Two weeks before his first day on the job at Spark Advisors, Zach Freed already knew he had made the right decision to join the company.
During those two weeks, he received several welcome emails from new colleagues and was sent an outline of what his first day would look like, making it feel as though he was already a valued member of the team. It was a level of preparedness and attention to detail that Freed hadn’t seen before — and he was “blown away” by it.
“That level of outreach is hard to come by,” he said. “I knew right away that this was going to be a great team to join.”
“I knew right away that this was going to be a great team to join.”
Now, several months into his role as an agency account manager, Freed still feels the support that defined his entry into the company. He shared that he has grown significantly within a short period of time, giving way to a fulfilling career — and excitement for the future.
Below, Freed shares more about his onboarding experience at Spark Advisors, how he has hit the ground running since he joined the team and the professional growth area he’s most eager to focus on.
About Spark Advisors
Spark Advisors’ platform is designed to help independent Medicare agents and agencies grow their businesses. Agents can use the company’s software to manage tasks related to customer relationship management, quoting and enrollment, marketing and more, while agencies can use it to manage agent production, contracting and commissions.
What was the onboarding process like for you? What was your favorite part?
My initial impression was just how organized the new employee resources were. I had previously worked for a different startup and was blown away by the level of personalized detail Spark put into making sure my start was smooth. My favorite part of the onboarding process was the cross-functional meetings my manager set up for me to get to know stakeholders across the business.
What pleasantly surprised you about Spark Advisors’ culture after you joined?
I have been pleasantly surprised by how well Spark employees know each other beyond name and department. With our workforce being remote, I anticipated some challenges in getting to know my teammates but have been blown away by the connectedness of Spark relationships. Thanks to companywide social events, spontaneous virtual coffees with my colleagues and a clear company priority to hire personable people, I have been able to establish really solid relationships that go beyond our day-to-day work.
“I have been pleasantly surprised by how well Spark employees know each other beyond name and department.”
How have you hit the ground running since you joined Spark Advisors, and what are you most excited to accomplish over the next quarter or year?
Being on the account management team, I have been diving into developing relationships with the agency principals I am paired with. Agency principals have tons of quality feedback on how we can assist them in running their agencies effectively and efficiently. Over the next quarter, I am looking forward to continuing to develop relationships with my agency principals, which will, in turn, help them grow their businesses.
What aspect of your professional growth are you most excited to evolve?
Working for a technology company is really exciting. I am most excited to expand my knowledge around tech solutions to the daily issues an agency principal encounters.
