Whether you think midday office yoga sessions are typical or not, occurrences like this are part of normal life at Highspot.
Even if you’re not a fan of downward-facing dog, odds are that you would still embrace the passionate, open, and exciting environment that has earned Highspot industry recognition as a top workplace. The most recent recognition is one we’re especially proud to share – LinkedIn has named Highspot a 2018 Top 50 Startup.
In order to create this annual, nationwide list, LinkedIn uses a blended score to identify companies that have high engagement with employees, job interest, and retention. The score takes into account the billions of actions of more than 575 million professionals on LinkedIn.
Whether it’s because of the yoga, free beer on tap, or the best-in-class sales enablement solution we offer, people love working at Highspot.
Curious about what an average day looks like at one of the country’s top startups? To get the inside scoop, we asked three colleagues from different internal teams to walk us through their routine.
We’re pleased to share insights from Vice President of Marketing Jake Braly, Senior Account Development Representative Alison Mittelstaedt, and Front End Software Engineer Natalie Wittenbrook.
What does your average morning look like?
Jake: No two mornings are alike. One of the many great things about Highspot is the emphasis on work-life balance, which means we can prioritise what’s important to us both inside and outside of the office. For me personally, I have four children who I love to walk to school in the mornings. Other times, I’ll come into the office early to focus on high-importance marketing initiatives.
Alison: After chatting with my team, I raise my desk into the standing position to get the blood flowing as I check my to-do list. Upbeat music plays on our floor, which helps get us in the groove before we do our outreach. Typically, my activities include lots of research and prospecting. Our job is to find the decision makers who have a say in the tools that help sales and marketing teams. We aim to set up calls with potential customers, learn about their business challenges, and show them how Highspot can solve them.
Natalie: I use the company-provided ORCA card twice a day, every day to get to and from work. Once in the office, I love that I have choices for breakfast – I can have a banana, yogurt, cereal, hard-boiled eggs, or plenty of other options. I then get right to work. There is always a ton of collaboration between the developers – we are constantly working on fast updates and developing new, exciting features that continue to take our product to the next level.
What tools or technology help you do your job?
Jake: One of the primary tools my team uses to ensure that we’re staying agile is the web-based project management application Trello, which helps us prioritise tasks and stay informed about all moving projects. In addition, I use our own software on a daily basis. As head of marketing, I’m often reaching out to potential prospects and partners, and Highspot is the best way to engage them, especially when I need to send content. I know when they received my materials and how they engaged, which helps inform my next step.
Alison: What helps my daily flow is our own product. Highspot has more than 50 certified technology integrations, meaning I can easily access Highspot within Salesforce, LinkedIn, Gmail, and anywhere else needed. The end result is maximised efficiency and more time to spend on activities that matter, like personalising my outreach. Using Highspot in my workflow makes my life a million times easier, and also makes talking to prospects about our product more fun.
Natalie: It’s great to be able to personally use the software that we work to improve – I can really get to know the product, which helps me build upon it more effectively. Highspot is a great resource that I use to find helpful content including organisation charts, onboarding documents, and more. Additionally, I love having my own portable MacBook Pro laptop.
What do you look forward to every day?
Jake: Part of what is inspiring every day is getting to talk to our customers and hearing about what their situation looked like before they made the decision to adopt Highspot. The enthusiasm they have for what our technology is doing for their entire go-to-market team is great to see – for me as a marketer, there is a lot of personal and professional passion and empathy I feel, having previously experienced the pain points that Highspot uniquely solves.
Alison: I look forward to being around the amazing people that we have here. As we’re scaling, there are always new, innovative people coming in the door who are inspiring to be around. We’re all working toward a common goal, which is to grow the company to be the best it can be, and that’s exciting.
Natalie: I’m happy to be writing code that is part of a product and website that people use and really care about. For instance, the feature I’m working on right now is one everyone on the team is excited about because of the real difference it will make for our customers. It’s great to come in every day to do work that will improve people’s lives.
What’s the best part of your job?
Jake: I’m constantly inspired by the people I work with and our marketing team. Part of what makes us unique being marketers of a technology that solves a big marketing pain point is that all of us feel a level of personal motivation for what we’re doing. We have a mission to bring that value to professionals and marketing teams everywhere.
Alison: The best part of my job is when the light bulb goes on for prospects, and they see how Highspot can help them accomplish their goals. When they think, “Wow, this person can really help me,” it’s good feeling. Creating trusted relationships is very rewarding.
Natalie: You can tell how much the leadership team and Robert, our CEO, really care about what we’re working on. It makes a huge difference for me knowing that the leadership is invested and excited about the features our team is developing that will truly impact our customers. Recognition like that is always inspiring.
How would you describe startup life?
Jake: The best ingredients for a great startup environment are shared vision and passion for the impact you are aiming to make. When you get that culture right, it’s such a great family to be a part of, and it’s a family that often expands very rapidly. This makes for a vibrant and invigorating workplace as we bring others on board who share our collaborative DNA.
Alison: One thing that stands out about startup life is how you’re constantly on your toes. The pace of innovation moves quickly, which makes every day exhilarating. In addition, the level of support at Highspot is so strong. I feel confident asking anyone questions, and every person here, no matter their role or level, is easy to talk to. We’re all on the same team and want to see each other succeed.
Natalie: Highspot’s startup culture is so transparent. I can talk to people who have been with the company since the beginning and helped build the product, which is amazing and very rare. Work-life balance is also highly encouraged, and as a team we will often walk to nearby restaurants to get sandwiches or pizza together. It’s really a one-of-a-kind company.
If you love a good mountain pose – or, er, an open culture – chances are that you’ll fit right in at Highspot. The time to join a winning company and catch the wave of modern sales enablement was yesterday, so what are you waiting for? Take a look at our current openings!
