I have a new job!
Yes, I am returning to my roots as an agency recruiter, and will once again be working for a recruitment business. But not just any business; I will be entering a world that is new to me, and joining a start-up.
To many, the thought of joining a brand-new company is not one they would readily entertain, however, I am keen to experience something new. Why? Let me tell you.
I started life as a recruiter working for an uber-corporate, boisterous agency in London that was rapidly growing – the absolute epitome of a work hard, play harder culture. The graduate mentality was well and truly knocked out of me and I thrived in the environment, spurred on by the phenomenal achievements of those around me. Fast-forward 8 years and I decided to make the move ‘in-house.’ I was ready for a complete change, so I took an opportunity working for a globally established advertising business. Following this I secured a role working for Lego, who I humbly feel are the gold-standard when it comes to an employer. I was once again surrounded by creative, inspirational, hard-working people who made me want to be better at my job. I felt I now had a handle on what was important to me from an employer: passion, the ability to be creative and above all the people.
With this in mind, when I was approached about a role at Digital 51, the start up, I wanted to know more. I didn’t care about what the office looked like, how many days holiday you had and all that stuff. What I wanted to know was, was I going to be working in a creative and forward thinking environment? Am I going to be listened to? Will anyone ever utter the words ‘we don’t do it like that’? So when I got a YES, YES and NO WAY in response to those questions, I was set.
The founder of Digital 51, Simon, along with his co-founders Alex and Adrienne have the drive, passion and enthusiasm to make this start-up flourish. They are genuinely all buzzing about the company they are going to create and this mindset is infectious. All three have their own career war stories but have clearly reflected, considered and distilled from these what they believe will make Digital 51 different.
Digital 51 have re-written the proverbial rulebook when it comes to their approach to being a forward-thinking, versatile employer: no set hours, no set place of work, unlimited annual leave, creativity encouraged at all times, to name but a few. This is refreshing and already demonstrates this as the employer I crave.
Now I’m not completely smitten with the romance of a start-up; I’m well aware that many businesses fail within the first 18 months of opening, however passionate and hard-working their team. But honestly, I have a good feeling about this and I’m proud to be part of the change we all wish to create at Digital 51.
Wish me luck!
