1 Year at OpenPayd: Zooming in when everything was unknown

I interviewed for OpenPayd back in February 2020, just before I escaped the snowy UK to fly to sunny New Zealand for a relaxing holiday after what felt like an endless winter. I enjoyed the interview process and immediately felt excited at the thought of joining the OpenPayd journey. I was at the airport about to fly to the opposite side of the world when I got a phone call from the People team letting me know I had been successful. I spent the next 24 hours in transit celebrating and was looking forward to seeing what the future held. 

Fast forward to April 2020 when I was due to start my new role at OpenPayd and the world looked entirely different. The UK was in full lockdown and I was starting my new role…from my living room. Personally, one of my favourite parts about starting a new job is going into the office, meeting everyone and really starting to feel like I’m part of a team. Instead, my first day involved me sitting down in my living room, opening my laptop and clicking on Zoom for the first time in my life. If only I’d known then how many ‘Zooms’ I would be in for!

I sat there in my rigid wooden chair for an entire day, clicking in and out of various links and saying hello to the moving faces on the screen. I was of course grateful to be working when so many didn’t have that opportunity - but it was exhausting. After my first day I felt a bit down. How could I possibly make connections and learn about this completely new industry via video calls with people I had never actually met in person?!

Luckily over the next few days I realised that I had hit the jackpot in terms of my team. They were extremely helpful and made me feel like I was going to be able to get through this new and daunting experience. It began to feel like the norm. My manager had daily calls with me where we went through my day and discussed any challenges/questions I had, and my team members made a conscious effort to pass on tasks and invite me to join their calls.

Slowly but surely I started to feel like things were clicking into place. It’s been an interesting year and a half since I joined and I’ve been exposed to so much already. I’ve been able to work with a variety of businesses from a multitude of industries. The typical client varies, from businesses that are underserved by their banks to those that are growing at an exponential rate and really require a hands-on, human approach. These companies all have one thing in common; they need banking and payment services. 

I’ve learnt more than I could have ever imagined over the last few months and have had some big career highlights during that time. One of my favourite memories is being given the chance to attend Money2020 in Amsterdam with some other members of the team. It was great exposure and I was able to meet and speak with a lot of my clients face to face, which really helped me see the value in what we offer. I’ve also been given the autonomy to implement my own ideas and run my own projects, which is a way OpenPayd really stands out from other companies. Here you are supported and made to feel as if your opinions and ideas matter and that is what fosters the feeling that we are all on this journey together. 

I truly feel part of a team at OpenPayd, despite the fact there are people that I am still yet to meet in person! We all work closely together and you really feel as if you are all fighting for the same cause. I think this all comes down to the culture within the business and how open people are to sharing their ideas and listening to opinions that differ from their own. I truly believe this is why the company is going from strength to strength and I can’t wait to see what comes next! 

(Although, hopefully not another pandemic.)