New hires are sometimes nervous or hesitant to address concerns and ask for assistance. There is some amount of stress which is natural yet overwhelming. That is where our six-month Buddy Program comes in - to facilitate integration through a social approach. This article will cast light on the process, its benefits to the team, and its guidelines, all from the perspective of arculus employees.

The buddy program is an onboarding initiative to familiarize new joiners with the company's culture, processes, standard protocols, and policies with the help of experienced colleagues. The program has been in place since 2020, thanks to the efforts of the arculus People's team.

“The aim is cross-functional development, enrichment of the employee experience, and good integration of recruits within different teams.”

Afiffa Batool (Talent Acquisition Recruiter & Partner)

How does the initiative work?

It is a six-month voluntary program, which requires a minimum of three meetings with half an hour each. Participants are free to hold sessions anywhere; it can be on the office premises, outside, or even online (depending on the location of both participants). "Most of the time, I am in the Gaimersheim office and only a few times in Munich. That's why I have had almost all of my buddy meetings online. But once, when we were both in the same city, we finally got to meet and talk over lunch.", explains Jonas Jaeger (Production Engineer).

The people's team takes three factors into account when selecting buddies. The first is if, after the end of their probation period, the employee wants to volunteer for the program. The second is to ensure that the participants are not in the same team so that the new joiner gets as comfortable with other groups as they would be with their usual peers. It also opens avenues to learn and understand what other departments are working on. The third is if the new employee works totally remotely, then they must get a buddy who works from the office. That allows them to see how everything is done at the workplace without feeling left out.

The program has no formal template to follow, and the meetings generally occur in an informal setting. "For me, it's always a casual meeting where we introduce ourselves. I explain a bit about the company, who is who, and my own experiences. It is also an opportunity to get more familiar with the other person.", describes Lisa Bell (Content Creator).

The idea is to lend ears and shoulders to the new colleagues; therefore, there are no final goodbyes. "In theory, your job is done after six months, at the end of your peer's probation period. But, for me, it is not a job; I see it more like being there and supporting that person," says Maria Souza (Social Media Coordinator). "You can for sure meet and talk as often after it ends.", adds Lisa.

Nonetheless, participants need to keep certain principles in mind. As someone's buddy, one is not supposed to review the job performance, be a subject matter expert, or be expected to know everything. Buddies should offer encouragement and support, give honest feedback, provide suggestions for more efficiency and productivity, and keep the shared information confidential.

What makes the buddy program a symbiotic relationship?

Maria recalls how the buddy program facilitated her transition when she joined the team in January 2022. "It was nice to have someone to explain how arculus works and give me a positive outlook regarding what awaited me at this job."

Fabian Na (Mechanical Engineer) reminisces how this program gave him his point of contact in the company. "My buddy made me feel comfortable and introduced me to everyone. She also gave me a little background on what had happened in the company so far and explained a bit about the arculus culture."

Nevertheless, Fabian also believes it is an equal opportunity for the buddy to learn something new. "Now, being a buddy myself, I understand the company's culture better. Also, I get to give them information on how the company is and get to know that person better, especially if they're in a different department."

Like Fabian, Lisa finds the program a medium for connecting with other teams. "I'm always curious about what's happening in the other departments. What are they working on now, and what are their challenges? It also allows me to understand our products better as they continuously develop."

Reasons why our employees approve of it

Based on an internal company survey, arculus has received a positive response from the employees. They agree that this program helped them achieve a smoother onboarding process, better understand how other departments in the company function, and develop soft skills like networking.

"You develop many more connections in cross-functional teams. Without the program, many colleagues wouldn't have a clear vision of how processes work in other departments, or even what they're working on. Now, thanks to this creative initiative, we all have a much better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the other colleagues."

Lisa Bell, Content Creator

TL;DR

The buddy program, in a nutshell, is a low-maintenance solution that has helped new joiners at arculus with integration. It provides them with a safe space and time to learn about the company culture, values, and operations through an experienced fellow worker. By combining it with other social and technical integration and onboarding initiatives, we provide possibilities for engaging with colleagues and improving knowledge about the company as a whole. As a result, we have well-informed and motivated employees with higher productivity rates right at the end of their onboarding process.

Anika started her journey as a working student at arculus in February 2021. She initially supported the procurement of prototypes. Today, Anika is writing her Master’s thesis while also assisting her team with the series production for our Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR). In this article, she talks about her experience with arculus.

Hey Anika! Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Anika: “I had always dreamed of becoming a dentist. However, as a professional sailing athlete, it was difficult for me to commit full attention to medical studies. That’s why I decided to pursue my degree in Business Engineering, which is also quite cool. Currently, I am writing my Master’s thesis on production and mounting systems.”

How do you recall your initial days at arculus?

Anika: “They were informative, yet not overwhelming. I had a million questions when I started, but they annoyed none of my team members. My colleagues were considerate and helped me get into everything faster than I thought, including processes, projects, protocols, etc.”

So, how would you say the work-study balance at arculus is?

