Employee engagement is a critical component to the success of any organization — it fuels the opinions of the general public, prospective customers and future job candidates.
In fact, engaged employees are 23 times more likely than disengaged employees to say that their organization is a great place to work, according to a Gallup Workplace report. The report also stated that engaged workplaces are far more profitable and productive than disengaged ones.
Excited about the idea of working for a productive organization that’s also full of passionate, committed and loyal employees? Built In Austin asked the local leaders from companies that embody those characteristics to share why they love coming to work every day and what they’re excited to accomplish in their roles in the future.
What they do: Invitae is a healthtech company with a mission to bring comprehensive genetic testing into mainstream medicine to improve people’s overall health.
For Head of Oncology Software Development Jake Rothenbuhker, working at Invitae is a privilege. He said that helping people achieve better health outcomes was one of main reasons he started working there.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at Invitae?
It’s a privilege to know that my work helps people achieve better health outcomes. Invitae’s mission is to bring genetics into mainstream medicine. That means helping people find better cancer treatments or discovering what’s making their kid sick. There aren’t many places where I can apply my software engineering expertise to more impactful problems.
There aren’t many places where I can apply my software engineering expertise to more impactful problems.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Invitae is headed?
We’re only beginning to unlock the potential of genetic information to improve people’s health. The cost of genetic sequencing has gone down at a rate that outpaces Moore’s Law. Every day, we learn more and more about how genetics plays a role in almost every disease. We envision a future where genetic information is an integral part of all aspects of healthcare. It’s extremely exciting to help build this future at Invitae.
What they do: Workrise is a workforce management solution for skilled trades.
Since joining the company two years ago, Product Design Manager Danielle Sabata has been able to work on some of the coolest projects of her career and, in turn, she said that it felt like the company was making a long-lasting investment in both her and her career.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at Workrise?
Two primary factors have kept me going at Workrise. The dynamic environment is constantly generating new opportunities and the support from leadership and teammates to take calculated risks. Growth stage companies inherently have some level of dynamism because they’re still evolving, but a unique aspect of our team is the support that you get for taking a leap. For me, that has meant a lot of personal growth and learning, which I’m thankful for.
In the last two years, I’ve had two opportunities to start product initiatives from the ground up, building the team and product as we go. Another big moment for me was partnering with our recruiting team to iterate on our design hiring and interviewing process. We focused on mitigating and educating about personal bias and invested time to understand how to help candidates put their best foot forward. Not only does that help us build our team with more intention, but I hope it also makes for a more equitable outcome.
I’ve gotten the chance to work on some big projects that I don’t think I would have even had a line of sight of at larger companies and that feels like a long-lasting investment in me and my career.
Together, the product and operations teams are piloting and prototyping the coolest projects I’ve ever been a part of.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Workrise is headed?
I’ve worked here for about two years now and during that time I’ve seen multiple stages of evolution. I see indications that we’re just now rounding a new corner to our next stage, which is really exciting. We’ve set foundations in most if not all the right areas and done a ton of hiring. Going from no processes or people to the right processes and the right people is hard work. Like really hard. But we’re on the other side of much of it now and the entire company is flourishing because of it. We’ve got a lot of momentum.
For example, my product team has gotten a few reps working together on a variety of projects and now we’ve also made some great hires on the operations side of the house. Together, we’re piloting and prototyping the coolest projects I’ve ever been a part of. We would not have been able to get these cool things out into the world without the foundations that we’ve set over the last few years.
What they do: Khoros is a customer-engagement platform that focuses on a few areas of service including social media marketing and feedback, and consultancy for customer-specific projects.
Kara Ashley said that as a talent acquisition partner, she’s excited to be able to make a direct impact on the company’s ability to progress and become a market leader in the customer-engagement industry.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at Khoros?
The top deciding factors for me to accept my job at Khoros were the company stability and constant evolution, as well as the quality of the conversations I had during the hiring process. You could feel the culture of trust and hard work right from the beginning.
You could feel the culture of trust and hard work right from the beginning.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Khoros is headed?
What most excites me about the work I’ll be doing at Khoros is that I have quite literally a direct effect on the company’s ability to continue to progress to be a market leader in the digital customer engagement space. Through that, I also get to impact peoples’ lives and happiness.
What they do: MVF is a customer generation company that aims to help businesses grow through a combination of tech, sales and cross-channel marketing.
Because the company has spent a lot of time over the last year solidifying its organizational structure, Sales Manager Emma Stewart said that they’re looking to hire a large slew of new team members in 2021.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at MVF?
I started at MVF five years ago when the Austin office was still very new. It’s been incredibly rewarding to have been here as the team has grown and to see people I helped to train progress. One of the unique things about MVF is the exposure you are able to get to different parts of the business. Outside of the day-to-day management of my team, I get to work on launching new categories for the team to sell into, develop an ongoing learning plan with our learning and development team and organize events with the Women’s Network. No day is the same, so it makes for a very dynamic and energizing career.
