September in the city. It’s truly a special time. As the sun sets over the Hudson River, the heat of summer seems to fade and New Yorkers emerge to stroll through Central Park, snag a Broadway Week deal, catch a late-season game at Yankee Stadium, take in the MET’s masterpieces or watch Daniel Jones do his thing on the gridiron.
Jones will look to recapture some of the magic from 2022, when the New York Giants surprised the league by winning a playoff game in head coach Brian Daboll’s first year. N.Y. football fans know all about Jones’ new $40 million deal and his top-tier running ability, but that’s not the only reason they’re optimistic. The squad also has star running back Saquon Barkley and new additions Darren Waller (tight end), Parris Campbell (wide receiver) and Jalin Nyatt (third-round draft pick). These factors have the Giants faithful feeling optimistic because they understand that a dynamic and effective team is about more than just one superstar individual. That superstar needs a good coach, a supportive environment, talented teammates and a deep bench.
Many local companies are trying to build winning teams, just like the Giants are doing on the field. Clara Park joined Notion as a software engineer in 2022 for a chance to collaborate and was pleasantly surprised to learn just how open her new colleagues were. “I got to experience Notion’s culture of innovation when I started working on my first project,” she explains. “Everyone I talked to, even those outside of my direct team, was willing to pair and brainstorm with me.”
Employees want a place where they can thrive. Here are six such teams.
Integral Ad Science is an AdTech company that large advertisers, publishers and media platforms use for global media management and optimization.
At what point in the interview/hiring process did you realize that your now-current employer was the company for you?
I joined Integral Ad Science (IAS) in March of 2022. After completing the interview phase, two factors heavily influenced my decision to join IAS.
First, everyone on the team with whom I interviewed seemed content. They appeared to be neither burned out nor overworked and had all been with the company for at least a few years. It was clear to me from the interviews that the company culture was supportive and healthy, which is what I was looking for.
Second, I learned during interviews that this role would allow me to engage in both survey-based research and exploratory analysis with big data. I had interviewed with a number of companies by this point and none of them offered the range of research experiences that the marketing research associate role at IAS did.
I had interviewed with a number of companies and none of them offered the range of research experiences that IAS did.”
How did your colleagues set you up for success and help you get acclimated once you came aboard?
Coming from an academic background, I had no prior experience with corporate research, marketing or ad tech. Luckily, my manager and team were extremely supportive from day one. I had over a week of training materials to introduce me to the company and its products as well as the field of ad tech and general marketing principles.
My manager then worked closely with me on my first research project to ensure that I succeeded every step of the way as I learned the ropes.
I also had weekly meetings with my VP where I was able to ask him any questions that came up, and he also used this time to introduce me to the SQL coding language.
Since joining your company, what's your favorite success story? Why?
My first research project at IAS was featured at a prominent conference. This helped me gain confidence in my new role and realize that my research skills from academia were transferable to my new career path.
Notion offers a single platform teams use to create wikis, work on shared documents and manage projects.
At what point in the interview/hiring process did you realize that your now-current employer was the company for you?
It’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment that made me want to join Notion — it was a decision that I came to make over time. As I learned more about the company and interacted with employees throughout the interview process, I got a better grasp of what working there would be like. I was coming from a much larger tech company and wanted a change of pace. Notion is a bit of an oxymoron. It's a massively popular product loved by many users, but it has a lot of room for improvement. Because of this, I knew Notion would challenge me and let me do impactful work. This is something I was looking for at my next job and what led me to join Notion in April 2022.
How did your colleagues set you up for success and help you get acclimated once you came aboard?
Notion was super welcoming to me as a “Newtino,” which is our name for new Notion employees. I had a wonderful onboarding buddy to help answer my questions and get me accustomed to the codebase, and I also had a great team and manager for support.
Plus, they hosted a lot of useful onboarding sessions that taught me more about the various teams and their functions as well as how to better use the product. I was a regular Notion user before I joined the company, but there are definitely a lot of features that I had never used before.
I had a wonderful onboarding buddy to help answer my questions and get me accustomed to the codebase.”
Looking ahead, what do you hope to accomplish with your team?
I hope that we can make Notion a lot more intuitive, faster and flexible for whatever our users want to build. It’s a tough problem. We are trying to make Notion a connected workspace that can be used to do anything, but also keep it as simple and easy to use as possible. Last year, our team built better wikis and page verification operations by leveraging the power of databases. Outside of wikis, there are so many other use cases for which we want Notion to be the go-to tool and we are hoping to make progress there.
Click Therapeutics develops and commercializes software as prescription medical treatments for people with unmet medical needs. The company’s products address insomnia, obesity, smoking cessation and other issues.
At what point in the interview/hiring process did you realize that your now-current employer was the company for you?
It was after the second interview that I knew Click Therapeutics would be a great fit. I learned about their company culture throughout my interview process, and my interviewers explained why the company's mission was meaningful. It innovates the healthcare industry through digital applications that provide treatment to patients with unmet medical needs. Additionally, Click Therapeutics provided a competitive offer and benefits package while emphasizing an employee-first approach.
How did your colleagues set you up for success and help you get acclimated once you came aboard?
My colleagues set me up for success through collaboration and mentorship. From the start, l felt part of a team and was included in strategic problem-solving projects. I immediately started to learn our products, work with team members and plan upcoming development. Because leadership trusted the team and the products we were creating, I felt supported to take ownership. I was also mentored by my team members through the onboarding process.
My colleagues set me up for success through collaboration and mentorship.”
Looking ahead, what do you hope to accomplish with your team?
I am inspired by the Click Therapeutics team creating prescription digital therapeutics backed with clinical evidence and supported by modern technology. The organization is a cohesive team, creating innovations in healthcare that change the way treatment will be provided to patients. Our DTx products are developed for a variety of indications including major depressive disorder, migraine, and schizophrenia. We have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of many patients.
