In 2020, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming new colleagues to Silo AI almost every week. In total, we’ve already had close to 50 new colleagues join us this year! At the same time, the team has been working fully remote for almost half a year. Therefore, everyone who has started during this time, has also been onboarded and welcomed remotely. Here’s how we strive to make your journey to Silopolis start off well, despite the current special requirements.
Preparing for the takeoff – Before your start
Once you sign your employment contract, our People team (myself and Tuuli) immediately puts the onboarding ball rolling. As a first thing, you will receive a welcome email with some initial information and action points. One of Silo AI’s much-liked traditions is to welcome all our new employees on our social media channels once they start, and for this purpose, we will ask for your photo and bio. Usually our existing team, our clients and possible future employees love to follow the stream of talents joining our team! In addition, you will receive our Culture Book “A Traveler’s Guide to Silopolis” that helps you familiarize yourself with Silo AI already before your first day.
Arrival to Silopolis – Your first days
Your first day at Silo AI starts with an onboarding session with me or Tuuli. You can choose to meet either remotely or at our office space. In this first meeting, you will learn about e.g. our company values, ways of working, benefits, and important cultural concepts such as Learning Lab and Silo Social activities (more on these in the next chapter).
After the onboarding session, you will connect with your SiloBuddy, who is responsible for taking the newbie for a (virtual) welcome lunch and for helping you out in general if needed. Also, the Site Lead of your “home base” (Turku, Helsinki, Oulu or Stockholm) will have a short chat with you during your first days.
To support the onboarding, you will get a personal project board. In the board, you will find basic tasks like “Get your access badge” and “Fill the onboarding survey” but also some more engaging assignments like “Ask feedback from someone” or “Download E-Passi sports benefit app”. In addition, your onboarding board contains information on which Slack channels to join and who to ask for help with different topics – to give a few examples. First day is full of new information and excitement, so the onboarding board will be your tool to remember everything!
From day 1, I was blown away by the amount of effort Silo AI puts into onboarding. This is the best way to onboard I have seen so far: a project board with pre-created tickets to work on at your own pace, actively learning company tools and practices. When it comes to support and newbie questions you tend to have, the People team rocks!” Dmitry, Lead AI Scientist
After all internal info, you will learn more about the actual work – for most of our employees, it means the project you will be joining. Project onboarding can be led either by Silo’s Project Owner or by the client. Even though it’s important to get going with client work, we want to reserve enough time for internal onboarding to ensure a smooth transition and a sense of belonging to the Silo AI team.
At Silo AI, onboarding doesn’t end after your first day, but the process and progress continue throughout the first six months. We want to support our new employees, take time to discuss possible concerns and understand where we could do better. You are always welcomed to share your thoughts and ideas, but we will also book special time for that during your first months.
Navigating in Silopolis – Making the most of your journey
In addition to “official” stuff, there are plenty of things to attend as a member of Silopolis! On Fridays, we have a team lunch to meet colleagues, and of course – enjoy the food sponsored by the company. During the remote setting, we offer a possibility to order the lunch at home and join our virtual meeting with fun games and casual chatting. If you like to socialize, you can also join our company-supported Silo Social activities or suggest your own! We have e.g. had board game nights, cable surfing, bouldering, and (virtual) beer tasting.
Most Fridays you can also participate in company workshops or Research Club, which are both parts of our beloved Learning Lab concept. Workshops focus on different topics, ranging from hard to soft skills. Some previous topics include client communication, project ownership, and feedback skills. In the weekly Research Clubs, we typically focus on a certain scientific discovery and paper, often inviting someone who has done the research to share his/her knowledge. In addition, everyone has a personal self-development budget, which means time and money allocated for you to use in online courses, seminars, books, or whatever supports your growth!
It was great to see that there is a clear culture of continuous learning, knowledge-sharing, and active communication ingrained in Silo! The warm welcoming and introduction to the team gave me a positive feeling about our culture.” – Juho, Designer
A transition to a completely new company with novel ways of working might sometimes feel challenging at the beginning. If you have concerns about stress, relationships, self-leadership, or something else, you can book a remote coaching package with Auntie. Auntie is a mental health service used at Silo AI. We know that work is not always just fun and easy – especially during these strange times.
Ready for your next adventure?
Even though there are many things to learn, remember, and try as a new employee, don’t worry! We – People team and the entire Silopolis crew – are more than happy to help and support you. It doesn’t really matter what you remember after your first days: What matters to us is that you know you are not alone on your learning journey!
We are constantly looking for AI experts in Finland and in Sweden. You can see all our open positions here.