No day is the same, so it makes for a very dynamic and energizing career.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where MVF is headed?
I’m excited about the future of MVF and the Austin office specifically. Over the last year, we have spent a lot of time solidifying the organizational structure that will allow for the next big growth phase and this means we will need to hire some awesome new team members. One of my favorite parts of my role is getting to train and coach our new hires, so I’m looking forward to spending more time on this in 2021.
What they do: Matillion enables businesses to migrate and transform data into actionable insights to quickly solve business challenges.
In the future, Director of Commercial Sales Joe Yesunas said that he’s looking forward to improving the company’s sales processes and coaching the next generation of enterprise AEs.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at Matillion?
Sixteen months ago, I thought I was joining a special company in terms of the executive team, vision, product, culture and the market we operate in, but it has exceeded my expectations in every way. I don’t think I’ve ever been as “all in” with an organization in my 10-plus year tech-sales career and that excitement continues to grow every single day.
The culture is palpable and fully top-down from our CEO Matthew; the product is constantly improving as showcased by our best in class retention is arguably the hottest sector in technology; the vision has never been more clear; and the executive team is comprised of some of the smartest, approachable, genuine and experienced folks I’ve ever been lucky enough to work for. The fast-paced nature of an organization at this stage means every team member can make an impact in achieving our collective vision and the people I get to work alongside just make it easy to give it your absolute best day in and day out.
The fast-paced nature of an organization means every team member can make an impact in achieving our collective vision.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Matillion is headed?
We continue to lead with our culture and values at the forefront as we constantly evolve and make improvements across all key areas of the business. I’m excited to grow the very important commercial sales function and deliver key revenue in order to help drive this business forward to the next level. Besides just growth and revenue, I’m personally driven by always looking to improve our sales process, coaching up the next generation of future enterprise AEs and always focused on improving personally since at Matillion we strongly believe no person, process or product is ever finished.
What they do: Ontic is a SaaS-based platform that collects and connects threat indicators to provide a comprehensive view of potential threats. The company also provides strategic consulting, multidimensional services, education and thought leadership for safety and security professionals at major corporations.
Senior Marketing Manager Kirsten Fields knew from the interview that working for Ontic was the right move for her career thanks to the people she met during the process and their focus on company culture.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at Ontic?
Throughout my interview process, it was clear to me that Ontic hired smart, humble people driven to see the company succeed and to have fun while doing it. I felt that both culture and skills were taken into account throughout my interview process, even as it was all done virtually. I was able to ask all of my questions (and I had a lot of them) to fully vet the people, product and market that I was entering into. Ultimately, I felt very confident that I was making the right choice in joining this team, and my decision continues to be reinforced each day as I’m given the resources and support I need to succeed in my role.
My decision continues to be reinforced each day as I’m given the resources and support I need to succeed in my role.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Ontic is headed?
I truly believe we have a game-changing, best-in-class product, which makes my job as a marketer much easier! I get to collaborate with a team of people driven to see Ontic succeed. I have strong content to promote, fantastic partnerships to run omnichannel promotions, and a smart sales team open to sharing what’s working and where they are struggling so that I can provide support with marketing programs. A lot of 2020 was laying the groundwork (and hiring a team) for marketing, so I’m excited in 2021 to do everything bigger and better to really move the needle on our revenue.
What they do: Amherst is a financial services and technology company that helps investors invest in U.S. real estate.
Looking to the future, Senior Manager of Content Marketing Dagney Gomez del Campo said she’s excited to continue developing and evolving her storytelling skills in order to expand the company’s reach and deepen existing relationships.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at Amherst?
Prior to joining Amherst, I was moving from the innovative world of venture capital in Austin and was looking for an opportunity to grow my skill set at a larger firm that still had that entrepreneurial spirit. While I didn’t have any real estate experience, as I dug into Amherst, I realized that it was so much more than just a real estate platform. It incubates its own businesses to solve complicated problems across real estate and the capital markets to better connect consumers and institutions to opportunities. Essentially, a large institution with a 25-year legacy that had the mindset and agility of a startup.
To me, that was the best of both worlds. The other companies I was interviewing at already had a set playbook, especially as it related to how they told their brand’s story and how they marketed themselves publicly. I wanted to join a company that was constantly in pursuit of evolving their pitch and telling their story to new audiences — and wanted to hire employees that shared that mindset. From my first interview, I could tell that was Amherst.
Our mindset is a combination of perseverance and innovativeness that I think is very rare in the corporate world.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Amherst is headed?
One of my favorite Amherst-isms (and there are many!) is “we can see around corners.” While the firm’s data and modeling capabilities do often make that a reality, it’s really a mindset that permeates everything we do at the company. We are constantly obsessed with the future of real estate and looking at what could be around the next corner. The firm has made a habit of building businesses around these new growth opportunities, no matter how large the market is or how many people tell them it cannot be done. It is a combination of perseverance and an innovative mindset that I think is very rare in the corporate world — and it is contagious.
