Successfully onboarding employees is becoming an ever-greater priority for many businesses. The attrition rate in the first few months of joining (or in the case of graduates, in the many months between leaving the world of student loans and joining the salaried masses) is often high, while the cost of replacing employees who leave is often in the thousands.

When I joined, Chatter wanted to practice what they preach and make sure I couldn’t escape their clutches.

Following on from the interviews in late January, I was offered the job with the guys in February. I had always planned on traveling in June around China and Vietnam (while wearing a Chatter-branded t-shirt), so I would start in July and walk straight from my graduation ceremony into the job. In the months before I started, I was always welcome to stop by the office for a brew and a biscuit, I was invited along to the company’s 2nd birthday shin-dig, and Paul lent me his massive rucksack to save me the expense of buying a new one. 

Best of all, I was thrown a going away party. The catch? I first had to spend the day putting up flat-pack furniture in the new office, and I had to arrange the party with Harry, as a test of the teamwork and unity we would soon be thrust into developing. We ended up playing golf on simulators in a bar before heading for a thoroughly underwhelming meal at The Living Room. Still, was an amazing send-off.

Since I’ve started, I’ve really been thrown into the deep-end. I’ve helped plan the grad fair campaign for a big bus and train company, been given the responsibility for the day-to-day running of a major new client, and been kicked out of a kebab shop at 5 in the morning after an awards do in Manchester! (We won two awards, one of which I promptly went and broke). Team lunches are a regular thing, although since we’ve got a lot busier it’s more likely to be take-out than eating out.

I get to go to work and supply a service that makes me proud, have a laugh, do something I enjoy, and learn from three experienced (translation: old) business partners. By getting me involved with everything before I even started, I felt like part of the team before my first day had even started.