Here at CodeScience we take our work pretty seriously. We love what we do, and I have to say, we’re pretty good at it. We also like to say that we hire adults and then we treat them as such. And it’s true. We are a group of people who put our hearts and souls into the AppExchange products we build, but we are also a group of people that really enjoy bringing our whole selves to work. Becoming a CodeScience Legend is a two-part achievement that balances both doing exceptional work while being authentic to ourselves and each other.
What does being your whole self at work look like?
Occasionally, it’s feeling free to be fun and funny. Other times, it’s the opportunity to vent during a really tough day. But most of the time, it’s simply feeling empowered to embrace your geek and knowing you are surrounded by other like-minded folks. We’re all here to be ourselves and do great work.
Defining Culture at CodeScience
A big part of what makes us who we are is our vibrant company culture. That’s the thing about “Company Culture” though — it means something different to everyone who lives it. It’s tricky to build and a fickle thing to keep going and it’s nearly impossible to define.
As the Talent Acquisition Manager at CodeScience, I’ve spent the last 4 years as the guardian of our talent galaxy. I have been really fortunate to have an insider view on how you curate and grow a team that is both very skilled and very committed to keeping the company culture growing.
While I work to connect with the top talent and evaluate skills and experiences, there is an infinitely harder part of my job. How do we find a CodeScientist? How do you go about evaluating the special sauce, that geek, that genuine core of a good human? Well if you are CodeScience, you let your values be your guide.
Like a lot of companies, we have set a list of core values that sets us on the right path. Following this list of guidelines doesn’t mean that we will always make the right decision, but it does give us a solid place to start our decision making process and gives us a place to find common ground.
You’ll find that we don’t hide our values, we celebrate them. On our About Us page, you’ll find that our values are proudly stated.
These values are core to being. When we are faced with challenging situations, we turn back to our values and reflect on how they can shape our responses.
How We Got Here
In 2018, our CEO Brian Walsh wrote a blog post discussing how our values came to be, how they drive us forward, and how we use them when we make decisions.
Here’s an excerpt from that post, “There is a difference between values and culture. Values are with us for the long term. They are our guard rails. They are the lines that we will not cross — digestible statements that provide a lens for our decisions and actions. Our values change slowly and deliberately.”
With this in mind, we refreshed our core values earlier this year, to accomplish several things:
- Make our values memorable as short statements rather than single words. Our values aren’t inspirational posters you would find in a big company cubicle. By building them out into statements, each employee can memorize our values, while still reflecting on a deeper meaning.
- Reflect our current organization. Values should change very slowly! However, they should never be set in stone. CodeScience has gone through tremendous change and growth and it was time for the values to match the current leadership team and organization.
- Align with our culture. How can we reinforce our culture of quirk, fun, and excellence with a simple bulleted list?
The Road Ahead
No one could have expected what 2020 would hold. Because we turn to our values when things get tough, I’m going to be exploring what our values mean to CodeScientists. As the line between work and home has blurred for many of us over the last six months, I’m excited to have you join me as we reflect on how our values influence our work at CodeScience, and also the lives we lead outside working hours. In doing so, it is my hope that we inspire other organizations to lean in, surface their own values, and showcase to the world that values go beyond just words.
Being a recruiter is never easy, but now more so than ever. There are many talented folks looking for their next project, and it’s a lot to navigate for jobseekers too. We post the roles we typically hire for as well as our current openings on our website. While we may not have a great fit for you just now, if you are passionate about building products on the Salesforce AppExchange and want to bring your whole self to work, feel free to add your info!
