As a college student, one of the lessons I was taught about the job interview process was to ask questions. The closer I came to graduation, I learned to always ask about company culture.
“What’s it like to work here?” That was always my go-to. But beyond that, I never critically thought about what it meant to have company culture, and what it looks like to have a meaningful place within it.
It takes some trial and error when looking for a role, and it’s even harder to find a management structure that values their employees. In the past, I’ve had some tough situations at work. We all have. But those tough times taught me to really dig in to where I’m interviewing, and to be more specific with my questions regarding company culture.
From my first interview with Advocado, I felt welcome. The process was smooth, and I was always in contact with someone from the team who could guide me on next steps. But the most surprising aspect of the interviewing and application process was taking a Culture Index survey.
Culture Index surveys serve as a feedback tool for companies that help give insight into how their employees work, satisfaction levels about the organization, and most importantly, fixed personality traits that are unique to each employee.
Knowing that my personality traits and just who I am is taken into consideration for hire was amazing to me. It made me feel like being Ymani Wince, combined with my experience and skills were enough.
Fast forward nearly six months since I’ve joined the #pitcrew as the Marketing Content Manager. I can honestly say that my life has changed in the most beautiful way. I am respected as a knowledgeable professional in marketing, journalism and social media. My supervisor, Amy Bobchek, has been a resource, mentor and all around Power Girl who’s helped me grow into my role and encouraged me to reach higher.
The entire Advocado team is awesome. Each morning, we begin our day on Zoom with Huddle. It’s the 15 minutes our team sets aside each morning to express that day’s gratitude, announce what’s on our schedule, and address any items that need action from team members.
Since we’re still working from home, I look forward to interacting with my coworkers. I’ve learned so much about what everyone does, what they’re passionate about in their personal lives, and even know a few pets that have made Zoom appearances. Huddle is the opportunity for everyone to chat and be together, but it also serves Advocado as a whole. Huddle is productive. It keeps our team lean on unnecessary meetings, and allows the team to check in with each other, guaranteed.
I think that’s what I love most about Advocado. Sure we have an amazing product, but the emphasis is actually on the people's experience. My team is vibrant, I feel motivated to do my best and express my ideas and concerns. It’s easy to be myself, to know that I belong, and to feel confident that I am qualified and an asset to the team.
With so many exciting updates happening at Advocado, I’m excited to see where the company is even just a year from now. I’m even more excited to know that I’ll be part of it.