Onboarding of Dreams?

Lucy joined Cleo in October 2023 as a Junior Copywriter. She's written about her onboarding experience. Let's get into it...

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Interview process

I came across Cleo’s Junior Copywriter job listing and reading it seemed too good to be true. A fairly remote position, with a chance to attend the vibey Shoreditch office in London. And doing something I loved, writing. For a company that wanted to improve the world’s financial health. 

What truly stood out to me was the sassy brand voice of Cleo AI, and the Roast and Hype modes that encouraged people to turn their money struggles around. 

The interview process was efficient and organized, and at every stage I was given specific insights on how to prepare, as well as feedback on creative tasks I submitted. 

The offer letter was very exciting, revealed as a visual package with just  ✨ so ✨ many ✨ benefits… but best of all, was the invite to a trip to Mallorca, to join the team on the 2023 Cleo Offsite. Who could turn down a trip to Magaluf? Not this sun-loving Aussie, that’s for sure.

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Week One

Blessed to have joined just before the annual offsite, I packed my bags and headed off to Mallorca (for a hard-earned break). I was mentally prepared to meet over 120 colleagues in the infamous Inbetweeners holiday island. 

Daunting though this was, I was comforted by so many welcoming and friendly faces who sparked up conversation instantly, showing such genuine interest in who I was and what I’d be doing at Cleo. Between the pool, the karaoke sing-offs and kayaking, it was wonderful to get to know people from both the US and UK teams. 

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Onboarding Content

Back to reality with a glowing tan (sunburn), I knuckled down to get stuck into the Notion onboarding pages, a platform complete with everything you needed to know about your role, with a list of readings to be done, and onboarding sessions to attend. 

Having your job role laid out to you, as well as so many resources covering brand voice, do’s and don’ts in writing for Cleo, down to the very specific details of how you can succeed in your position, is something hard to come by at most companies. 

After navigating the culture, history and background of Cleo, how it came to be and where it was headed, we had the chance to grill our very own CEO, Barney. It was great to understand how the company has grown from very few to up to 250+ employees, over the course of 7 years, as well as learning about the pathway to success: to drive Cleo to profitability. 

A key call-out from Barney was to embrace risk-taking and be as innovative as possible with your ideas and thinking. The more unconventional, the better. It’s rare to be given such freedom to test your ideas, as crazy as they may be, and to be given the support you need if you fail, and the backing up of your team to try again. 

The company values were drilled into us from week one, Make It Happen, Learn at Speed, and Bring Good Vibes, which we learned about more in the Cleo culture onboarding with Sonia, our workplace experience manager. This was so beneficial to learn how Cleople are working together, and demonstrated how united the company is in achieving one overarching goal. 

We were given a crash course into so many different pillars: the Hype team who focus on brand awareness, the Growth Acquisition team (that I was joining), as well as the User Research team, Engineering and many more. We also learnt the ins and outs of compliance, completing a compliance training to become well-equipped in how to advertise responsibly in the world of finance. 

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Goals and Check-ins 

I think the most unique thing about the onboarding with Cleo, were the weekly check-ins I had with my manager, where I could voice how I was tracking, and receive feedback on where I needed to improve. 

I have never experienced working at a place where my manager dedicates weekly, set aside time to help me grow. Cleo wants you to do well and succeed in your first 3 months and beyond, and every part of the onboarding is dedicated to just that. You and your manager work together to establish strong 90-day goals that are achievable and demonstrate your understanding of your new role. 

This, in conjunction with some reading resources and additional platforms for learning, set you up well for meeting your 90-day probation to the best of your ability. The meetings are there to ensure you get the help you need with any area of work you are struggling with, and to flaunt all the great work you’re doing.  

I was delighted to be entrusted with a Holiday Campaign in my first few weeks, and loved the freedom I was given to lead the strategy, with feedback given along the way. I loved the collaborative nature of sharing ideas, and the supportive culture of designers and writers working together to come up with informative and funny ads that would relate to Cleo’s Gen Z audience. 

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Office Life

Over three months into working at Cleo, I have loved venturing into the Shoreditch office and chatting with so many different people. It’s not one of those workplaces where everyone socializes solely within their teams; everyone is so inclusive and it makes for such a thriving work environment. 

From hilarious chats around the coffee machine, to the monthly new-joiner lunches, (not to mention the obscene number of office plants), it’s a very wholesome place to work. Oh, and the weekly socials are a great opportunity to converse with people outside of your team, we’ve had paint n’ sips, 6-a-side football, mini golf and an unbeatable Christmas party.

I can’t wait for the future at Cleo, and I encourage anyone who is considering applying for a position at Cleo to do so. Not only can you channel your inner sass, but you can be part of a company that is revolutionizing the power of AI in the money sector, all the while striving to connect with people through humor. And I’m happy to be part of it.