Fast paced, rewarding and collaborative - Head of Commercial Operations Talkative Employee Review

I have worked at Talkative for a little over 10 months and my personal progression has been astonishing. The guys at Talkative are passionate about supporting and developing staff here which has resulted in my skills increasing to a point that I never believed they could in such a short period of time. The work is exciting and varied and upon starting the role, the directors were patient with me, giving me time and support to learn the tools I needed to succeed in this role. At this point I have a level of autonomy in the work I undertake, whether that is spending time working directly with customers at a support level or choosing which new features I want to develop within the core application. Hard work is rewarded with regular praise and we have social events hosted by the company to thank us for our efforts. In addition to this, a level of flexibility is offered to help balance work/life constraints, such as working from home if I was to have childcare issues etc. Talkative is a small start up company, with this comes the opportunity to have direct access to the decision makers of the business. In larger companies, it is often a feeling of being a “cog in a larger machine” whereas at Talkative, everyone has a voice and my individual input can help shape the direction of the company. It gives you a feeling of being part of something much bigger and more exciting. The other benefit of working in a smaller company is the variety in the work we do. Some days I could be developing new features for the application and others I could be leading a conference call with the IT department of a local government department helping them implement the software in their organisation. Talkative is currently based in the Wesley Clover Innovation Centre which has ties with the Celtic Manor resort. As such, we get to access many Celtic Manor facilities for free or at a discounted rate. This includes free lunch every day in the Celtic Manor staff canteen! Talkative has a great staff culture and you really get a sense of belonging here, everyone here is friendly and supportive and we have great fun in the office, it really is a fantastic environment to work in.

I have not found anything I would consider a con as of yet. Some people might struggle with the environment of a smaller start up company as at times, the work can be quite demanding and deadlines can be tight, but for me this is just another thing that makes the role more exciting.

Working at Talkative is great if you're looking to be pushed in your role. As a startup, you are involved in projects from start to finish, and never get the feeling of being 'a small cog' on a monotonous cycle. You really feel like you're part of something, and I'm really made to feel like my contribution is valued- a sentiment that I feel would be shared by most, if not all, of the team. I have gained so much exposure to the entire business operation, which is not only interesting in itself, but also means that my job role is really varied. I'm able to see and understand what other departments of the company are working on, which helps to inform my decisions about my own workload. As a company, Talkative is really flexible and the culture is so easy to work in. It's a tough slog at times with a lot of work to be done, but you are trusted and respected to work in a way which suits you, e.g. I've never had a problem working from home if I needed to. No micromanaging either, everyone is expected to manage their own workloads themselves! It's also great to be able to offer suggestions and ideas to what we do without the fear of being shot down or made to feel like you're not valued, which is a massive plus for me.

As with any startup, a lot of the positives can be negatives for many. There is a lot of work to be done, and the nature of your projects can change quite regularly. At times, you can be thrown into the deep end which can require a lot of learning. I think you have to be ready to immerse yourself into the startup life if you want to join!