What are the qualities that make a great workplace? Some of the most vital elements include an environment where team members’ hard work is valued and employees feel like they truly belong. Having a few standout perks and benefits that are unique to the organization don’t hurt either.
We found 12 companies — each one actively growing their teams — that offered insight into not only what their team culture is like, but also what sets them apart as a company. Take a peek behind the curtain and imagine yourself at one of these scaling tech companies.
Conversant uses data science to turn customer interactions into actionable insight for its clients — including Banana Republic, Cabela’s and other retail stores. Vice President of Analytics Operations Heidi Upchurch said the company makes use of data from a number of other industries as well that many people interact with everyday.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Curiosity — I believe this is one of the most important traits for an analyst to have. My team is constantly asking questions to get at the heart of the business problem we’re trying to solve. We analyze the data we work with from every possible angle to ensure we’re delivering the highest quality insights.
As an analyst, it’s rewarding not only to work with such a vast amount of data, but to work with data that I can relate to.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
Conversant uses online and offline transaction data across multiple industries to build profiles and inform decisions. While our business was built around retail, we’ve expanded into many other verticals including travel, media and entertainment, restaurants, auto, consumer packaged goods, and finance. As an analyst, it’s rewarding not only to work with such a vast amount of data, but also to work with data that I can relate to.
Rightpoint is all about creating great experiences — for its clients and for its team members. The company creates impactful digital customer experiences for its customers, and Researcher Ashlynn Denny said it also works to maintain a great culture for employees. From an office attitude founded on authenticity to the hosting of in-office science fairs, Denny said there’s a lot to help team members feel welcomed.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Every one of my team members is dedicated to solving the complex and unique problems faced by our clients, and needs to be adaptable to do so. When understanding and solving for user and business problems in tandem, the process is rarely a one-size-fits-all model. In order to comprehend the root of the problem we’re solving, it requires working alongside clients, stakeholders, and users to gain a deep understanding of the organization’s goals, processes, and culture. During projects and cross-functional collaboration, we all have to be adaptable to situations out of our control — which is the fun part. Many times, the solution can reveal itself to be quite surprising.
During projects and cross-functional collaboration, we all have to be adaptable to situations out of our control — which is the fun part.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
There’s an unspoken “no assholes” policy at Rightpoint which makes for a fun, authentic and supportive environment. I have always loved the emphasis on people and culture here. I began as a contractor and was immediately welcomed by my co-workers — attending office science-fairs and social events, and learning as much as I could about other projects people are working on. This was influential in my decision to go full-time and am thrilled I can geek out any time on a wide variety of topics with co-workers.
Individuals on small teams can drive big outcomes — even at companies with over 1,000 employees, like Enova. The company is a credit provider for consumers and small businesses, and Recruiting Manager II Kelli Hall said that even though the company and its headcount are sizeable, so too are the impacts that team members can have based on the size of their work units.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Enova attracts people who want to own challenging projects and solve interesting problems — but do so in a collaborative environment. Our team members are results-driven and intellectually curious, but they also support each others’ success. Whether it’s their first day or their sixth year, team members are willing to roll up their sleeves and dive into the data. This sense of ownership extends beyond the actual work to their leadership, interactions with peers and role in building our culture. Team members understand that success is not a competition — asking questions and challenging assumptions are critical components to finding the best answer, and effective collaboration results in the greatest outcomes.
Because we work in small, focused teams to achieve defined goals, team members’ work goes further.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
Despite being a midsize company, the impact each person makes is both vital and acknowledged. Because we work in small, focused teams to achieve defined goals, team members’ work goes further. Not only is every team member entrusted with owning challenging, impactful work — they are supported and acknowledged for their success, from the C-suite to their peers. People stay not for perks, but for the ownership, impact, and exposure to supportive people they work with every day. Enova is somewhere you can grow and stretch, and when you do, your team will be there to provide healthy feedback, lend a hand, and cheer you on to the finish line.
Staff at freelancing website Upwork love acting as a team — not just in working together professionally on projects, but also in supporting one another’s personal interests and causes important to them. Strategic and Large Enterprise Business Development Sales Manager Rachel Rieger said team members do a lot to show that they care about one another by participating in the many events spurred by the company’s employee resource groups.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
One character trait our team members share is grit. In order to get one percent better each day, it’s vital that we encompass the ability to persist and persevere when faced with challenges.
