Last month, we crossed another item off the Flywheel bucket list: we hired our first two remote Happiness Engineers, Joey and Sarah! We’re always thrilled to welcome new Flywheelers to the family, but this time we were extra excited because it was such a new experience for all of us. And in true Flywheel fashion, we wanted it to be an unforgettable experience.

The first step of this journey was to fly Sarah and Joey to good ol’ Omaha, Nebraska. (Joey is from the Netherlands, and Sarah is from England!) We worked with them to coordinate their flights, but what we didn’t tell them? Not only would they be on the same flight from Minneapolis to Omaha, but they’d actually be sitting next to each other!

Once they were both in their seats, neither of them knew that the other person was also headed to Flywheel, but Sarah had an inkling – she knew that one other remote employee had been hired, and if she were planning their trip, she would buy them seats next to each other. That would just make sense, right?

And so, they got to talking. As Sarah likes to put it, “I found my seat and began plotting ways of subtly extracting relevant information from the man sitting beside me… I mean, putting my investigative support skills to good use!” She’s a pretty good sleuth, because it didn’t take long at all before they realized that they were both headed to Flywheel HQ!

Once that little detail had been unveiled, they spent the rest of the flight talking about Flywheel, their backgrounds, and their excitement to begin working. Or, as Joey likes to put it, his feelings of “hope, excitement, fear, nervousness, and a desire for grilled cheese sandwiches.” We knew they’d fit in well.

After they had finally arrived in Omaha, Sarah and Joey had another surprise waiting for them –  a Flywheel welcome committee was waiting for them with signs to welcome them to Omaha! And so began their month-long stay at Flywheel HQ.

The first week is kind of like classroom-style learning, to give new employees an overview of the company and their place within it. Then, Sarah and Joey dove headfirst into support, starting with migrations and working their way up the support tiers.

“During my stay, I was able to experience the fine level of detail, preparedness, help, and team camaraderie that’s part of the Flywheel experience. I hope to carry forth this level of service in all interactions I have as a Happiness Engineer, with grilled cheese sandwiches in hand, of course.” – Joey

While training is obviously an important piece of a remote Flywheeler’s first month, there’s one other piece that we focus on – culture. From trips to the Henry Doorly Zoo to video game days to visiting local festivals (like Hutchfest), we kept Sarah and Joey’s social calendars pretty full.

“The culture here is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Everyone is so genuine and friendly! I’m excited to head back to England, but I’m really going to miss the office, the delicious catered lunches, and the lovely people that I get to call my coworkers!” – Sarah

Even though these two have only just recently headed back to their homes, they’re already looking forward to returning in October for our next quarterly retreat. (And so are we!)