A Look Inside Magnolia’s Newbies Week

At Magnolia, we believe that a great workplace starts with a great welcome, and our recent Newbies Week in Basel was a shining example of just that.

Designed to help our newest Magnolians ease into their journey with us, the three-day onboarding experience was more than just an introduction to the company—it was a deep dive into our purpose, people, and passion.

Here’s a peek at what went down.

The week kicked off with a big-picture view of Magnolia, led by our Head of HR, Christian, who laid out the foundations of our organization and the journey Magnolia had taken to turn a 2-person start-up into a 200+ company.

After a healthy and delicious lunch, it was time for one of the week’s highlights: the Panel Discussion and Q&A.

This engaging session brought together experts from across Magnolia, representing our diverse departments: Shared Services, Services, Product Development, Marketing, and Sales. Each panelist shared insights into their area of responsibility, how their teams contribute to the bigger picture, and what trends they’re currently navigating in the digital experience space.

Jonas, our Partner Manager, shed light on the benefits of a composable DXP—particularly how this modular approach empowers us to meet customer needs with greater agility while also being cost-efficient.

Meanwhile, our Senior Digital Experience Manager spoke passionately about the flexibility Magnolia offers when it comes to adapting to new technologies, especially in the context of AI integration. With the rising trend of users turning to AI tools rather than traditional search engines, the ability to quickly pivot and innovate is proving essential in maintaining a competitive edge and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

The session was not just informative, but also highly interactive. New team members had the opportunity to ask questions, engage in open dialogue, and get real-time advice from those with hands-on experience across the organization.

To cap it all off, we spent the afternoon exploring the charming city of Basel, giving our newcomers a glimpse of the place Magnolia proudly calls home. It was yet another highlight of the day, which we concluded with a shared dinner at one of Basel’s finest Asian restaurants.

We turned the focus inward on Day 2 with sessions on Mission, Vision, and Strategy, helping everyone understand how their work fits into the bigger picture.

Then, Martina, our HR Business Partner, and Melinda, our Talent Acquisition Manage, hosted a session on our Drivers & Culture. It was a chance to explore the heart of what makes Magnolia, Magnolia and understand what stands behind our drivers: “Take charge”, “Connect”, “Be you!”.

Day 3 was a day of friendly competition and reflection. Our interactive game, “But What is Magnolia?” based on the well-known quiz show “Jeopardy”, brought learning and laughter together as teams tested their knowledge about the company in a fun format.

We concluded with a feedback and wrap-up session, followed by a heartfelt ”see you next month”, as our major company event,” Magnolia Company Days” is just around the corner.

As a final thought, what could better capture the spirit of Newbies Week than the words of our participants themselves?

“The event and sessions have been beneficial for me to get to know and understand Magnolia more in general, as well as to experience Magnolia's human community in Basel-which I must admit surpassed my expectations. Everyone is very nice here; I felt at home as soon as I stepped into the office building.”

“Sorry if you were expecting me to provide feedback to improve this, but I can't say anything other than ‘thank you very much.’ My expectations were more than fulfilled. Honestly, let’s recognize that so much love has been put into this for us to have a great experience. Everything developed seamlessly and satisfyingly to me.”