The New Guy

I was once told that when interviewing for a new job at any company, it is beneficial to ask any real questions you have to the person who has been working at the company for the least amount of time as they are likely to be the least loyal and thus have the least reason to lie.

At BatchBlue Software, technically that person would be me.

Bill Pasnau, nice to meet you. I’m a part of the Customer Experience team which means if you’ve got an issue that you’ve sent over to support@batchblue.com there is a pretty good chance we’ve already had some interaction! When asked if I would be willing to write a post for the company blog, the first topic that came to my mind was how amazingly different my new job is compared to any other position I’ve ever held. Why is it so different? The flexibility.

I was in a staff meeting this morning in our office in Providence, RI. Monday is the only day of the week that I come into the office. I come for the meeting, and stay for the pastries (let’s be real, you would stay too). Outside of Monday morning staff meetings though, driving into the office is about as optional as the last week of high school for the senior class.  Why?  BatchBlue is designed so I can effectively do my job from anywhere I have an internet connection and a laptop! I can answer support emails from my uncle’s house in western CT, or my sister’s horse farm, or my mother in law’s house a couple days before her second daughter’s wedding (all things I’ve gotten to do with this new position). I rarely have to ask for time off since I can check emails from almost anywhere.

A big part of the tele-commuting success though is the support I receive from my co-workers. My wife wondered if I was going to ever get anything done working from home, other than really getting some mileage out of my Netflix subscription. The thing is, I’m never “alone” while I’m working. We use Skype to chat with each other from RI to NY to IL, even WA!  We video chat once a week as well, because just that little bit of virtual face time with your co-workers after a few days at home or working from coffee shops around town, really lifts the spirits. If that doesn’t work, the treats on Monday morning do!

Speaking of treats, as I was sitting in the meeting this morning, I got to listen to a brief history of my new company. I had heard some before, but some was new. I learned about our roots, how the idea for Batchbook was born, and how we got launched. Most importantly though, I heard the CEO say:

Yes, BatchBlue was designed to meet a need for Small Business CRM, but a large focus of what we are about is family. I wanted to create a company that allowed it’s employees to live life with the people they love, not just work at a job so they could feed them.

Wow.

Pamela clarified that feeding your family is a good thing, but it is obviously so much better if you can not just feed them, but actually live your life with them too.

You know what else is amazing, is the fact that I was trusted, and treated like a valuable part of this company from my first day. I wasn’t “the new guy” as I jokingly refer to myself when I learn something new that seemed so obvious, but rather I was the guy that every person could relate to in that they were once the new-hire too. I asked tons of questions, sent so many emails to the folks on the Customer Experience team, and I don’t know how I never wound up blocked on Skype. I was encouraged to share my ideas, and was told that my feedback was even more valuable than some of the veterans because I was looking at Batchbook like a new user – which I was!

So if you ever find yourself getting ready to submit an application to this company, and you want to know what the “newb” thought 3 months in, there you go. Had I known that the people at BatchBlue encouraged working your job around your life instead of the other way around, I probably would not have included this picture with my cover letter and resume in an email titled “PICK ME, PICK ME!”

Yep.  It happened.  Not entirely my fault though, since the website advertised that the people at BatchBlue like to have fun, and they support causes like Movember, so I thought the pic would help!

I’ll close this like I end some support emails: If there is anything we can do to improve your experience with Batchbook, please do let us know