25 Nov
In today’s fast-paced world of business, we believe, it has become increasingly important to not just focus on building a line of innovative products, but to also cultivate a strong work culture that is shaped and defined by the collective values & characteristics of all those who share the roof, so that it transitions into an identity in of itself.
Now in order to strengthen the company culture, and that, too, in a remote-first digital company, we curated & hosted the first-of-its-kind of a two-day Onboarding Experience Event in Islamabad, last week, where we were joined by some of the OG members along with 10 incredibly talented new joiners (aka Sadanauts) from all around Pakistan! 🇵🇰
“Onboarding” might reposition our minds to monotonous introductions, policy breakdowns, and extensive meetings, but ours, in fact, was entirely opposite – exciting as well as interactive.
The Experience encompassed four core components:
Sadanauts’ Intros:
Here at SadaPay, more often than not, it is encouraged for every Sadanaut to take the stage and lead the show. To kick-off the event, the attention was turned to the new Sadanauts. Each new recruit took the spotlight to share some of their funniest moments, their passions, or quirks, and of course, we had them share all of that along with their baby pictures with the rest of the attendees.
SadaTalks:
A series of thirty-minute presentations by Department Leads based on everything mega-basic and, of course, on Sadanauts’ personal and professional development.
All of these crisp talks enabled the latest lot of Sadanauts to get acquainted with the product roadmap in large, policies in detail, and, of course, the brand’s backstory, goals, and far-sighted mission and vision.
Ice-breaking activities 🧊
The time for words was now temporarily closed, and the time for action was upon us.
Activity #1: Who Did it? 🤔
To get Sadanauts out of their shells and to test how much they’ve learned so far – about each other, we played a little activity called “Who Did It?!”
A simple interactive game that required people to walk around the room with a sheet that enlisted 15 questions – 15 things/situations such as career shifts, travel history, and general accomplishments that might have been done by the present sadanauts. The catch? Each participant could only ask one question per sadanaut; meaning if they got it wrong, they had to move on to the next person with the same or a new question off the sheet.
Ibtisam, Manager Procurement & Administration, who joined three weeks ago, managed to complete her sheet within the given time limit. Although it didn’t strike as a surprise as her inner socialite already got to know everyone in attendance well enough to win the game.
Activity #2: No Smiling Ice-breaker 🤣
The title says it all; you smile, you lose. Participants had to make each other laugh with their favorite jokes, “real-life” stories, and even imitations of each other. Sarfraz Baig, our Head of CX, and Ibtisam, the Head of Procurement, were the only two participants who managed to keep a straight face while the other participants tried their best to get them to crack a smile. They are definitely the funniest Sadanauts on the team. 😂
Spin the Wheel:
To close off the first day of the Onboarding in style, we gamified the closing of the show in the most exciting way possible. It was time to play.. SPIN.. THE.. WHEEEEEL! 🎡 The participants were in anticipation of the exciting rewards that were up for grabs. Meeran, the CX Associate, won herself an exclusive SadaPay jacket, and Ibtisam won a chocolate bar, enough to solve any sweet-tooth cravings. 🍫
Even Brandon got in on the action and won himself a lunch for two. Although we feel it might not entirely be free for him.. However, for some it wasn’t all fun and games! The thrilling side of Spin The Wheel included challenges like the cookie challenge in which players had to place a cookie on their forehead and get it in their mouths without using any other limbs. 🍪 Another one was posting an embarrassing Facebook status for 24 hours; Safraz Baig was quick to take ownership of this dare and made sure each Facebook status he put up for those who ended up getting it on the wheel, was funnier than the last one.
When it was all said and done, each Sadanaut got to step out of their comfort zone and truly break the ice. They were all bustling around after all the new things they learned about each other!
Out of Office Excursions:
Day II of the Onboarding Experience shifted the focus to creating joint experiences outside of the working space. To cultivate the culture SadaPay aims to make, these experiences become an essential part of the Onboarding Event. Allowing Sadanauts to connect over fun and adrenaline pumping activities formed an unforgettable bond between the new recruits.
Excursion #1: Walk through nature at Hike Trail #5 🥾
There is no better to kick-start the day than by soaking in the nature that Pakistan has to offer. The team took off to Islamabad’s natural hiking trails at 7 in the morning, working their way up to Hiking Trail #5 – an extremely beautiful and awe-inspiring site. The hike is a cultural classic at SadaPay, an exercise which is mandatory for every group gathering at the Space Station (aka SadaPay’s HQ) in Islamabad, no matter the occasion. Oh, and how can we forget an outdoor breakfast – karak chai & anda paratha the new recruits were awarded with, post hike.
Excursion #2: Go-Karting 🏎️
The final and closing activity of the entire Onboarding Experience was the adrenaline-pumping Go-Karting race. Sadanauts got to express their competitive side on the tarmac. First-timers and self-proclaimed greats of the sporting activity; all got a chance to get behind the wheel and set the fastest lap time of the bunch. At the end, with only milliseconds apart amongst the top 3, our host of the show Affan, the Creative Executive, took the first on the podium. 🥇
Excursion #2: Team Lunch 🍽️
The age-old tradition states that eating together brings barkat, hence, the entire Islamabad team joined the recruits and speakers for lunch and dinner on both days. It’s also where this historic moment in contemporary art was made. 🖼️
Conclusively, SadaPay is focused on solidifying its identity in the eyes of its users as well as the people that help the Rocket Ship reach new heights every day. New or old, it was an exhilarating experience for all those involved. From learning about the culture, the product, the brand to engaging in awesome ways with new colleagues, the Onboarding had it all. The first of many for all those who board the Sada rocket ship. 🚀
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SadaPay is registered in Pakistan as SadaTech Pakistan Pvt Ltd with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (No. 0136598), and is a wholly owned subsidiary of SadaPay Technologies Ltd., registered in Dubai International Financial Center under commercial fintech license #3263
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