Starting a new job can be difficult for engineers who have to learn new development processes, practices and languages. Ying Fairweather found herself full of self-doubt when she landed at Qumulo, a local file storage unicorn. Fairweather told Built In that feeling was eventually erased by her Agile coach, who made it clear that the company cared more about her as a person than as an employee.
While some companies wonder how to get the most out of their employees, Qumulo realized the secret was simply to be supportive. Zipwhip and Hiya have taken a similar tack when it comes to career growth. Emre Caglar, a senior engineering manager at Zipwhip, said support from leadership made his transition into a managerial role easier. For Michele Osborn, an enterprise account executive at Hiya, the support she received from her company was crucial as she took a new product from beta to a full market launch.
Support isn’t in short supply at Qumulo, Zipwhip or Hiya. What’s even better is that all of these companies are hiring.
What they do: Qumulo’s hybrid file storage system is designed to enable companies to access their files rapidly and scale up their storage as needed across on-premise and cloud-based servers. In mid-July, the company attained unicorn status after closing a $125 million Series E.
Qumulo’s culture in one word: Supportive.
“Prior to joining Qumulo, I worked in a traditional software company for four years,” Fairweather said. “When I first started at Qumulo, I was faced with completely different development processes, software engineering practices and a new programming language. I went from being one of the top performers at my old company to the newest and least knowledgeable person on the Qumulo team. On top of that, the demography of the workforce shifted from 70 percent immigrants to mostly native English speakers, so all of a sudden there was a communication gap for me, as English is not my first language.
“My Agile coach and advisor listened to me and guided me out of the darkness of self-doubt and imposter syndrome,” Fairweather added. “They reinforced my confidence by showing me where I shine, helped me grow by providing constructive feedback and made sure I kept a good work-life balance. They even went as far as telling me that they care more about me as a person rather than an employee.
“Besides my Agile coach and advisor, I also have many allies at work,” Fairweather said. “Working in the software industry you are surrounded by a mix of introverted and extroverted people who show support in different ways. I’ve had extroverted teammates who advocated for relatively shy teammates and made sure everybody’s voice was heard and have had introverted teammates who wrote thoughtful feedback to let you know that they appreciate having you on their team. I feel I can express myself freely because I have trust in the people I work with.”
I feel I can express myself freely because I have trust in the people I work with.”
The coolest project Fairweather recently worked on: “Earlier this year, I worked on a project to improve the caching algorithm on our hybrid systems,” Fairweather told Built In. “We’ve had the same SSD caching algorithm for a couple of years, and at the end of last year one of our customers ran into a situation the old algorithm didn’t handle well and experienced severe performance degradation.
“Since the cost of all-flash systems are getting lower and lower, hybrid systems are no longer the main focus at Qumulo,” Fairweather said. “At my previous jobs, I’ve seen projects and bug fixes dropped because the customer was not considered high value or the problem was rare, but not here. We dedicated a team to thoroughly designing a new algorithm, evaluated several options and eventually delivered the best option on time. It was great to see how much the company values our customers, no matter what kinds of profiles they have. Being customer-centric is definitely a valuable trait to have as a software engineer.”
What they do: Zipwhip’s software enables businesses to send text messages using their landline, VoIP or a toll-free phone number. In addition to texting, the software features automation, analytics and personalization tools designed to help businesses more efficiently scale their customer communication and marketing efforts.
Zipwhip’s company culture in one word: Empowerment.
“Anyone who feels safe in their work environment, able to express themselves freely and is given access to the tools they need can achieve anything,” said Emre Caglar, a senior engineering manager at Zipwhip. “That is why we believe a ‘leadership’ mindset should exist at all levels because it leads to better collaboration, accountability and growth for the team and organization. On my team, we are encouraged to allocate 10 percent of our time to self-development and training because we consider learning a continuous and crucial effort.
“Instead of pushing design decisions and work items from top to bottom, we make those decisions together, ensuring that no one is overloaded and everyone contributes,” Caglar added. “We also collaborate with other teams for formal mentorship to further support growth. Additionally, we are constantly optimizing our processes as a team. Recently, we’ve been working on our hiring process to make it more inclusive and unique for all candidates.”
I feel lucky to work with brilliant people in such an open and fun environment and get all support that I need to be a leader.”
How Caglar has grown at Zipwhip: “I joined Zipwhip in March 2019 as a senior software engineer,” Caglar said. “The most significant professional change has been moving to a managerial role from an individual contributor role. I was a technical lead, so leadership, coaching and collaborating with other stakeholders were part of my responsibilities. However, working as an engineering manager is an entirely different experience.
“Fortunately, I received support and mentorship from the engineering manager I reported to at the time, as well as senior leadership,” Caglar continued. “The real challenge is being an inspiring leader who motivates and grows the team. I feel lucky to work with brilliant people in such an open and fun environment and get all support that I need to be a leader at Zipwhip.”
What they do: Hiya develops technology for cell phone carriers, mobile phone makers and businesses that gives consumers the ability to screen calls and block spam while also providing companies the capability to identify themselves to customers. Hiya’s technology is used by Samsung, AT&T and Penske, among others.
Hiya in one word: Connected.
“At Hiya, we have a blend of brilliant minds who share a common passion for providing the best mobile experience for our end users and enterprise customers,” Osborn said. “What elevates Hiya is an emphasis on individuality and ownership. The people team has done a fantastic job — both pre- and post-COVID-19 — keeping all areas of the organization connected and moving forward in a mutual direction. The innovation and ad hoc planning makes each day full of potential growth.”
The growth and development my managers and leadership have provided me are one of a kind!”
How Osborn has grown at Hiya: “I’ll have been with Hiya for two years this September,” Osborn added. “When I was hired, my focus was to find market fit and value for a beta product Hiya wanted to grow. Luckily, the product and team proved its value so much that we were able to take the product ‘live’ to market last year. The road to launch has been hands-down the most influential experience of my career. The growth and development my managers and leadership have provided me are one of a kind!”
