This month makes it one year since I joined SeamlessHR! Besides my utter amazement at how quickly time flies when you’re having a great time, I can’t help but reflect on my SeamlessHR journey so far.
I remember my first day at the office. Seun Obatuyi, our COO, was the first person I met. I was pleasantly surprised when he welcomed me by calling out my name as though I was a long-lost friend and then giving me a big hug. It was already obvious that working at SeamlessHR would be a totally refreshing work experience.
Everyone made me feel welcome and my responsibilities were clear from the get-go, but something happened that made me realise that I was in the right place.
Some months after I joined SeamlessHR, we held a management strategy meeting with all of the senior managers in the company. Unfortunately, one of the managers had dropped the ball on something important that had the potential to affect their department.
Our CEO, Dr. Emmanuel Okeleji, was chairing the meeting. Even though he was pretty upset about what had happened, he calmly asked the manager to handle the problem and share feedback later. I remember him saying that facing challenging situations was not a problem, but how they’re handled was the important part.
I was just struck by what that episode said about SeamlessHR – it’s not a place that tolerates poor performance but is a safe space where people can make mistakes, as long as they grow, learn, and be better for it. I could see that I had come to a healthy work environment, and it resonated with me.
Here are a few things I’ve learned since I joined SeamlessHR a year ago:
1. Find the place where you belong
I think that it’s important for everyone to find that place where they belong – a workplace where the culture fits in with your values and a place that would let you grow and give you the chance to do challenging work.
We spend a lot of time at work, so it’s essential to your general well-being that you like the work that you do and the people you do it with.
2. Don’t quibble on decisions, especially as a manager
Learning to take decisive action is important for everyone, but it becomes extra important if you’re a manager. You can’t afford to be slow on decision-making because your delay in action affects your team just as strongly as your decisions.
This ranges from everything from how your team is structured for work, the kind of people you hire, and if it comes to it, the people you might have to let go from your team.
3. Embrace the path of learning, unlearning, and relearning
The journey of learning and constant self-improvement is one that I’ve long learned to embrace. Sometimes, it is a huge struggle trying to balance learning and self-improvement with everything else I have to prioritise, but I’m finding my rhythm and balance.
Before working in SeamlessHR, I had a wide experience in several other industries, but no prior experience in tech. Being intentional about my growth has helped me learn and adjust to how HR in a tech company like SeamlessHR should function.
It can be challenging, but I find myself growing and stretching my mind to be up to date with the trends and have more agile processes that suit the current/future challenges.
4. Enjoy the process
Everything that has happened to you in the past has brought you to where you are today. This might sound cliché, but if you think about it, you’ll see that it’s true. Looking back with the perfect 20/20 vision of hindsight, I can see now that all of the tough times and challenges were helping me build capacity for where I’m in now.
The past year has been an interesting and challenging journey of constant growth. The SeamlessHR I joined a year ago is vastly different from the company it is right now. We’re constantly growing and evolving as a company (and my role along with it!), and that experience has brought out a lot in me that I didn’t know I had as regards working in HR.
My first year at SeamlessHR has been fabulous, and I’m looking forward to seeing the learning curve the next one will hold for me.
By Grace Ayibowu, Head, Human Resources, SeamlessHR