Anika: “Initially, I couldn’t find the right balance between work and studies. I was too excited about my tasks at arculus. But if it weren’t for my team members and manager, who constantly reminded me to prioritize my studies and exams, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I think 20hr/week and studies are easily manageable together. It’s important to set priorities to find the right balance.”

As you said, your team encouraged you to focus on your studies. Was it the same with your work as well? How would you further describe your experience with them?

Anika: “In the beginning, I worked in the mechanics' department. The team was very diverse. It had different characters, each having unique perspectives. It was interesting to work together, as we were always striving to find new solutions.”

So, what makes your work experience at arculus different from your previous student jobs/internships?

Anika: “I think the key difference is that I am able to express my opinions. I have actively participated in all discussions and shared my viewpoints. Another difference is the freedom to work independently within a team. Also, flexible hours are a plus point here. I can choose my work hours based on my schedule, which reduces my stress.”

What is the most important thing that you have learned at arculus?

Anika: “arculus has taught me that work and social activities can go together. I will look forward to this when applying for a full-time role. Another important learning is that different perspectives in a team always generate better solutions.”

Last but not least, any recommendations for students who want to apply for a job at arculus?

Anika: “Join arculus (laughs). No seriously! Try to connect as much as possible. And most importantly, seek all the information you can get.”

Looking to develop new skills that go hand-in-hand with your study program? Apply here!

His head's in the cloud, but his feet are certainly on the ground. This is the story about arculus System Administrator and tech enthusiast Rudolph Maritz.

Hi Rudolph, welcome to our Voices of the Team series! Let's start with the basics: how did you first hear about arculus?

I was browsing on LinkedIn, and a position from arculus appeared as a recommendation matching my profile. So, out of curiosity, I decided to have a look into it, and I also read a bit more about arculus. It really sparked my interest, so I decided to give it a shot with my application. And, well, now I can say that it worked out really well.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

What I like about my job is that not a single day is the same. We have a lot of fun projects coming our way all the time, so, in short, it never gets boring.

Also, most of the projects are challenging, which allows you to think a little bit outside of the box, and it really motivates you to grow in your position and read more about different technologies. On top of that, you can create your own projects, which empowers you to take ownership of the work, while also making you feel proud of what you have accomplished.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced here so far?

By far the cloud migration project. It took a while to complete, but it was totally worth the time and effort from start to finish, and I'm very very happy with the results.

So, in essence, just to explain it, we moved a lot of our internal services to the cloud, and a lot of it was quite challenging. But it made me really happy to complete the project and just see how smooth everything is running now.

Where do you see yourself next year?

Next year I see myself even more focused on the cloud, but also on the DevOps area in the software team. I mean, I've always been fascinated by Cloud Technologies, how it's changing the world and the challenges that it brings. And, as I said before, arculus offers a lot of room for growth, so I'll definitely try to continue embracing that as well.

Watch Rudolph's full video interview below:

Alexandra Boblov is the newest addition to the software team. She is a UX/UI designer working on the front-end development of arculus software. Her role is to ensure the overall user experience on the software is accessible, enjoyable and usable. This article is about her experience with us as a working student.

Hi Alexandra. Please tell us a little bit about yourself!

Alexandra: “I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual and Communication Design at the Hochschule Pforzheim. It is similar to graphic design but in a wider context. It includes, for example, UI/UX, which is what I do here at arculus."

What did you think of our onboarding process?

Alexandra: “The onboarding process allowed me to learn about the company processes much faster. It also introduced me to everyone at arculus who offered their support, even if we were in different teams. Altogether, it truly helped me settle down faster.”

And how is the work-study life balance at arculus for you?

Alexandra: “I have a fixed schedule for work and studies, which I set with my manager when I started at the job. So I work at arculus on Mondays and Fridays and keep the remaining three days only for university. It gives me enough time to focus on my studies without compromising my work quality. I feel this works well for me.”

So how would you describe your experience so far in your team?

Alexandra: “It is good so far. All of my team members work from different cities. Therefore, we have an online team meeting every morning. I like to hear and know what others are doing. I believe it boosts our team spirit and keeps us connected.”

What makes your work experience at arculus different from your previous student jobs/internships?

Alexandra: “Compared to the agency I was working for before, I find arculus more structured. Everyone is approachable and willing to help. What I love the most about arculus is the company channels for extracurricular activities. Recently, the team planned a hiking trip to Zugspitze. I couldn’t participate, unfortunately, but the pictures were so cool. I will definitely try to join the next one.”

Sounds cool! And how do you believe your work at arculus contributes to your learning process?

Alexandra: “Usually, at the university, we only learn concepts and theories. However, without practical experience, it has no value. My responsibilities at arculus are training me to become more effective, fast, and precise at UI/UX.”

And what is the most important thing you’ve learned so far?

Alexandra: “Every day at arculus is a new learning experience. If I have to pick the most important one, it is creating clean designs. With private or academic projects, the designs tend to be more cluttered or not primarily focused on customer needs.”

Last but not least, do you have any recommendations for future applicants who want to apply for a job at arculus?

