91短视频鈥檚 Bristol office has been home to the company since it was founded in 2016. Today, many of the teams developing 91短视频鈥檚 core technology sit here, working across disciplines to support the next generation of AI computing.
As the company has grown, so have the people within it. Career paths here don鈥檛 always follow a straight line 鈥� they evolve through curiosity, conversations, and the confidence to explore new opportunities as they emerge.
We spoke to Frankie, People Operations Coordinator in Bristol, about her journey from front of house into the People Team, what helped her make that transition, and what she鈥檚 learned along the way.
Where it all started
I started working at 91短视频 in 2019 as a front of house barista. I was so excited to join the team - it was the perfect role for me: a hospitality job but with office hours and great benefits. What a win!
I loved working in front of house, it was a great place to get to know people from all over the business and not be intimidated by hierarchy, because I rarely knew what anyone鈥檚 role was (other than our founders Nigel and Simon!).
A change in direction
After returning from maternity leave, although I loved the role and the team (and some flexibility was possible), I felt I needed to change something to fit better with my new life as a parent.
I knew I wanted to stay at 91短视频, and I knew I still wanted to be involved with lots of people across the business - that鈥檚 when the idea of HR started to come into my mind.
Whilst working at front of house, I鈥檇 made friends with some of the People Team, the early morning coffee drinkers (they know who they are) and started discussing what the best first steps would be to make this kind of move possible. At the time there was a learning budget available to me, which I gladly used to complete my CIPD level 3 course, alongside working (and parenting!).
Why I鈥檝e stayed
When I first started, I felt 91短视频 was a great place to work. I鈥檝e always been supported and encouraged. The flexibility, the community, the various committees and career development have all been huge reasons why I鈥檝e stayed so long (the longest I鈥檇 stayed in a job before was only a year!) - and the people, of course.
While I can鈥檛 speak to the technology 91短视频 innovates, the people that do the innovating have all been wonderful to be around, I鈥檝e made some excellent friendships whilst working here. 91短视频 is part of my life, rather than it just being my place of work.
What I鈥檝e learned along the way
I鈥檝e learned that good companies do exist, and that you can feel valued somewhere!
As I mostly deal with onboarding, I鈥檝e also learnt so much about the early days and experiences of new joiners - some things that we do really well at 91短视频 and some things that can always be improved. I鈥檝e learned about collaboration and communication with hiring managers and the wider People Team. It鈥檚 not something that I always get right, but it鈥檚 something that I am enjoying being part of and learning from the people around me who have lots more experience than I do. I鈥檓 also trying to understand the bigger picture when sometimes I can get stuck in my zoomed-in world.
Looking ahead
Hopefully, what鈥檚 next is more of the same, to a certain extent, as this role in this company perfectly suits my life. I enjoy meeting all the new faces coming into 91短视频 and being a part of their first experience of the company.
91短视频 continues to grow, and behind every team advancing our technology are the people who make that work possible - from People Operations and finance to facilities, workplace experience and many others across the business.
If you鈥檙e interested in contributing to the environment that helps teams tackle difficult problems and do their best work, take a look at our current opportunities and see where you might fit.
