Editor’s Note:
Angela Skane, a content manager here at Terakeet, will hit her 3-year Teraversary this fall. In addition to managing a team of content specialists, Angela has also become an integral part of what makes the Terakeet culture special. Members of the #goodtunes Slack channel have come to know she is a Jonas Brothers fan through and through. Besides her great taste in music, she is also a bit of a fashionista. ‘Keeters in the #fashion Slack channel know that Angela will always have your back with very reliable outfit recommendations.
Angela actively volunteers with the American Cancer Society, as well as with our Wine Club, which raises funds for our own charity organization, Cause for the Cuse.
We recently got the chance to catch up with Angela to chat about Terakeet’s culture; check out her thoughts below!
What does company culture mean to you?
Company culture is really important to me and one of the biggest things I value in a job. I was excited to join Terakeet because of what I had read about the culture, and it’s proven to be true.
Everyone cares about their role and what they contribute to the company, and that motivates me every day. There’s something special about coming to work knowing that my peers are ready to give everything they’ve got, and when I or someone else isn’t having an easy time, everyone steps up to support.
What do you or members of your team do to make working at Terakeet a more enjoyable experience?
Every interaction I have at work reminds me why I love working here. Whether I need to just talk my thought process through or I need some work covered, someone is always there to chip in without hesitation.
Not only is everyone willing to step in and help when needed, but they care about me as a human being who has a life outside of work. They share a genuine interest in me and my life, which makes for a really fun working environment.
If you could sum up the Terakeet company culture with an example, what would it be?
In Feb 2022, my house suddenly flooded from a clogged pipe. I had only been in my house for 6 months when this happened, and 3 days after I filed my insurance claim, my insurance company went out of business.
All of my teammates and department peers got together and bought me a Lowe’s gift card. Two of my friends from the content team, Ashley Timms and Rory Hyde, presented it to me in person when they were in town for the weekend. It was so generous and unexpected it brought me to tears.
Great Places to Work defines culture as “how things get done around the workplace. “How” includes both the formal systems, and the informal behaviors.”
How would you describe the way work gets done at Terakeet?
The way work gets done around here never ceases to amaze me. Every single project is collaborative without being messy. Everyone contributes what they can to a project and is always looking for ways to make the outcomes stronger and the process smoother.
There’s serious and productive moments, but also genuine human interaction that happens in everything we do, which makes even the largest tasks more manageable.
How does being part of a remote workplace affect your ability to connect with your team? Is there anything that has helped you stay connected?
It can be tough sometimes not being able to grab dinner or meet up for happy hour with my team, but we’ve made virtual connections work. I am friends with many of my peers on social media or we text each other to chat about life. This has helped me get to connect with people outside of our work tasks and create some genuine friendships. I even have vacation plans with friends who don’t live in the same place as me!
When I travel to places I know Terakeeters live, I always try to schedule time to hang out IRL. This has helped me create some really great bonds with the people I work with.
In what ways do you identify with Terakeet’s mission of “creating connections that matter”?
I always joke with people when they meet me that once we’re friends, they’re stuck with me for life. Connecting with people and maintaining that connection is extremely important to me outside of work. This makes it natural for me to carry that value over to the work I do and create genuine connections with my peers, the customers I interact with, the work I produce, and the audience it’s intended for.
It’s also about empathy for me, especially when working with so many people I’ve only ever met on Zoom. It’s important to be able to connect with someone and understand their perspective and situations to collaborate effectively. This aspect of the mission is so easy to see in practice every day at Terakeet.
What makes you feel proud about the work you do here?
Honestly, the results. I feel so proud seeing something I had a hand in succeeding for our customers or the company. I love when I’ve put a lot of time and effort into something and it is so well received by customers or internal teams. I guess in some ways it’s the validation I get from my work, but it also proves that I am truly making connections that matter and I do have a role in the success of the customers I work on.
Our recruiters are often asked to describe the culture as well as some of the challenges our teams face. What would you tell someone who is trying to decide if Terakeet is the right culture fit for them?
You have to be willing to get your hands dirty and do the work, no matter what role you’re in. At Terakeet, everyone is always ready to step up. We’re also focused on constantly being better than before, which can come with a lot of changes. You have to be open and willing to try new things, learn new things, changing processes, etc., in order to succeed here.
The more you can be open to these things, the more you’ll connect with the people you work with and that’s really the core of our culture for me.
In what ways does the company culture promote well-being?
Because everyone cares not only about the work we do together, but also about each person, the company culture here allows me to feel OK when I’m not at my best. We all have off days, but no one here ever makes you feel less for it; they actually step up so I can take the time I need to recharge.
I never feel like I’m facing a challenge alone, and this makes for a much healthier relationship with my work and promotes prioritizing my own mental and physical health.