At Hireology, creating a work environment that enhances the employee experience is a top priority. In fact, our leadership prides itself on going the extra mile to make Hireology the best place you ever work.
Achieving this ambitious goal takes dedication and intentional business design, which you can find in our competitive pay and benefits — but we don’t stop there! Our career growth opportunities and mobility offerings are top of class too; we want to support our people no matter what they currently are in their careers so they are fully prepared to make their next move, regardless of where that next move may take them.
Each year, Hireology offers employees the opportunity to develop professionally in both traditional and nontraditional routes. These windows allow employees to expand their skills, gain new experiences, and feel fulfilled in their day-to-day work knowing what needs to be done to punch above their weight and reach their full potential.
Every month, we’re going to shine a spotlight on a different Hireology employee who has grown professionally in our Career Mobility Spotlight series. For February, we’re writing our first post this year on Denise Powell, a Software Engineer on the Engineering team whose professional history is the embodiment of the saying that growth is not linear.
When did you start working with Hireology? What role did you start in? What role are you in currently?
I started with Hireology in October 2017 on the Engineering team as its third member of the Quality Assurance (QA) team as a QA Engineer. I’m still in Engineering, but I’m supporting the team now as a Software Engineer.
Can you describe how you’ve grown professionally since you started working for us?
I was hired in an individual contributor position, where I worked for a few years before being promoted to a management role that I stayed in for about four years. Due to some team restructuring last year and a renewed desire to focus on my own personal development and well-being, I decided to come out of management and focus on developing my technical/programming skills. I hadn’t written customer-facing code in almost 20 years, so I decided to step back into that arena writing code in C# for test automation and now helping to develop APIs. It was scary at first; I had lots of imposter syndrome and a long time of striving to be “perfect” before me.
But, I think the biggest thing I’ve learned and have grown in is embracing that I belong here. Careers may take twists and turns, but remembering who you are and what you have learned over the years can really help you as you progress. My time in QA for the last 17 years makes me a better Software Engineer. I have a different perspective on how things are built and quality is always in the forefront of my mind. I still have a ways to go and much to learn, but being older and wiser has its advantages in the learning process!
What have been your most significant achievements while working for Hireology?
My biggest achievement has been helping our Engineering department really prioritize quality in its processes. As I mentioned, I was the third QA Engineering hire; prior to me joining, we were really winging it and quality was an afterthought. I was able to help build a really good team of testers and quality experts that came along with better processes. Over time, that led us to being able to focus on test automation and building that into our processes. We no longer have a dedicated QA team but the impact and contribution made by it have set the stage for the positive direction we’re headed now. Quality used to be the focus of a few dedicated individuals; now every Engineer is encouraged to keep quality in mind. I’m honored to be a part of that story and journey.
What’s the best advice you can give to someone who is looking to move up in their role or has shown interest in a different role or department?
I would say talk to your manager and let them know what you’re thinking. If possible, let your VP/C-suite leadership know as well. Having people who can advocate for you and speak on your behalf in rooms where you’re not present is always a good thing. Make sure you’re still excelling and contributing in your current role as well. It may be tempting to pull back or disengage, especially when you’re not satisfied with what you’re currently doing but that hurts your credibility in the long run. The receiving team or department should feel excited about the person they are getting.
What makes you want to stay at our organization?
The people. Over the course of my tenure here, I’ve worked on a few different teams within Engineering and it’s always been a good experience. They work hard and play hard. People genuinely want to see you succeed and don’t feel insecure about helping you get there. That’s rare to find these days. I also cam from a very large company prior to Hireology and having access to the CEO was not something I experienced before. I love being able to connect with and joke around with Adam. To this day, I still have the handwritten card he sent me while I was on leave dealing with my first bout of cancer over five years ago. I came across that card a few months ago and it reminded me of why I’m still here, even during the tough times.
What is the best advice you would give to someone just starting at Hireology?
Make sure you understand the scope of your role and do it well. Become an expert and while you’re growing in that role, pass on what you know to someone else. You don’t realize what you know or don’t know until you have to teach it to others. It’s part of the learning process. Also, take advantage of the learning budget and different ways of learning. I’ve become a little addicted to podcasts these days. I love hearing about how others have navigated the journey I’m embarking on now. It helps me to work smart by learning from the experiences of others.
Which one of Hireology’s Core Values or belief statements resonates with you the most? Why?
Eager to improve. Whether it’s processes, people dynamics, strategies, etc… I’ve always been impressed with Hireology’s desire to do better, to be better. I think this year’s theme is quite fitting. I believe if we’re not growing, we’re dying. I’m not sure there’s a middle ground. I think we should always be striving to have a better product and be a better version of ourselves professionally and personally.
Want to learn more about the culture and company history here at Hireology? Check out our About Us page for more information!