As a marketer and a storyteller, knowing that I will have the opportunity to work with our business leaders to constantly evolve how that story is told as we develop new housing solutions and broaden our capital base gets me excited every day. It means getting daily opportunities to step up and pitch new campaigns or strategies to expand our reach, and daily opportunities to sit back and learn from some of the most experienced marketers in real estate to deepen existing relationships. So, while I do not know what is around the next corner, I am excited to continue the Amherst tradition of tackling it full steam ahead.
What they do: Sysco LABS uses customer and market intelligence, data-driven insights and agile technology development to rethink the foodservice ecosystem.
While on the job hunt, Data Operations Specialist Allyson Murphy was looking for an employer that greatly emphasized diversity and inclusion — she found just that at Sysco LABS. Murphy said that she feels valued, heard and accepted each day.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at Sysco LABS?
Sysco LABS was able to check many of my boxes — compensation, work-life balance, options for career progression. But ultimately, it was the opportunity to work and learn under my current director that really sealed the deal for me. She was one of the main drivers of diversity and inclusion in the workplace at Sysco Labs and is a co-founder of The Austin Diversity & Inclusion Project. It was really important to me as a woman in tech to find leadership that made me feel valued, heard and accepted. I get to work in a place where you’re going to get a wide variety of ideas for solving problems or finding new, more innovative ways of getting things done.
This is a place with a wide variety of ideas for solving problems or finding new, innovative ways of getting things done.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where Sysco LABS is headed?
We have the same energy as a fast-growing startup, so I’m constantly building upon my existing skill set while gaining experiences in new areas. Our work is always expanding since we are on the data frontier for Sysco. It’s exciting to not only be learning from the best but to also have a hand in helping the business grow in unexplored areas.
What they do: AlertMedia is an emergency mass communications and monitoring platform that enables companies to keep their people safe and informed.
Although the company has grown immensely over the last five years, Enterprise Account Director Liel Navon is really looking forward to its future growth and being able to help larger organizations navigate and improve their communication with employees.
As a tenured employee, what has been the biggest reason you’ve stayed at AlertMedia?
It’s simple – AlertMedia invests in its people. Over the last five years, the company and our leadership team have invested considerable time and effort into my success, including providing me with additional training courses and encouraging both my professional and personal development. As a result, I’ve not only become a better salesperson but a better person overall.
It also has been incredible to see the leadership team’s unwavering commitment to our company values, even as we’ve grown from fewer than 20 employees to more than 200. Every employee — regardless of role — believes in our mission. Our collective dedication to helping organizations around the world keep their people safe allows us to put aside our egos and focus on providing a service that matters for our customers. We’re transparent, we’re human, and we’re a group dedicated to doing our absolute best for our colleagues and our customers.
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where AlertMedia is headed?
We have six core values at AlertMedia, one of which is hard work pays off. Our company has grown very quickly over the last five years, but we’re still only scratching the surface of what’s possible. I firmly believe the work we’re doing today will play a critical role in our continued growth and success for many years to come. We’ve been able to hire incredibly talented people who have helped us evolve our product and better serve our customers, and it’s incredible to see what’s possible when you have the right team in place.
We’re transparent, we’re human, and we’re a group dedicated to doing our absolute best for our colleagues and our customers.”
Personally, as part of the enterprise sales team, I’m looking forward to the opportunity to help larger organizations navigate our industry and improve the way they communicate with employees during critical events. We continue to “wow” our customers and I love being a part of the team that gets to introduce AlertMedia to the world.
What they do: SamCart is an e-commerce platform for direct-to-consumer brands.
When Digital Marketing Manager Alex Schmidt joined SamCart, she was almost immediately forced to work from home due to the pandemic. But she said a work environment like SamCart’s made the transition seamless.
What was the deciding factor for you when you accepted your job at SamCart?
For me, it was important that I joined a company with people who liked what they were doing and who truly believe in their product. It was also important to me that they liked each other! I’m so grateful that I prioritized these characteristics, because a week or two after I accepted my position the pandemic started. I wouldn’t have wanted to work anywhere else or with anyone else while we adjusted to WFH.
I wouldn’t have wanted to work anywhere else or with anyone else while we adjusted to WFH.”
Looking to the future, what excites you most about where SamCart is headed?
What excites me the most about the future of SamCart is how much more there is to accomplish as a company (and as a marketing team!). The arena we work in is anything but tired, and we have so much opportunity to match our marketing efforts with that same level of energy. This year, the marketing team will be busy testing methods and messaging to find what allows us to scale faster. I’d expect our marketing strategy to be a practice of what we preach to SamCart customers — succinct messaging with a frictionless experience that makes a big impact.
