How Martin Makes People His Priority in Global Technical Support

Three years into his time at Confluent, Martin Holmes, a Senior Manager of Technical Support Engineering in EMEA, continually looks for new ways to challenge himself and his team.

From his perspective, the support and trust the leadership team shows him is what gives him the latitude and confidence to strive for more and advance in everything he does at work. And as a people manager himself, Martin strives to provide the same foundation for success for his team.

Find out how Martin approaches people management, his experience dealing with disgruntled customers, and what he’s benefited from most while working at Confluent.

How have you grown or changed since joining Confluent?

When I first joined Confluent, I was only the second manager hired in the EMEA Global Technical Support (GTS) team. As a result, I’ve had numerous opportunities to experience the joy, delights, and challenges of leading a team that doubled in size in a very short period.

During this time, I also got to lead and contribute to plenty of “defining moment” projects in GTS as well as join the inaugural Manager Training Program. The values and approach within GTS EMEA—such as collaboration, accountability, and a desire to learn—align perfectly with my own. This phase of my career has helped me grow professionally and allowed me to show up as my authentic self as a people manager.

What’s the best part about interacting with customers in your experience?

Being in GTS, we generally only get to speak to customers when something is broken or they’re unhappy. But I love jumping on a call with a disgruntled customer because they always have a lot to say. I love listening to their gripes, hearing things from their perspective, and then educating them about our way of working.

Having an open conversation about their day-to-day challenges is what allows us to collaborate and to get to a successful outcome—it’s so rewarding!

What skills or technologies have you learned since joining? What are you looking forward to learning next? How do you see yourself growing at Confluent over the next few years?

I’m always keen and eager to seek new experiences because I feel it helps you grow as a manager. Attending the inaugural Manager Training Program was a great way to validate, hone, and test my management skills on my peers from across the globe. I also gained a lot from the stories of other attendees about challenging situations they had experienced and what they learned.

I’ve been extremely lucky to work with amazing people, especially in the EMEA region. I also have great support from my direct manager and department vice president, who champion me in the areas in which I wish to grow. Ultimately, I hope that learning new things and being exposed to lots of situations that take me outside of my comfort zone will set me in good stead for the next step in my career as a director in GTS.

What's unique about Confluent's company culture?

Throughout my career, I’ve held many different roles across many different companies. With that context, I can absolutely say that Confluent is one of the most amazing places to work! It’s a close second to Jive Software—which fostered a strong sense of community and shared purpose, creating an incredible place to work and grow, much like Confluent.

The strength of Confluent’s exemplary work culture lies in the quality and dedication of its people. And we’ve been lucky enough to create an amazingly talented team in EMEA and the global GTS organization.

Everyone is on the same page in regard to prioritizing the customer experience. When there are disagreements about our process or priorities, we’re able to effectively discuss and consider different lines of thinking and come to a consensus to move the business forward.

At the end of the day, we want to do right by our customers. That’s our guiding principle, and everyone works together to achieve that same goal, and there are no airs and graces that get in the way.

What’s one question you would tell people to ask about the culture during their interview?

I’d recommend that people ask, “What is your primary role as my manager?” And that goes for any company, not just Confluent.

While Confluent is a great place to work, it’s still important to make sure that the job you’re taking on is the right fit—both in terms of the team and the type of work you’re going to be doing. Gaining an understanding of what your potential manager prioritizes and how they lead will give you a good idea of what to expect.

If I was asked this question when interviewing a potential hire, I’d tell them that “my role as their manager would be to ensure everyone on the team feels content, valued, and challenged—all while providing world-class technical support to our customers.” Simply put, I’m here for them, so they can be there for our customers!

What motivates you to excel in your role and how does Confluent support your ambitions?

What I love the most about my role in GTS at Confluent is that I’m given the freedom, responsibility, and authority to get stuff done, which is a core value at Confluent.

This allows me to draw upon the experiences from my previous roles, to demonstrate my strengths (and sometimes weaknesses!), and—to a certain extent—do things the way I want to do them. This is so empowering for an employee, as it allows you to express your authentic self each and every day, which makes you want to contribute more and aim higher.

And that holds true no matter who you are, your skill set, professional experience, or personal background. I can only really call upon my experiences within the GTS organization, but I’m super proud that we have folks from varied backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives in our EMEA team. Everyone is given the same opportunities to excel and advance based on their skills, their potential, and what they bring to the team.

Rapid fire questions:

1. What job did you want to have when you were a child?

   1. Fighter pilot.

2. What’s the best decision you’ve made in your career?

   1. Moving from the Midlands to the South East of England (where there were more job opportunities).

3. What’s your favorite TV show that’s set in an office?

   1. The Office (original UK version).

4. What’s your work-from-home must-have?

   1. Multiple screens and a standing desk.

5. If you could have your team off-site anywhere in the world, where would it be?

   1. Necker Island (owned by Richard Branson).

6. What’s your favorite way to unwind after work/on the weekends?

   1. Long walks with my dogs.