The Grass Isn’t Always Greener 

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener

Find out why two of our employees left us, but just couldn’t stay away.

We’re proud of the team we have built here at MRM Global and work hard to keep our retention rates soaring high. We don’t want to lose any of the incredible talents we have been lucky enough to acquire but appreciate and respect that sometimes we all must try something new. For some, this might look like leaving us for good, and for others, only for a little while.   

We hate to see any of our team go, but when they choose to return after spending some time away from the business, we’re happy to have a team and culture that’s so hard to stay away from.   

This month, we had the pleasure of interviewing two of our returning employees to find out why they left but more importantly, why they wanted to come back. 

If you’re keen to find out why the grass isn’t always greener, read the below interviews with our Product Manager and Business Development Director who made a return to MRM Global. 

1. What motivated you to join MRM Global in the first place?

“I had been working as a software developer for the same company for nearly seven years and was keen for a change. When I heard about what MRM Global had already achieved as a tech start-up and what they planned to do with their expansion into Europe, I was very excited to hear more. The technology stack was new to me – but everyone that I met during the interview process was welcoming and supportive. I had a good feeling that it would be an environment where I could continuously learn, and I could have a big impact.

 2. How long were you with MRM Global before leaving? What was your experience throughout your time here?  

“I was with MRM Global for three years. Throughout this time, I experienced the company growing from having a UK-only customer and supplier base, to operating on a global scale. I was regularly trusted to deliver high-profile projects and was given valuable feedback and mentorship to help with my progression. Latterly, I took the opportunity to pivot into a Product-focussed role so I could play to my strengths and to better support the Engineering team. 

 3. If you don’t mind us asking, why did you choose to leave MRM Global? 

Although I enjoyed the Product role with MRM Global, I recognised that there wasn’t enough experience throughout the business to make this role a success. I was keen to join an established Product team so I could look to them for guidance, whilst also practicing new skills to progress my career. I discovered a fully remote Product Owner position for a software company via a LinkedIn job search. Their software services targeted users in the HR & Payroll industry, which I was familiar with from previous employment, so it seemed like a good move.

 4. What made you want to return to MRM Global? 

Just as I was leaving MRM Global, that “established Product team” that I’d been striving for was hired: Matt as Product Manager and Charlotte as Product Designer. I kept in touch with my former teammates, so I often heard about the incredible progress that Matt & Charlotte were making. It really was inspirational to hear how they had been able to cut through the challenges that I had faced and to hear about their plans for the Brand Creator app. I definitely wanted to be part of that journey! I’d also come to realise that a fully remote position wasn’t for me, and that I felt more energised and productive in face-to-face collaborative sessions.

5. What was the process of returning to MRM Global like? 

I regularly spoke to our CEO, Craig, and Vice President of Operations, Katie, who explained various strategies that the company had invested in, specifically to improve the Engineering team. The team had gone through a rough patch with changing leadership and responsibilities, so Craig identified the need for a new role – Engineering Manager. He offered me this position directly. I built a strong relationship with Craig over the years, so I respected his opinion, but I did have concerns about moving from an individual contributor role to a manager, especially whilst the Engineering team’s morale was low. He invited me to a session with his business coach for an open and honest discussion, and he explained the support network that had recently been put in place by Susan (Head of People). 


6. Are you happy with your decision to return to MRM Global?  

“Yes! When I re-joined MRM Global, I wanted to understand how the team dynamics had changed since I left, and how I could bring stability to the existing team whilst also hiring new talent. I’m proud to say that I did achieve this (with the help and support of too many people to mention!), despite there being many unforeseen changes within my first couple of months. The company’s ambitions continue to grow, and I’m excited to see what we can achieve now that we now have a clear vision; strong leadership; and a committed team who are all focused on the same goal.

1. What motivated you to join MRM Global in the first place? 

When I was approached regarding the role as Global Account Director, I was immediately excited by the position. All of my work experience and knowledge at this point in my career was relating to the drinks industry, so when I was given the opportunity to join a fast-growing technology company and work alongside some for world’s leading drinks brands, I thought this was a perfect fit!

I was also incredibly impressed with MRM’s software Brand Creator! Having been a field sales rep for Diageo during the early stages of my career, I immediately saw the value in the application, how it would be used, and wanted to be involved with this as they aimed to expand into more markets.

 
2. How long were you with MRM Global before leaving? What was your experience throughout your time here? 

I was with MRM 3 years and 9 months when I decide to leave the business to embark on a new opportunity. I can honestly say that I loved my time at MRM, the people that worked there and I left on extremely positive terms. We had achieved and grown so much during this period, and it was such an amazing experience to be part of.

 
3. If you don’t mind us asking, why did you choose to leave MRM Global? 

“I was approached on LinkedIn by a recruiter to apply for the position of Vice President of Business Development, working with a technology company selling market research services to consumer-packaged goods clients. On paper this was an exciting new opportunity, new industry to learn and the next logical step as I aimed to progress my career.

 
4. What made you want to return to MRM Global?  

“There were several reasons for this, however the main reasons for this were that I was still heavily invested in what was going on at MRM! The business was going through an exciting period of growth, had several new opportunities coming up and I felt I was missing out. I also missed the team culture and being able to have a face-to-face meeting or attend social engagements with my friends and colleagues.

 
5. What was the process of returning to MRM Global like? 

“I was frequently in contact with our now COO, Ben and CEO, Craig. They had been in contact to say that they were going to be recruiting to replace my previous role and offered me the opportunity to come back. I had been in my new position for 4 months at this point and knew this wasn’t going to be a long-term position for me and was therefore delighted to accept and re-join the business!

 
6. Are you happy with your decision to return to MRM Global? 

“Yes! MRM is genuinely such a great place to work and has an amazing product offering. With our current pipeline of projects, new Brand Creator application, and potential new business opportunities in front of us, it’s going to be an exciting year ahead!
 

To summarise, we don’t want to lose any of our people, but we can’t say we’re not happy when they want to rejoin our team.  

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