The last 18 months have been a challenging time, not least for growing companies looking to recruit and onboard the brightest talent in the face of remote working.
At Taboola, we have worked hard to create and implement an onboarding process that closely replicates the in-person experience, making new hires feel welcome and part of a supportive and collaborative team — albeit a remote one.
“Taboola gives you all the tools, trainings, and information you need to do your job. And if you forget something or are stuck, there are so many people willing and able to help you out. You are supported!” – Justine Akbari, Account Manager, Enterprise Publisher (US-NYC)
It’s a process that begins before the first day of work. New hires are sent a laptop and welcome basket, along with the necessary resources for starting their role.
Justine Akbari, Account Manager, Enterprise (US-NYC) joined Taboola in March 2021, and says good communication and virtual meetings helped to avoid any confusion and nervousness.
“My computer arrived a couple of days early. Then we had meetings with HR and IT for the technical onboarding and paperwork, followed by a full schedule of videos to watch, live training, and group meetings with my Account Director and other new hires. It’s honestly been the most robust, thoughtful, and meaningful onboard I’ve ever had.”
Ensuring that new employees are correctly resourced for working from home has been an important focus at Taboola. Taboola provides an allowance to ensure employees have all the tools they need to work comfortably.
“I love how ergonomic my home office is,” says Martina Lehner, an SMB Media Account Manager (DACH) who joined in February 2021. “I have a laptop holder, height-adjustable desk, and back-friendly chair. The stipend was great as I could use it freely to equip my home office to meet my requirements, which might differ from my colleagues.”
With new Taboolars joining from various industries, it is also key to offer initiation into the fast-moving online advertising industry. Martina previously worked in another field of online advertising: “I had to adapt to native advertising and understand the dynamics of this channel within the online marketing strategy of my client. The real deep dive was with my colleagues from the EMEA team, each one of whom took some time to share their knowledge with me, showing me tips and tricks and best practices.”
“Have fun! You will get to know so many amazing people internally as externally. I’ve met so many advertisers who are super respectful and thankful for the support you provide.” – Martina Lehner, Account Manager, SMB Media (DACH)
The Taboola U and Business School play an important role in ensuring that new employees have a strong grasp of the sector too. Taboola U is a week of training for our new hires to learn all about Taboola; our business model, what teams support the sales org, day in the life, elevator pitches, deck certifications and much more.
Since we have gone virtual, we have added elements of teamwork to keep the energy high and facilitate people getting to know each other in different markets and teams. After Taboola U, new hires attend role-specific training in Business School. This teaches new hires the knowledge, tools and sales competencies they need to do their job successfully.
Tommy Lederer, SMB Publisher Account Manager (EMEA), who joined in March 2021, says these resources gave him an understanding of the wider business and how everyone works together.
“I found the technical online courses particularly helpful, explaining Taboola’s internal systems and workflows, such as Salesforce and Backstage.”
Many new employees have found the elevator pitch at the end of the Taboola U course the most challenging — and rewarding — module. As a recent hire, Yotam Cohen, SMB Publisher Associate Account Manager (US-NYC) says, “I asked for tips from my manager and other colleagues, and have succeeded in pitching it to at least five other people I have met since.”
Yotam was also enthused by learning about Taboola’s suite of products, not least Explore More. “It shows publishers that we are not only creating products to monetize but to actually help with growing the audience.” He adds that Taboola News also excited him. “The fact that Samsung picked us shows great things about the company and what we represent.”
“I felt that I could ask everybody in the team anything, which made the biggest difference for me. The morning meetings every day really helped me to get going and stay connected.” – Sofia von Wedemeyer, Account Manager, SMB (DACH)
But it’s not all work, and we are acutely aware that remote working can mean missing out on some of the social aspects of being part of a dynamic and inclusive company. As well as regular online watercooler sessions, designed for Taboolars to chat informally to colleagues, we have created a number of virtual clubs, activities and challenges, from cooking classes to DIY competitions.
Martina says her team meets almost everyday: “We get the latest updates on our team, but also chat about the latest series on Netflix. I’ve taken part in every watercooler session and it is lovely to meet not only people from the London office but also Taboolars around EMEA.”
She has also taken part in a number of activities. “I had a blast cooking with my colleagues virtually and sharing our compositions afterwards in our EMEA WhatsApp Group.”
Joining a new organization can be both daunting and exciting. At Taboola we strive to create an environment where passion and interest overrides any nerves. Tommy’s advice to new hires is simple:
“Arrive with a big smile and be ready to ask lots of questions — there is always someone to turn to, even virtually.”
Taboola was currently in the process of opening our offices internationally at the time this article was written. Taboola will continue to have a flexible, hybrid working model for those who enjoy working from home until further notice.
If you’re interested in a career at Taboola, we’re hiring internationally! Please visit our website to check out our open positions.