Alexandra: “Believe in yourself. I was quite nervous when I applied for this student job. I thought I wouldn’t hear back from arculus due to the number of applicants for this position. But here I am! So go for it.”

Looking for a student job? We are hiring! Apply here.

A perfect fit: that's how Megi describes her experience as a Robotics Engineer at arculus. Learn more about how she was impressed with arculus full robotics solution — from mechanics to software and even the fleet manager.

Hey Megi, welcome! Can you start by telling us what made you want to work at arculus as a Robotics Engineer?

I really like manufacturing, automation, and, especially, I'm interested in robotics. So when I  discovered arculus, it was actually a perfect match. What I also find really exciting about the company is the scope of our product, because we do a complete development of the mobile robots — mechanics, electronics, software, functions, and even the fleet manager. That truly impressed me, and so I wanted to become a part of it.

And what does a typical working day look like for you?

My morning starts with the daily. It is a brief meeting where the whole team gets together, and we reflect on what each of us did the day before. And then we talk about the plans for the day. After that, I continue working on my tasks. On average, it takes me three days to complete each task, which is usually implementing a new feature. That means reading code and writing code, as well as testing in a simulation. We are now very lucky that we have this test area directly in the office, so I am also constantly running some tests with the real robot driving around the space.

How would you describe the arculus culture?

For me, the arculus culture is for sure about commitment. I really appreciate the feeling that we all share the same goal: making really great robots, and we all work towards that goal as a team.  With that also comes the transparency and openness, which I truly like. It makes me feel responsible for the work I do and gives me the certainty that others appreciate and recognize my effort.

What has arculus taught you so far?

That would be a very, very long answer (laughs). I've been learning every day from my teammates, who are really great. But apart from the technical things, I find fascinating what our team leads and management are doing. I'm slowly understanding how challenging it is to make this whole thing happen, and I think that they all do a really good job.

Watch Megi's full video interview below:

Kerstin is a fresh addition to the arculus family. Despite being a working student, she has not once sweated about sharing the responsibilities of our People Operations Partner. She supports the lifecycle of the employees and enriches their journey at arculus. This article highlights Kerstin’s experience in our People Team.

Kerstin, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Kerstin: “Sure! In the beginning I was unsure about my career path. Therefore, I constantly switched between different fields. For example, I opted for Biology after my high school graduation, but I dropped out of the program a year later because I didn't find it a fit for me. I then started an apprenticeship at a company, for which I had to complete a Handelsfachwirt (Bachelor of Trade and Commerce). However, during my training period, I developed an interest in management topics, and this is what encouraged me to apply for the Bachelor in Business Management, which I’m currently studying.” 

How do you recall your on-boarding experience?

Kerstin: “It was hard for me initially because back then I was living in Nürnberg and working remotely from there. I could only visit the Munich office once. Moreover, my supervisor’s onboarding process also started around the same time, so we both were new and still adapting. Nonetheless, during this period, my colleagues welcomed me very warmly. They became my support system in every possible way.”

How is the work-study life balance at arculus?

Kerstin: “I’m currently on a semester break, so I haven’t experienced the work-study life at arculus yet. However, I can speak about my work-life balance here. I usually pre-plan the coming week on a Friday with my reporting manager. I have the flexibility to set my work timings or meetings depending on my availability on a certain day or time. Hence, I strongly feel that once my studies resume, it will not be a challenge to manage work and university together.”

And, how would you describe your experience so far in your team?

Kerstin: “We are a small but well-connected team. We work closely together despite being in different cities. We have daily online meetings to discuss work-related topics. Personally, I find my manager cool as she never hesitates to appreciate me and my work. She trusts my capabilities, and has already assigned me responsibilities that add more value to my work experience. She also gives me enough time and space to get comfortable with the tasks before I proceed towards executing them.”

It’s interesting when you say your responsibilities make your experience valuable. What makes your work at arculus different from your previous student jobs/internships?

Kerstin: “The environment at arculus is very different, in a good way. I like how even the smallest initiative never goes unappreciated here. Also, irrespective of the position, everyone in the company is supportive!”

Since this is your first job in HR, how do you believe your work at arculus contributes to your learning process?

Kerstin: “Since day one, I have learned a lot from this job. For example, I already have some knowledge about contracts, which I didn’t think I would be learning so soon. There’s always something new to learn. Certainly, this experience is contributing a lot to my learning process.”

So what would you say is the most important thing you’ve learned so far?

Kerstin: “I have learned that communication and organization are significant elements of a strong team. When I joined, my department was going through a restructuring, and some more employees joined us to assist with the transition. It was tough, but we managed it quite well. Now, we finally have a flow within the team. So, from experience, I believe these two factors are needed every day and everywhere.”

Lastly, do you have any recommendations for future applicants who want to apply for a job at arculus?

Kerstin: “Take your time. Also, the application process is worth it. I’ll admit that it’s a bit longer and uncommon for the students. But it allowed me to show my motivation, skills, and talent to the hiring manager before joining the company. So even if the process looks scary, don’t give up!”

We may also have an open position that best suits your interests. Apply here!