Life at Six & Flow: Why Dave Joined

I lost my previous role right at the start of the pandemic. I had been working for an Event Management company for sixteen years, and it suddenly went into liquidation (like so many other business in this sector over the last year). My wife and I then found out that she was pregnant only four days after being made redundant...a scary position to be in. No job and a new baby on the way, plus a lot of uncertainty with the pandemic. 

As we were faced with the first lockdown, we decided to take advantage of the situation and not rush into a new role straight away. Instead, I enjoyed five months of father/son time with William, our four-year-old son.  Looking back, it was time I would never have had and I am so grateful to have been able to spend that time with him. Once pre-school reopened, I could really focus on my next challenge-searching for my next role! 

A strong team culture, a fun and creative working environment, and an organisation that was growing were key non-negotiables for any future role. 

Beginning the interview process

Fast forward almost six months after being made redundant, I got 'the call.' Well...it was actually an email from Rich, our MD, inviting me to an initial call. It was one I don't think either of us will forget...especially when his young son burst through the door naked. I immediately thought, "This is a great company to work for, showing how everyone is just trying their best with working from home and juggling priorities."

The interview process was very comprehensive. I can see a six-stage process putting off some people. My advice though? Stick with it. A comprehensive recruitment process was good for both of us; giving a chance to understand Six & Flow, but also vice versa, for them to know me better and whether I'd be a good fit for them.

At every stage, things were executed very well and on point. From start to finish, it was about two weeks, so each stage felt like it moved along quickly. I understood the business culture early on and from the initial call with our MD, Senior Management interviews, external interviews and a role play, it felt effortless. The 'speed dating' was a really clever last stage; gaining internal buy-in to the new candidate as well as allowing the interviewee an opportunity to speak to the wider team, prior to joining.

The onboarding experience

To be honest, I was interested to see how this would play out. I was expecting and accepted there would undoubtedly be some holes in the onboarding process... but wow, they nailed it. With role expectations shared and a carefully structured onboarding plan introduced from Day 1, it was clear the onboarding was meticulously planned.

With regular weekly and monthly catch up calls with Sarah, our Ops Director, plus daily calls with Charlotte, our Head of Sales, a caring and empathetic ear was there to listen and guide you through each stage. I can safely say at no point did I feel disconnected with both my team and the business. It was quite the opposite, I never felt more on board.

Looking back on my first month

The first three weeks were purposefully spent immersing myself in all things marketing and Six & Flow. The online courses (provided by our partners HubSpot and Drift) were specifically selected for my role, giving me a brilliant baseline knowledge. Shadowing client calls and listening to previous recordings armed me with the specifics. Finally, a bucketload of internal resources and content helped put all my other learnings all into place.

After three weeks on the team, my daughter Sophia was born. What was extra special was the number of messages we received from colleagues I had NEVER met. The gift we received through the post was also a lovely touch. You would have though I'd been part of the team for three years, not three weeks! But do you know what? That's just Six & Flow! 

My role: Business Development Manager 

I'm the Business Development Manager, which is a role that sits within the Growth team. I'm known for my enthusiasm, that I enjoy having fun at work, and that above all, I love people. I love interacting with and nurturing clients, understanding what they are wanting to achieve and why, and then being able to deliver a tailored solution that will help them achieve their goals. 

What I enjoy the most about Six & Flow 

These are the few things I enjoy most about Six & Flow: 

I love all the tech we use here. Some of it is totally mind-blowing and I can see first hand the benefits they provide our clients.

I love that as a business, we try, break, and learn on most new apps and software. Those are three words new colleagues and customers hear plenty of times. ding what they are wanting to achieve and why, and then being able to deliver a tailored solution that will help them achieve their goals.

I love the people here at Six & Flow. I love the professionalism, and fun-loving nature of the whole team. Everyone is so collaborative without the need to ask. The fact that we are growing at such a rate is a testament to the hard work everyone puts in. I can't wait to see where it takes us and meet many more new faces (virtually, for now)!!