginning!
“I have 4 children and I’m nervous about homeschooling too. Your home is their territory and never be worried about children being around during your day.” He assured me children are always welcome.
Day one
My first day of onboarding, started a little different than usual, with an honest discussion about my “assistant” I’d have with me throughout the day. (My son was just as excited about day one as I was!).
The onboarding team were incredibly understanding and allowed for lots of breaks to accommodate any personal commitments I had. (My daughter was hiding somewhere in the background of this picture).
The training itself did actually surprise me as it was in-depth and technical from the get-go. I couldn’t believe the array of products Indeed has to offer and the trainers did an outstanding job keeping me engaged and providing a really safe space for optimal learning.
Building my work from home setting
Courtesy of Indeed, I used two $500 stipends to upgrade my working from home set up. My new desk should arrive soon and I’ve been enjoying the regular kitchen banter with my husband. Swapping commute time for family time and trading my high heels for slippers have also been a real added bonus, but it is important to try and separate your work and home life the best way you can.
Belonging in a remote world
Technology has really improved throughout the ten years I’ve been managing teams remotely, so I do feel I had a slight advantage when meeting my team for the first time. They were so welcoming and held a happy hour in my honour alongside a quick-fire Q&A session about me.
There’s nothing quite like being put on the spot in front of your entire team to accelerate the getting to know each other process. Thoughtful acts like this created a real sense of belonging for me early on.
Although there is no substitute for face-to-face interactions, some of the most inspiring ideas for our department has been a result of coffee mornings and open office hours with the entire team. So, who knows what sort of innovation the future holds?⠀⠀
Advice for changing jobs in an uncertain environment
If you’re a job seeker looking for a new opportunity right now, it’s important to know what you are looking for. Figure out what’s important to you at this stage of your career and life.
Be honest and upfront about your non-negotiables while stretching yourself and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
Before making my move to Indeed, I acknowledged my need for a challenge that allowed me to be innovative, as well as offering a fast-paced, agile environment. Company culture is also so important! I’d encourage anyone considering a new company to try and connect with as many people as possible at the company, to really understand what the culture is.
There are a lot of amazing opportunities popping up at the moment and never before have we been faced with such a flexible working environment. Now is the time to challenge the status quo and be brave when choosing your next opportunity.
The journey continues
As I reflect on my time since joining Indeed, I’m struck by how much senior leadership really believes in the power of staying connected. Now that I’m settled into my role, connecting with them is a given at least three times a week, alongside small daily acts like wishing each other a good day.
I truly appreciate how human this time has made us all feel and working for a company that has values aligned with mine reminds me that I’ve made the right decision to join Indeed.
Hear more from Glenda in this “Here to Help” series interview with our VP of Diversity Incisuion & Belonging, LaFawn Davis
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=fE6m3ayzILY&ab_channel=Indeedhttps://soundcloud.com/insideindeed/here-to-help-episode-20-with-glenda-kirby-vp-of-cs-emea-executive-sponsor-for-women-at-indeed
Learn more about the virtual onboarding experience as an Engineer at Indeed and 4 lessons learned from working from home on our #insideindeed culture blog.