Our employee resource groups help to build amazing teams by fostering an inclusive community focused on awareness and respect.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
Our employee resource groups help to build amazing teams by fostering an inclusive community focused on awareness and respect. Regardless of whether they identify specifically with that ERG, everyone in the organization rallies around their peers. Whether it be celebrating our LGBTQ employees with a Boystown bar crawl during pride month, kickstarting National Hispanic Heritage Month with a fiercely competitive “Iron Chef Guac Off,” recognizing gender equality in the workplace at our annual women’s summit, or reflecting on the importance of Juneteenth with our Black Initiative Network, Upwork employees approach every initiative with passion and openness.
Pampered Chef is an e-commerce site that helps you become a better chef. Product Manager Tony Boroczk said the company gave him the opportunity to be the best dad he could be through its generous parental leave program.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Innovation is one of our company’s core values and is encouraged by leadership in every department. My sprint team’s ability to innovate creates cohesion and a fun environment. And as a product manager, it’s great to have a team that can find a tech solution for any idea.
I was able to spend an entire month being a full-time parent while still receiving full-time pay.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
When adding a new member to the family by birth or adoption, Pampered Chef allows 12 weeks of paid leave for primary caregivers and four weeks of leave for secondary caregivers. The policy relieved a huge amount of stress for me and my wife. With an 18-month-old child already at home, adding a new baby would’ve been a very difficult adjustment for one parent to handle. With parental leave, I was able to spend an entire month being a full-time parent while still receiving full-time pay.
Aretha Franklin said it best in 1967 when she sang “R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me.” And in 2019, that means feeling like a valued, contributing member of the team for Software Engineer Juliet Welcome at ServiceNow. Welcome said the company, which automates complex work processes to improve team productivitity, places a heavy emphasis on transparency and making sure everyone’s work feels important.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Respectfulness. Even though this is my first job as a software engineer, everyone at ServiceNow has made me feel very comfortable: I’m not worried about asking questions and senior members of the team have taken time to explain things to me.
We have a big team now, but everyone communicates well and is willing to collaborate for the good of the team and product, often breaking into smaller groups to accomplish our goals more efficiently.
There’s a great feeling of collaboration and transparency in terms of what you’re building and where it’s going.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
Our office is about making everyone feel welcome. It feels like a community, not just a workplace. Even though our Chicago office has grown incredibly quickly – we started with five people in early 2018 and have more than 65 now – there’s a great feeling of collaboration and transparency in terms of what you’re building and where it’s going. It’s a big company and it’s getting bigger all the time, but the sense that your individual contributions are making a difference isn’t lost.
What do you get when you mix data, baseball, a movie Starring Brad Pitt and a lot of persistence? According to Product Design Manager Andrew Skweres, you get Stats Perform. The company was founded by some of the same people that helped inspire the film “Moneyball”. Even though the team behind that profound baseball analysis made their impact on sports in 2002, Skweres said the current team is applying that level of tenacity to their new business.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
One trait that all members of the team share is a tenacity and willingness to solve challenging and complex problems. The team’s success stems from our desire to explore all options to ensure we create an easier, more pleasant, and efficient experience for our customers and users. This is achieved through collaboration, focus and the team’s unmatched attention to detail. Displaying massive amounts of sports data to a wide range of customers is not an easy feat, but we pride ourselves on providing digestible and insightful information to all of our users and partners.
We pride ourselves on providing digestible and insightful information to all of our users and partners.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
Our organization was started in 1981. We were founded by some of the creators of Sabermetrics, made famous through the book and movie "Moneyball", which played a major role in revolutionizing baseball. Today, through our continued growth, innovation and expansion, we’re modernizing sports through AI.
Winning is fun — particularly fun to succeed when your teammates can celebrate alongside you. Commercial Account Executive Jon Katz said that at DialogTech, an AI-backed marketing analytics solution, this concept can come in two forms: his team applauding a great sale on the office floor, or cheering on a roll at the bowling alley.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
One trait we all share is our willingness to support each other and collaborate on projects. Everyone is willing to work together to ensure best practices are shared and we all help our customers and DialogTech overall be successful. This allows us to continue to compete day-to-day in a healthy sales environment while raising everyone’s skills. When someone closes a deal, we even ring our company gong to let everyone in the company know that their hard work paid off in a new, happy customer.
We have a semi-professional, amateur bowling team...there’s always enough drinks and pizza to ensure everyone goes home happy.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
We have a semi-professional, amateur bowling team. Each fall, our team gets together in our annual bowling league where our top players are trying out the “grandma-style,” “through-the-legs,” and the “fireball” bowling styles. The best part about being on the bowling team is that no matter what your score is or how many gutter balls you “achieve,” there’s always enough drinks and pizza to ensure everyone goes home happy.
