It’s time for another employee story, and this time, we’re going back to our earlier times to bring you this story from one of our dearest and oldest employees; Rizal. Rizal has been with us in Indonesia for about 7 years. He has grown along with the company, and as our operations manager and trainer, has provided great value to our team.
Before joining 24Slides, Rizal was studying English literature at university; and working on his thesis. As he was having some difficulty finishing it, and he noticed that some of his friends had already graduated; he felt that he needed to shift his focus and be more productive by finding a job.
Rizal wasn’t passionate about starting a career, to say the least. Following the culture in Indonesia, Rizal’s path had been completely guided by his parents, who wished for him to follow the steps of most of the family and become a lawyer. That’s why they suggested that he study English as well, to complement that career path. Although Rizal had no real desire to become a lawyer, he nonetheless took the advice of his parents.
But how did Rizal end up at 24Slides? When asked this question, he couldn’t help but laugh. In fact, this path was so different from his original path that it’s hard to believe he’s been thriving in it for seven years.
“Back then, 24Slides, or Slideshop, as it was called, was a very small company with only around 10 people” Rizal states. “Some of them were my friends from university, so I asked them about it, and they helped me apply”.
Without any expectations, Rizal applied for a position in the company. He felt that it would be a nice place to gain some experience in order to move on to a bigger company later on. After taking a test and passing his 3 months’ training, he became an official member of “Slideshop”, along with his friend Yudha.
“When I passed the test, Ellis, one of my best friends, told me: congratulations, you passed – but remember; this is only a stepping stone to the future, and you must later go to a bigger and better company”. These words stayed with Rizal for a long time.
Determined to gain as much experience as possible, Rizal did his best at all times. He made valuable friends in the company and learned many things, and his best friend Ellis helped him a lot. Before he knew it, the company started growing. Almost without noticing, it went from having around 10 employees to 30. Rizal was amazed; and started to change his mind.
“I remember one day, it was around late 2016 or early 2017; Tobias told us that he wanted the company to grow to have over 100 employees, and he said: ‘are you ready, guys?’ and I was thinking: ‘why not?’” Rizal recalls with excitement in his voice. Somewhere along the line, his perspective had changed, and 24Slides had become a big part of Rizal’s life.
“A few years ago, my friend Ellis got married and had to move and leave the company, but before leaving she said to me: ‘I revise my statement. I recommend that you don’t leave this company’. These words resonated with me.” Rizal expresses with a nostalgic tone. Although Ellis sadly passed away during childbirth, memories of her are always fresh and dear in Rizal’s heart.
Now, with over 100 employees and a branch in Peru, 24Slides has taken Rizal to unexpected places. Although he originally imagined he would work in a typical Indonesian factory-like company, with a uniform and a set schedule; 24Slides has been a completely different experience.
A company where every employee matters, and people work together for a common goal; where people can truly enjoy themselves and feel as though they are part of the team. In 24Slides, no one is more or less important than others, and everyone respects each other.
What makes 24Slides so different from Rizal’s expectations is the value they give to their people; employees are just as important as the customers. In 24Slides, people can truly love their job, and always be glad to see their co-workers. And even though the company keeps growing and adding more people; no one is just another employee; but rather an important part of the team.
It is Rizal’s belief that what has made this company grow so much is the amount of teamwork and respect that’s characteristic of 24Slides. As he states, “If we remove these values, it would be a disaster for us”.