RECOGNITION
TM FORUM
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“ My team is small but my colleagues are mighty !”
What about perks ? And the working environment ? Quite unusually , I get all my travel to work paid for . I had to double-check it wasn ’ t a typo in my contact but it ’ s real ! All travel into the office falls to the organisation to settle . It really is a fantastic perk . The physical office space is light , airy and open plan , which I love . It makes for great team collaboration .
What ’ s your office Christmas party like ? This will be my first and I think we ’ re taking over an entire bar for the afternoon and evening . Sounds both fun and fearsome !
Does the organisation do anything different to the norm when a new employee joins ? My onboarding has been predominantly online with prerecorded training tutorials . I wasn ’ t sure how I was going to get on with these but it has had me up and running quickly – possibly more so than if the onboarding was done by a human .
What ’ s your team like ? My team is small but my colleagues are mighty ! Everyone has been hugely welcoming and making sure I have everything I need to succeed .
What would they say about you ? I ’ m not sure yet …! But after my final interview , when I was put in front of the CEO , I was told he never makes a decision without reflecting on it overnight … Then literally one hour later I got a call with a job offer ! He said I ’ d made a positive impact and he could already see the value I could bring , not only to his world but to the organisation as a whole . And after one week my line manager said she feels like I ’ ve been working with her for six months already . So , I think I must be doing something right !
Finally , what are your top tips for senior level PAs looking to create a great culture in their organisation ? I ’ ve got four key points here :
w Be honest , transparent and communicative . w Keep your dignity and integrity intact when all around you are losing theirs . w Be helpful and supportive to your colleagues and peers because you never know when you ’ ll need them . w Always bring your most positive self to work – but tell someone if you ’ re feeling less like you , bringing us back to point one above . S
Summer Issue 2025 | Executive PA 29