One year ago, I set foot in the PaperCut office as shiny new employee #217.
I was told to arrive at 9:00am. Excited about my new role, I could not sleep the previous night and arrived in the premises at 8:20am.
I realized I did not have access to enter the office, so sat down in the cozy corner of the waiting area on level 1.
A bubbly lady with a bright smile wished me a warm welcoming “Good Morning!” and said, “Are you okay?”
“Oh yes, thank you," I replied. “Today is my first day here and I am very early, so I’m just waiting for my manager,” I said.
She took me inside and showed me a place to sit in PaperCut’s very own cafe.
PaperCut’s finest coffee maker
A gentleman walked in and introduced himself as one of the oldest PaperCutters, made me an excellent cafe latte, and said, “Welcome onboard, they say I make the best lattes!”
As I sat there enjoying my coffee, two more PaperCutters walked in, said hello, and asked a few questions about me.
Soon, the bubbly lady from before (Tee), the guy who made me a coffee (Jason C), and the two who walked in (Abigail and Armond) and I - we all started talking weather, coffee and trains! I felt at home instantly and the awkwardness of day 1 vanished.
Mmm free lunch
It was 9:00am and my manager (Igal) arrived. After the usual hello and office tour and team intro, I was told there was a free lunch. I mean who doesn’t like food - especially when it’s free!
I enjoyed a hearty lunch at wandered back to work. At 3:00pm my manager comes up to me with a coffee, donuts, and salted roast nuts. I then remembered that I’d mentioned what I like for my afternoon snack during the onboarding process!
My day ended with a teammate (Aimee) sending an invite for a coffee with her the next day!
Best first day ever
What a way to start my career at PaperCut!
- Someone took the time to make coffee for a newbie
- People took the time to chat with me to make me feel comfortable
- Free lunch on day 1
- Manager buys me my favorite snacks
- Teammate invites me to coffee
One year later - I notice that none of these things have changed!
People make coffee for each other. Teammates bother to ask are you okay, managers bother about their teams, and there are friends always ready to have a coffee chat or a meal together.
Highlights of my first 12 months as a PaperCutter
1) Customer delight and employee welfare not only exists but flourishes at PaperCut
We have customer calls early in the morning (US) or late in the evenings (UK). We get together for monthly BBQs and weekly breakfasts. We have medical camps and yoga sessions. We also work hard to fix hot issues and we volunteer for social causes!
2) We’re tech geek yet empathetic towards our crew
We talk cloud, GoLang and dockers and devops - yet we ask each other how’s the family doing? How is your child enjoying holidays? Did you plan your leave during school holidays?
3) Partnering with world-changing giants doesn’t mean you can’t find joy in little things
We love dress-up days, nerf wars, noodle clubs, and birthday cakes.
4) Working for a super cool product in a tech savvy market doesn’t mean you forget your passions
We have soccer clubs, rock bands, night market tours and more. Working in IT doesn’t mean you don’t have a life!
5) We work from home, enjoy flexible hours, and bring kids to work, too\
I’m one of the lucky PaperCutters who’s worked with multiple teams - PaperCut MF, experience at the device, order management system, and data analytics - all in the span of 15 months!
What an amazing experience it is to see a business through so many lenses and be able to learn and contribute at the same time. The joy of going to bed knowing you learnt something and you are contributing is matchless.
