What people want out of an employer has changed a lot in the past two or so years. The desire for a “cool” office complete with cold brew on tap and comfy couches has been replaced with the want for a flexible setup that enables employees to work from home as needed. People are more concerned with their mental health than ever before and are talking openly about it, leading HR teams across the country to beef up the health and wellness portions of their company’s benefits package. Companies that have failed to keep pace with the evolving needs of their workforce have found that their employees have other options — options they aren’t afraid to exercise.
If you’ve found yourself lately wondering what other options are out there, the answer is “a lot,” especially in Boston. The city is filled with tech companies that have “met the moment” and adapted their work environments to meet the ever-evolving needs of their teams. This is in addition to what they already offered, namely the ability to do work that is challenging and stokes professional growth. The nine Boston tech companies featured here all fit that bill. And, even better, they are all currently hiring.
Continue reading to learn more about these companies from those who know them best: their employees.
Cybereason is an enterprise cybersecurity company whose technology is designed to both isolate and eliminate cyber threats as well as proactively sniff and snuff them out.
Describe Cybereason’s culture in one word.
Appreciation. Cybereason has several prominent core values, and together they create an environment of appreciation. Not simply the accolades and — often virtual — high-fives, but an honest and deep appreciation for the humans who we are at work. Our job is to protect the world from cyber attacks, and no matter your function in the organization, you feed into that mission. Knowing that the teams and the culture appreciate the importance of this mission makes every task worth doing.
Creating a culture of appreciation allows you to not only celebrate the victories but also understand our shortcomings so that we all grow each day. Working in a culture of appreciation is something that is highly valuable and it cascades down into the trust we have built, even as we grow.
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
In the fall of 2021, we embarked on a national tour for our “DefenderCon” series in multiple cities, with each stop a celebration of the “defenders” we work with every day to end cyber attacks. It was a monumental task, not only because we are living in a new reality, but because we tied it in with key sponsorships with several NFL teams, including becoming “the official defenders of the New England Patriots.”
This project will culminate in mid-December with our global DefenderCon live event at Gillette Stadium and will include powerful keynotes and product announcements. Working with our team on DefenderCon has allowed us all to understand what it takes to run in-person and hybrid events and create a solid template for how we will continue to do it throughout 2022.
Capital One is a banking and financial services provider whose offerings include credit cards, checking accounts and personal and business loans.
Describe Capital One’s culture in one word.
People. At Capital One, we strive to put people first as an employer, financial services provider and partner. Since our founding, we’ve been committed to developing financial products and services for all consumers and to advancing diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and in society so that our associates and customers can thrive in work and life. We knew that data and technology, the talent of our people and a focus on inclusion would be key to fulfilling that promise. This remains our differentiator today.
We foster a workplace where people from diverse backgrounds are included and encouraged to share their ideas. Our systems and programs promote fairness and equality. And no matter who you are, you feel like you belong. That means feeling seen, heard, valued and free to be your authentic self.
How long have you been with Capital One, and what professional growth or development have you seen in that time?
One constant in my nearly seven years at Capital One has been sticking to my personal mission statement: “empower others while continuously learning.” I’ve pursued lifelong learning through Capital One’s “Tech College,” a learning platform that offers thousands of free courses for associates seeking to develop new tech skills. I’ve taken Tech College classes on Python, Snowflake, Agile processing and SQL. I have also taken exam prep courses for the Amazon Web Services Solution Architect certification.
These courses enabled me to quickly build a foundational understanding of our data infrastructure and the various tools we use to build our models. With the help of my colleagues, Capital One and Tech College, I’ve been able to work my way up from a principal risk specialist to risk manager.
Flywire is a fintech company specializing in payments across a wide variety of industries, from education to healthcare and travel. The company counts some 2,400 clients and processes payments in over 140 different currencies.
Describe Flywire’s culture in one word.
Authentic. Authenticity is one of our corporate values and it’s at the very root of who we are and how we work. From our employee-run affinity groups to our employee-led service trips, Flywire takes a people-first approach to our culture and encourages each and every “FlyMate” to bring their whole selves to work and pursue their passions in and out of the workplace.
