How Starting Smart is our Key to Success

At MVF we want to ensure that everyone who joins the company can hit the ground running and start adding value to the business from their very first day. We see this happen through our aptly named induction process, Start Smart.

Once a month, we bring together all our new MVFers for a week-long programme that familiarises them will with all things MVF. Over the week, representatives from every department in the business come and give talks to show how they contribute to MVF’s continued growth. This sets up each new starter to give them an informed transition to their team academies, which are our learning programmes that take new starters from Start Smart to the end of probation.

On the very first day of Start Smart, new starters meet MVF’s Directors and participate in icebreaker conversations to get to know the company’s senior leaders. They are also assigned a buddy from another department that has passed probation and been at the company for 3-6 months and therefore is an ideal person to answer any questions and an opportunity to widen their networks. This is followed by specific workshops by MVF’s C-Suite that provide an understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses and how new starters can grow as part of MVF.

These workshops are always one of the highlights of Start Smart. MVF President and Co-founder Titus Sharpe’s Vision & Values workshop breaks down each of MVF’s vision for the future through its six core values. Chief People Officer Ange Pattico’s Make Your Mark session teaches how to understand what kind of learner you are and how you can apply this to perfect your working style.

These workshops are always one of the highlights of Start Smart. MVF President and Co-founder Titus Sharpe’s Vision & Values workshop breaks down each of MVF’s vision for the future through its six core values. Chief People Officer Ange Pattico’s Make Your Mark session teaches how to understand what kind of learner you are and how you can apply this to perfect your working style.

After some time spent with their teams, we hold a new starters welcome social. This event provides a great networking opportunity for the new starters group, encouraging new starters to build relationships with people from all corners of the company.

Every aspect of Start Smart is optimised based on the feedback from each cohort, with suggestions collected and shared with presenters and our People team daily.

The programme is followed up by check-ins both four and eight weeks after the completion of Start Smart to see how new starters are tracking, help answer any questions they may have and to explore how useful they found the information from the onboarding within their positions.

Start Smart builds an innovative, positive and engaging culture, and an environment that allows each individual to reach their full potential. It’s blended and collaborative approach to learning means that new starters learn about MVF while also learning about themselves and each other.

Recent new starter, PR & Communications Intern Seán McHugh commented: “Start Smart really answered all the questions I had when joining a new company. It was so great to take the time to understand what MVF did and how I can contribute to its future growth. My favourite part is you bond so much during it that you’ll finish with a brand new group of friends!”