Jonas // Frontend Software Engineer
Two weeks to hired: My candidate experience & onboarding at RAYLYTIC as a frontend software engineer
Excerpt
In this employee testimonial, we’re taking a closer look at the application process at RAYLYTIC. Jonas, whose hiring lasted just over two weeks for a frontend software engineer position in 2022, recounts the feelings of appreciation and how an individualized approach made him feel immediately welcome in his new work environment.
We’ve all experienced it before: The dreaded application process at a new employer. It can be cumbersome, if not downright cryptic. Weeks between e-mails, multiple interviews, months until a potential start date. It can leave candidates exhausted before their new job even begins.
As a fast-moving software developer, we think that the application process should move just as quickly as we do. Aside from relieving everyone involved from stress, swift interviews breed positivity among candidates. They imbue them with a sense of trust in their skills and abilities, flavoring their experience at a new job well after its commencement.
What did your application process look like as a frontend software engineer?
After most of my team at my former employer was layed off, I started looking for a new job as a frontend software engineer. Since I had only worked in E-Commerce after graduation, I wanted to get into a new field. A former colleague and good friend of mine told me that she was about to start at RAYLYTIC. I hadn’t heard anyhting about the company before, but I was still curious and decided to go ahead and apply as a frontend software engineer.
A few days after submitting my application, I was invited to an interview with the HR. Here I had the opportunity to gather some first impressions about RAYLYTIC and discuss the rest of the application process.
Only three days later, I had an interview with two team members from IT. Afterwards, I was tasked with analyzing the code of one of RAYLYTIC’s frontend software engineering projects and to come up with a few suggestions for improvement. This way I got to see the current status of the projects and test out my skills.
The same day I got an offer from RAYLYTIC. All in all, both interviews were pleasant and open. I felt appreciated. The quick responses from HR and the short waiting periods let me know that RAYLYTIC was really interested in me. I never felt forgotten during the process.
"My application process at RAYLYTIC was one of the best I've experienced so far."
– Jonas, Frontend Engineer at RAYLYTIC since 2022
How was it different than other hiring processes you've experienced?
I hadn’t experienced this level of positivity in other application processes. Sometimes the process would take over a month, and I wouldn’t hear anything back over the course of weeks. From sending in my application to getting an offer took approximately two weeks at RAYLYTIC.
How would you describe your first days at RAYLYTIC as a frontend software engineer?
A couple weeks after getting the offer, I had my first day. My new and old colleagues welcomed me warmly. Again, the HR team members showed how much they appreciate me with a personalized welcome gift. During my interviews, I had mentioned that I have an ant colony at home. I wouldn’t never expected someone to remember this, much less gift me food for my ant colony. This small gesture really stuck with me.
During my onboarding, I always felt supported. In the following days and weeks, I took place in several onboarding activities planned by HR. These helped me get an idea of what the other departments are doing and how their processes work in relationship to my position as a frontend software engineer.
However, something that was unusual for me was that the software developers worked in a separate office from the rest of the employees. I would have enjoyed being in the presence of the rest of my colleagues, but not being bound to a specific location was also a major plus point for me.
All in all, I can only say that the HR team did an amazing job to make me feel welcome in my new work environment. It is definitely one of the reasons why I feel so comfortable in my current position.