This is one the few organizations I have been a part of that has truly invested in a people-first approach to culture, and that has transformed the way our people are expected to work now and in the future. Well before the pandemic, Flywire embraced the value of remote work, giving employees the flexibility to do their best work and to find their work-life harmony. This “FlyBrid” model of working continues to be successful.
Because FlyMates feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work every day, they speak about what they need to be fully engaged, to feel supported and to truly be cared for as a person and not just as an employee — and we listen. That’s Flywire’s authentic culture at work.
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
One of the coolest things I get to work on is identifying, engaging and hiring top talent to join us on this incredible journey. I enjoy telling candidates the story of Flywire’s growth and watching them light up when they see how authentic, inclusive and fun our culture is. Flywire works really hard to ensure we’re curating an amazing experience for FlyMates and to recognize the pivotal milestones that occur as part of our FlyMates’ life experiences.
Embark’s mission is to help dogs live as long and healthy a life as possible through DNA tests that provide actionable health insights to their owners.
Describe Embark’s culture in one word.
Collaborative. Embark’s culture is focused on bringing together an incredibly talented team to advance our mission of leveraging science and technology to improve the lives and longevity of all dogs. It is through learning from the diverse perspective of our peers that we achieve the best outcomes. Being collaborative, respectful and mission-driven are all part of our core values, which set the tone for how we work and succeed together.
The collaboration between our engineering, science and product teams is crucial to delivering new, actionable insights for our customers. The platforms that generate those insights are complex and the science that we’re doing is cutting edge. Success requires each team member to work hand-in-hand to understand the problem, plan for success and execute using their unique expertise.
How long have you been with Embark, and what professional growth or development have you seen in that time?
While I joined Embark only recently, I’m amazed at how much I’ve already grown! Embark’s belief that everyone can and should step up and make an impact has been extremely empowering. I’ve never felt able to make so much change so quickly, and doing so has forced me to stretch, learn and grow in new and exciting ways. I benefit from the great work of those who came before me, and I now have a huge opportunity to help Embark build on that foundation.
Being new to Embark, I am also consumed by how interesting the science is that we are doing. Suddenly my reading list, normally focused on engineering and culture topics, became dominated by DNA and genetics, topics that are both intellectually stimulating and foundational to achieving our mission. I’m inspired every day by my scientific peers, some of whom are a large part of why I joined Embark.
Simply Business is an insurtech company whose mission is to make it easier for small business owners to acquire business insurance.
Describe Simply Business’ culture in one word.
Adaptable. We are always looking for ways to improve, learn and grow so we can be collectively more successful. For example, through our monthly health checks we recently discovered that our sustainable work pace was dropping, which prompted us to have a team workshop.
During that workshop, we aligned on what the problem was and what its drivers were and agreed on a handful of actions that we could immediately incorporate into how we work. We have a number of similar mechanisms to gather feedback, both quantitative and qualitative, that help balance moving quickly, managing quality of life and staying true to our core values.
How long have you been with Simply Business, and what professional growth or development have you seen in that time?
I’ve been with the company a little less than two years, most of which I’ve spent working on product development with marketing, focusing largely on how to grow and nurture the very top of the customer funnel for direct visitors. In that time, I’ve learned everything I know about martech from the ground up.
I am pleased to have recently had the chance to apply for a promotion for my current role, overseeing product development and distribution for direct marketing and partnership channels. This new role gives me the opportunity to develop myself from a mentor of product managers to a dedicated coach and allows me to focus my efforts on developing a high-performing product team.
Indico Data has built a platform specifically designed to bring structure to, and derive value from, unstructured data, which makes up the vast majority of — some 85 percent — all enterprise data.
Describe Indico Data’s culture in one word.
Innovative! Indico Data is in this new, interesting space for unstructured data processing; the problems are unique, so the solutions have to be as well. A single feature change could involve infrastructure, database and API changes, all carefully designed to not impact performance. The complex problem space allows me to get really creative and collaborate with wonderful, talented teammates to implement the best solution available. I’m always excited to work because, even after three years here, I’m still learning about new technologies and strategies, improving as a developer and implementing features I’m truly proud of.
