They say the first impression is one's initial perception of another person. First impressions are also important when you come to your first day at a new job. The way the new environment perceives you, but also the way you see the new environment.

Prerequisite

My first impression of Behalf started before that. It started with a phone call from a really nice and jumpy HR, and followed by another happy sounding manager. We scheduled an interview very fast right after that 2 second call. After the interview process, which was both efficient and quick with a lot of transparency, came my first day.
I can't say I wasn't nervous. Although I already started to learn and was preparing myself for the role, I was still not sure I was ready. I wasn't really sure what to expect. On a quick note, all the interviews were online, and I had never been to the office before my first day, since it was COVID time.

The first day!

Finally my first day arrived, and I went to the office. At first glance the office looked new to me. It looks like they are very well tagged and have clean high tech design. I was very welcomed by my manager (who is a lovely person and deserves her own post). She welcomed me and escorted me to my seat, so I could put down my stuff, and started a quick office tour.
From there we got to HR, which was yet another amazing person. She welcomed me and the other new guy that came with me, with everything that we needed for our first day. She gave us a really inclusive office tour including all the coffee machines and how they work. We got our key to the elevator, got some documents signed and that’s it, I was an official Behalf worker.
The first time I saw my team was then, on Zoom. They had their daily meeting and I sat by my manager (with masks ) saying hello. Their daily looked very pleasant and I couldn't wait to start working with these guys. I felt very welcomed.
The IT guy arrived by then, and off to get our computers. It was my first time with a Mac, and the IT guy was very patient to help me. He helped me start up my computer and account for all sorts of things. Once I got to my place, he made sure I would get all the equipment I needed. He even brought me 2 mouses to pick from and a very wide screen that I can take home (due to COVID) .
After a Corona-time-long-distance lunch, which is always weird but somehow also pleasant, I finally got to open my brand new computer.
I already had about 50 emails in my new inbox. My manager structured my onboarding plan for the next 3 weeks, and scheduled all the meetings I had to go through in advance. She even included a field trip with the team the next day! I had some onboarding processes in my life, but I would have never expected a startup onboarding to be this thorough.
Inside my email waited for me a very well organized list with links and tips to help me start. So I have started the installation process and getting to know my new Mac.

In conclusion

Overall, after the first day I felt both overwhelmed and excited with the quantity of materials that I was about to start and learn. On the other hand I was amazed by how things can be so simple and easy with just the right amount of effort. The longer I am here the more I see this implemented in all the aspects of my new work environment.
All in all, looks like first impressions worked very well, both for me and for Behalf. I can't wait to see what will be next.