Since its founding in 1994, Capital One has emerged as one of the top banking brands in the nation. Its major divisions include commercial banking, consumer banking and credit cards.
At what point in the interview/hiring process did you realize that your now-current employer was the company for you?
I remember applying to Capital One thinking it would be good interview practice. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to work at a big bank. However, once I started the interview process, I remember how excited I got about the opportunity.
The case interview was so fun. I got to sample the work I’d be doing by putting together products that reimagine banking. Everyone I interviewed with was so accomplished and friendly. I wanted to be part of that community. Thankfully, I got the job and joined Capital One in October 2021.
How did your colleagues set you up for success and help you get acclimated once you came aboard?
My manager has been such an amazing coach. He sent me books about product management to read. He creates an environment where I always feel comfortable asking him questions, no matter how big or small they are.
There was also a buddy program that paired new product managers with a more tenured colleague. I had a trusted network I could lean on within my first week at Capital One.
I had a trusted network I could lean on within my first week at Capital One.”
Since joining your company, what's your favorite success story? Why
My favorite success story is supporting my boss in pushing a platform initiative in data quality. Capital One works with millions of records of data from customers and credit bureaus. The platform we are developing will provide even more assurance that everyone’s information is accurate, complete and consistent. That means we can build amazing data-driven experiences for our customers.
Justworks is a cloud-based software platform that helps users manage payroll, HR tools, benefits and compliance issues.
At what point in the interview/hiring process did you realize that your now-current employer was the company for you?
From the moment I began the interview process, it became clear that Justworks was the company I had been searching for.
Throughout the interviews, what struck me the most was the genuine transparency. There was an open dialogue about how Justworks operates and what qualities the team was seeking in candidates.
Throughout the interviews, there was an open dialogue about how Justworks operates and what qualities the team was seeking in candidates.”
Camaraderie is one of Justwork’s core values. The camaraderie displayed by everyone I interacted with was truly exceptional. It wasn't just about asking the necessary questions; it was clear that the interviewers were invested in understanding me as a person. I have felt like a statistic in some previous interview experiences, so being valued as a unique human being was a breath of fresh air.
I could sense that my skills and talents would genuinely be appreciated at Justworks. Seeing how Justworks values every team member convinced me that I had found a place where my work would not only be acknowledged but celebrated.
How did your colleagues set you up for success and help you get acclimated once you came aboard?
As a new hire, everyone participates in several onboarding and training modules. Through these sessions, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of our platform, customers and day-to-day processes. Insights about effectively engaging with our customers have been instrumental in preparing me for meaningful interactions.
Training and onboarding with support from my colleagues has been so effective that I’ve been able to hit milestones in a relatively short span of time. There’s a clear commitment to my growth and success that has empowered me to confidently contribute to the team and deliver exceptional results.
I am genuinely grateful for the tools, knowledge and confidence that my trainers equipped me with. Their efforts have not only set me up for success, but they’ve also instilled a sense of pride and enthusiasm in my role here at Justworks.
Looking ahead, what do you hope to accomplish with your team?
Looking ahead, I hope to contribute to a team culture of continuous improvement. I believe that by encouraging open communication, collaboration and creative thinking, we can unlock the full potential of our team members and achieve remarkable outcomes. I envision us tackling complex challenges head-on, finding innovative solutions and exceeding our goals. I am excited to see us collectively make lasting impacts on the company's growth and success.
Trustpilot is a free, independent review platform where individuals can read and write reviews that help other consumers and businesses make informed decisions.
At what point in the interview/hiring process did you realize that your now-current employer was the company for you?
I began my interview process in January of 2023. Following the second interview with my now manager, I was fully committed to Trustpilot. The interview itself felt like more of a friendly conversation where I got to know him and he got to know me. Based on our conversation and learning more about Trustpilot, I felt very strongly aligned with the mission and values, and I knew that my boss was someone I wanted to work for. Going into the final interview, I was more excited than nervous! I was eager to meet another member of the team and learn more about Trustpilot. I was able to ask lots of questions, and sometimes it felt more like I was interviewing him.
Going into the final interview, I was more excited than nervous! I was eager to meet another member of the team and learn more about Trustpilot.”
How did your colleagues set you up for success and help you get acclimated once you came aboard?
I happened to onboard with two other recent hires who were also new to the industry. The onboarding process focused on establishing an in-depth knowledge of both the product and the fundamentals of account development. There was a lot to learn, but it was exciting to know that this was the beginning of our careers. Shadowing my coworkers is what taught me how to actually “do” the job and reach our KPIs.
I was fortunate enough to join a team of account development representatives (ADRs) with extensive experience in sales and Trustpilot. They were able to share valuable guidance and experiences. Every day during the onboarding period, I sat with my mentor for at least an hour to simply observe her work. She would give me in-depth yet concise explanations as to what she was doing and why she was doing so. To this day, I use many of the practices I learned and now share the same advice with newer members of our team. Now that the onboarding period is over, I continue to work closely with my manager to further develop my skills and hit my targets.
Since joining your company, what's your favorite success story? Why?
My favorite success story at Trustpilot was when the entirety of the New York office hit the target set by our VP to earn a flex August, meaning we could work from anywhere during the month and not have to come into the office. Everyone had been monitoring the numbers closely. Once the month came to a close we thought we had come up short. However, a day or so later, we found out that we did in fact hit the target! The floor erupted in celebration all at once. Being a part of such a massive, collective achievement was one of the most fulfilling sensations I’ve ever experienced. Although it is a relief not to have to commute in the August heat, I can’t wait to get back in the office and work alongside some of the best.