Internalizing the challenges of clients is a key part of any consultancy role, and Talent Operations Manager Victoria Sullivan at Adage Technologies said employees at the consulting and web development company embody that ability. Once employees understand a client’s goals, they can be a real contributor to empowering them — no matter their title.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Empathy is something that all Adage employees have in common. As consultants, we really need empathy to be able to connect with our clients and understand their needs so that we can provide the best solutions to help them achieve their missions. Having the ability to see different perspectives and care about the users really allows our teams to build applications that will make a meaningful impact. The added benefit of empathy being a shared trait is that we’re a company full of caring, considerate, and helpful teammates, which makes for a great culture and positive work environment.
Everyone has the ability to influence their projects no matter their role on the team.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
One thing that might surprise people is how big of an impact each employee is able to make. From our newest employee to our most tenured, everyone has the ability to influence their projects no matter their role on the team. All employees are involved in the full project lifecycle and work directly with clients, so everyone understands why we’re building what we’re building, and we’re expected to speak up to provide our input. We value collaboration and believe that hearing diverse opinions is key to developing the best solution for our clients.
Paradox team members just want to help. Salespeople at the AI-backed recruitment solutions provider place a heavy emphasis on developing and maintaining great relationships with their clients. And for Account Executive Troy Watson, this mentality helped him secure a Paradox accolade he’s proud of.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
What sets our sales team apart from other companies is our strong emphasis on building relationships. Because we focus more on people than metrics, we are able to partner with our clients to help them find solutions that solve real problems. Our team genuinely cares about helping our clients succeed and improve their businesses.
Because we focus more on people than metrics, we are able to partner with our clients to help them find solutions that solve real problems.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
We have a unique culture where our mission and vision carry through to our actions. Every person on our team is motivated and passionate about the work that we do, which creates an inspiring atmosphere where we all push each other to be better every day. One of the relationships that I’m most proud of nurturing is First Watch Restaurants. They recently named Paradox as their Brand and Marketing Partner of the Year — the first time a non-food vendor was recognized in this top category.
It’s entirely possible to be a team player in an individual sport. Director of Inside Sales Tom Mersman said that’s how his team at Keeper Security, Inc. operates, with a collective group of people contributing to each other’s success at the cybersecurity company. And all their hard work is balanced out by a desire to have fun, which Mersman said is important in an industry as critical as the one his team works in.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
All members of the sales team at Keeper are incredibly driven and collaborative. It can be tough to strike a balance between focusing on your own work and helping others, but everyone is working toward their own and the team’s success, and will do whatever they can to help other team members out. In any sales role, you have to be willing to put in the work to be successful, but it’s also nice that you can lean on other people on the team if you need help with something specific. It gives us an extra edge that it isn’t just individuals pulling toward their own goals, but a team pulling toward a common goal.
People would be surprised at how much fun everyone has around the office, compared to how serious and technical the cybersecurity is.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
People would be surprised at how much fun everyone has around the office, compared to how serious and technical cybersecurity is. You would think that when you’re discussing data breaches, password hygiene, and encryption all day that it might get dry and heavy, but we keep things very lighthearted and fun. You’ll hear people joking throughout the day and you can always count on your co-workers for a laugh. It doesn’t hurt that every other Friday is catered lunch in the office and we get to sit together at large picnic tables for some genuine bonding time.
Failure is a key part of growth, and senior Senior Software Developer Adam Finlayson said that way of thinking is fundamental to how his team members at CardX operate. The dev team at the credit card payment solution provider knows that you have to crack a few eggs to crack great code, and they set aside time each week to go over things that were unsuccessful.
What’s one trait all the members of your team share?
Members of our team are always encouraged to keep learning new things. An unofficial motto we often share is that our workplace is a “safe place to fail.” We have weekly code reviews and developer-only demos not only to show off what’s working, but also to learn from what’s not.
We have weekly code reviews and developer-only demos not only to show off what’s working, but also to learn from what’s not.”
What’s one thing that would surprise people about your company?
It means a lot to me that everyone here is invested in their colleagues. Soon after I started, when they were putting up the nameplate for my office, our CEO Jonathan Razi said, “CardX isn’t the gig economy — this should feel like home.” Every day I see that commitment to really having a team and having a culture, and it translates into excellence in our product.
