I was recently invited to participate in a focus group to help brainstorm ideas for a billboard the company I work for is planning running. It was a cool experience. I didn't know much before going into the meeting and I was worried they'd be expecting those they invited to come up with the golden idea for the billboard. Thankfully it wasn't that way. It went a lot better.
The meeting was held early on a Monday morning. I was unusually late to work but still there before the meeting started. As is standard, we got started a few minutes late anyway as we waited for a few others to trickle in. Those in the room were mainly in technical roles within the company as the billboard is to draw more technical talent to the company. There were a few software engineers of varying experience, some quality assurance engineers, a development and QA manager, a recruiter, and two people from marketing. The recruiter was the one running the meeting and she started off quickly stating everyone's name and then explaining the purpose behind the billboard.
After she kicked us off, one of the employees from marketing opened it up to the group to brainstorm why they enjoyed working for the company. It was cool to hear everyone's thoughts on why the company is so great and what they enjoy about it. We spent around 45 minutes just listing things we liked. It was all sincere and felt organic.
This meeting got me thinking a bit more about what I like about my job and why I've stayed so long and plan to stay a lot longer. As I've thought on these things, I've boiled it down to a few things that really make this job enjoyable:
The meeting was held early on a Monday morning. I was unusually late to work but still there before the meeting started. As is standard, we got started a few minutes late anyway as we waited for a few others to trickle in. Those in the room were mainly in technical roles within the company as the billboard is to draw more technical talent to the company. There were a few software engineers of varying experience, some quality assurance engineers, a development and QA manager, a recruiter, and two people from marketing. The recruiter was the one running the meeting and she started off quickly stating everyone's name and then explaining the purpose behind the billboard.
After she kicked us off, one of the employees from marketing opened it up to the group to brainstorm why they enjoyed working for the company. It was cool to hear everyone's thoughts on why the company is so great and what they enjoy about it. We spent around 45 minutes just listing things we liked. It was all sincere and felt organic.
This meeting got me thinking a bit more about what I like about my job and why I've stayed so long and plan to stay a lot longer. As I've thought on these things, I've boiled it down to a few things that really make this job enjoyable:
- The company cares about me individually
- I am empowered and have autonomy
- The fun, high-trust culture
- Great management
- Software that matters
The company cares about me individually
I think this is the biggest reason I enjoy my job. From day one, I've felt that I mattered, that my voice was heard, that they company would do its best to help me be successful in my job. If that meant more training, they'd pay for it. If that meant a new tool, they'd get it. If that meant a new process, they'd enable it. If I need to take the day off to be with family, they'll approve it. They're willing to invest in me and my coworkers and help each of us develop individually. This isn't unique to me either. This is true for all employees at least in my department (I can't speak too much for other departments, but I get the same feeling from them as well). They care enough about me that they'll find the best role for me rather than pigeon holing me into the role they need me to fill. They care enough that they're paying for my Master's program and giving me a small amount of time to work towards my degree. In short, they treat me like a human instead of a tool.
I am empowered and have autonomy
This is closely related to the last one. Because they care about me, they empower me to do what I need to do to get my job done. They give me the autonomy to do it how I see fit. Now, this isn't complete autonomy. There are still processes I need to follow and certain hoops I may need to jump through, but I feel the company does a good job at trying to limit those. Even with those hoops, the company is always open to hear ideas on how to improve. There have been a lot of improvements that have been made that have started with a "low man on the totem pole" making a suggestion.
The fun, high-trust culture
There are a lot of companies that tout a "fun" culture. Admittedly, they do seem to have very fun cultures. I can't say that the company I work for has a the most fun culture, but the culture is fun. We enjoy our time together and get to play as well as work together. I think our culture is a little more "grown up" than many other startup tech companies, but I like it that way. We're responsible and diligent but laid back and fun loving. I could speak to culture for a while, but it's truly unique.
Great management
The management of the company is in a league of its own. They're constantly trying to do what's best for the company and for their teams. I have learned a lot from the management here and I continue to look to them for guidance. Most of the points I've made are all because the management has made the choice to grow the company in that way. Management is also willing to pivot and go in a new direction if it's what the company needs. Last year we completely overhauled our development process because the need was identified. We hired consultants and went all in once we realized how big the need was. It was amazing to see buy-in from the very top all the way down. Because we had so much support, the transition has gone very smoothly and continues to refine much faster than any of us anticipated.
Software that matters
This last point is something that's kept me here. I get recruiters contacting me frequently on LinkedIn (as many other devs do), but most of them don't interest me. One of the big reasons is that I don't see the real need for their product. Sure, their software may make purchasing things convenient or listening to music really simple or handling your investments a breeze, but none of them seem to have the effect the software I work on does. This software is used when making medical devices and pharmaceuticals. It helps companies in those industries get their live-saving products to market faster. Because we can help them jump through the regulatory hurdles, people's lives have literally been saved. It's hart to find another software out there that has quite that same impact.
I didn't mean to make this a long post, but there are lots of reasons why I enjoy my job. I think these same principles can be applied to just about any software company out there. Some companies do these things and do them well. Others concern themselves with other objectives. My hope is that companies will focus more on their employees. After all, the success of the company depends on the success of the employee.
For those interested in learning more about the company I work for, the company is called MasterControl, Inc. You can find our currently open positions here.
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