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
I recently got to help design our trial edition of the platform. At the core, we needed a way to limit every single action users could take without affecting our standard edition. The project reached every corner of our platform and needed to be meticulously planned. I was given the opportunity to take on more of a technical lead role from the engineering side. Rather than just code, I helped lead other engineers and collaborated with the product design team. I was pretty nervous but had a lot of support from everyone and got to see a completely new product from inception to launch.
MORSE is a collection of scientists, engineers and developers who collectively work to develop hardware and software for the United States military that leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced algorithms.
Describe MORSE’s culture in one word.
Passion. When we hire, we look for people who are smart, easy to work with and passionate. Some are very passionate about their craft or domain, and others are passionate about our company’s mission to deploy solutions to solve hard problems for our customers in the United States national security ecosystem. Not only does this help us choose the right people to solve problems for our customers, but it also means that you’ll be joining a team with these attributes.
Our Slack channels are a reflection of both our professional and personal passions. We have channels for board games, running, pets, Python, AI and many more. No matter the subject, from how to optimize your code to how to brew a better cup of coffee, you will always find someone at MORSE eager to talk about a passion or offer help. With a team like this, we’re well-positioned to focus on long-term success while maintaining an enjoyable work experience.
How long have you been with MORSE, and what professional growth or development have you seen in that time?
I joined MORSE two years ago, and since then we have more than doubled in size, adding many talented, passionate and collaborative team members. As we grow, we have preserved foundational aspects of our culture while enabling a welcoming environment with plenty of unique and novel problems to solve. Our teams are working on one-of-a-kind aerial vehicle design, breakthroughs on the efficiency and capabilities of AI, and expanding our work in mission planning and decision systems to bring critical information to the U.S. warfighter. Our Agile approach allows us to incorporate frequent changes and advancements to better serve our customers.
We are well-positioned to continue to grow. We just moved into a new office in Cambridge, quadrupling our office space and bringing excellent lab facilities to support our hardware programs, better video conferencing technology to support our hybrid workforce and a hub for our teams to gather for technical collaboration and social engagement. I could not be more excited for the continued ability to be exposed to the coolest programs supporting the U.S. national security ecosystem, all while working alongside a great team!
Dawn Foods is a bakery supply company and Boston is the home of its Digital Innovation Hub, the company’s tech outfit dedicated to developing products that help bring bakeries into the digital age.
Describe Dawn’s culture in one word.
Innovative. We are disrupting the bakery industry with an unmatchable recipe for success. Our B2B e-commerce site was created with a microservices-based, API-first, cloud-native, and headless (MACH) approach to enable Dawn to be flexible and agile and to provide a friendly user experience. We take real-time feedback from our customers and make improvements to the site in a matter of hours. Our tech-savvy trend-setting team brings innovation to life every day.
What’s the coolest project you’ve worked on recently, and how did it help you grow professionally?
We recently added a new feature that allows our team to enable seasonal product spotlights. These spotlights allow our reps to remind customers that a certain holiday is coming up and that they might want to stock up to meet demand. This curated list of products makes life for our customers just a little bit easier and serves as a reminder of some sweet moments yet to come. We can all use a sprinkle of joy during these times, after all.
Butterfly Network is a healthtech company that has created a handheld alternative to the traditionally bulky ultrasound machine. The product connects to a smartphone and can be used across the entire body.
Describe Butterfly Network’s culture.
I was drawn to Butterfly’s mission and the product’s potential to reshape care delivery and health care outcomes.
How long have you been with Butterfly Network, and what professional growth or development have you seen in that time?
Butterfly encourages employee growth and development, which is why I was recently able to change roles within the company. It’s been interesting to transition between teams and onboard in a new role, especially since we are still mostly remote. I’ve been leaning a lot on my colleagues throughout this process — asking questions, learn new tools and skills, and picking up general advice.
