Dawn on Newton Onboarding

First things first, what brought you here?

I had mostly worked in oil and gas for 10 years before I joined Newton. I was based in different places around the world – from construction sites to headquarter offices – but I also did a sabbatical which involved cycling around the world for 14 months! 

That gave me time to think about what I wanted to do. I was keen to develop diverse experience and I was interested in the public sector. Every other consultancy I spoke with put me in a box – I’d typically have been expected to focus on oil and gas given my background. Newton is different. From my very first conversation with them, they offered me a variety of experiences and that’s held true. I’ve worked everywhere from a high street retailer through to health and social care. 

What were your initial impressions?

The culture definitely stood out! Everyone is working at the edge of their comfort zone. The pace is fast and we’re immersed in the projects we’re looking after. At the same time, there’s a very sociable culture, including fortnightly get-togethers on Fridays – either in person or virtually.  

I also love how integrated we are with our clients. We’re partners and it very much feels like we’re an extension of our client teams. Right now, I’m on site with my client four days a week. Moving forward, I’ll probably combine life on site with more working from home. 

How did you find the onboarding process?

Definitely different! The initial induction was like being back at school – but in a good way! You’re in a mixed group in terms of experience levels, with a lot of graduates as well as experienced hires. We spent our evenings together, which was a brilliant bonding experience and are still in touch now, two years on.

In terms of the wider onboarding programme, unless you join as a Director, you’re initially given a generic Business Consultant job title. This offers a protected period of time for experienced hires to find their feet before moving into a role at a specific level. This time enabled me to focus on getting to grips with the organisation and the role. When I started, I shadowed a colleague for a month before joining my initial induction and I really appreciated talking to people about the process first. It was great to get their insights. 

Any stand-out moments?

The first year here was very much about rolling my sleeves up and getting stuck into programmes – I learned from the ground up. To give you an example, I was helping a food manufacturer develop more effective waste management strategies. I was literally out on the factory floor observing their processes and seeing for myself how much food was being thrown away. I felt quite at home as it was like being out on a construction site. It was also great to get stuck in to learn about the company inside out. And now that I’m managing more junior consultants, it helps me to know what it’s like to be in their shoes. 

How would you describe the learning experience?

The first year here feels like a mini MBA. New joiners should see it as a year of training and development where it’s possible to discover a business from scratch. And one massive advantage is that the intrapreneurial spirit within Newton means it’s easy to progress new ideas and embed change. For example, I created an internal support network of Business Consultants who continue to have catch-ups every fortnight.

Even as an experienced hire, I feel that I have gained so much in terms of learning about a brand new sector. I love working in health & social care – I really felt this in March 2020 when my project directly supported our clients’ response to the COVID pandemic.

Finally, how would you summarise life at Newton?

One thing that is important to emphasise at Newton is the current focus on equality, inclusion and diversity. I am a bisexual woman with a female partner. It has felt consistently easy to be open about this since joining and is even celebrated – that’s not always been the case elsewhere. From a Pride point of view, this is a great place to be.