In 2019, Terakeet brought on board 105 new employees – talk about growth! One of the main reasons we’ve been able to exponentially scale our workforce is the strength of our overall benefits package.
Our flexible working arrangement and work from home program is our most attractive benefit, and one we’re especially proud of as a growing company. The way we live and work is evolving, so our overall benefits must also change to reflect where the future of work is headed.
Terakeet’s policy does specify that on-site employees attend scheduled meetings and events as much as possible. We don’t want employees to miss out on our dynamic business culture.
However, we know life happens, so that’s why we encourage the use of technology to facilitate remote work. In-office employees have the ability to dial into meetings via video chat. This way, teams and departments are better able to work together to deliver on more for our clients, no matter where they are.
We wanted to hear more about how our employees are leveraging the ability to flex time and work from home, and the impact our benefits have had on their careers and personal lives. So we sat down to interview a few ‘Keeters – see their responses below!
Q1: What’s your name and title?
Katie H.: “My name is Katie Heaton, and I’m a Senior Digital Outreach Specialist!”
Katie R. “I’m Katie Romagno, and I’m an Account Director.”
Jonas: “Jonas Sickler, SEO Manager.”
Jenna: “Jenna Coppola and I’m a Senior Digital Outreach Specialist.”
Nicole: “Nicole Burun, HR Administrator.”
Q2: How long have you worked at Terakeet? What’s your background?
Katie H.: “I’ve been at Terakeet since May 2018. Before Terakeet, I was a student at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where I received my Bachelor’s Degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing.”
Katie R.: “I have been with Terakeet for just under two years. I was a communications major from Niagara University. I worked at more traditional marketing companies before I landed here.”
Jonas: “I’ve been with Terakeet for about five and a half years, and I’m now on my 6th job title. My background is actually in children’s book illustration, and I have more than half a million baby books in circulation.”
Jenna: “I started at Terakeet in May of 2018. After I graduated with a Bachelors in Communications in 2015. Most recently, I worked full-time at a non-profit that provided foster care and residential treatment care to troubled youths … I had been eyeing Terakeet for a long time and I wanted to work in the field I studied in college, so I was more excited than nervous to come be a part of this culture when the time came.”
Nicole: “I’ve worked at Terakeet for 2 years and 10 months. Prior to Terakeet I was in the banking industry. I wanted a change so I went back to school and got a degree in Human Resources and I’ve been at Terakeet ever since!”
Q3: Let’s talk flex time/work from home. What role does this workplace policy play in your professional and personal life?
Katie H.: “During my first year at Terakeet, my home-to-office commute was an hour. Given the uncertainty of an Upstate New York winter, having the option to stay home when the weather gave less-than-desirable driving conditions was great. I also love the option to work remotely throughout the day. Working from a local coffee shop for a few hours can work wonders when you’ve got a bit of writer’s block!”
Katie R.: “I work on a large account that is on the Pacific coast, so flex time works really well because I don’t want to be bombarding our customer at six o’clock in the morning, their time. On the personal side, that also means that I’m not rushing a five and two year old out the door by 7:30 in the morning. There aren’t stringent start and end times. Just having that little time to breathe in the mornings is extremely helpful for my mental wellbeing, but also for my family as well.”
Jonas: “As my salt and pepper hair may have given away, I’m among the slightly older demographic here. I’ve been married for 20 years and have two children (18, 10). When you have a family … you realize how quickly you eat up PTO. The flex time program at Terakeet allows me to be home with my son while still being productive. And because of the technology we’ve implemented, it’s incredibly easy to attend meetings virtually when you can’t make it to the office.”
Jenna: “Recently, I added to my family and I most often use my flex time to take care of my puppy. I use my flexible schedule to go home midday to let her outside … and just spend time with her so she’s not always alone … I don’t think we would have ever been able to rescue our pup, without flex time and the ability to work at home.”
Nicole: “This past semester I took a SHRM-CP prep course at LeMoyne college. The flexible work arrangement allowed me to flex my hours to get to class on time, take time to study when I was most alert, and work when I was focused on working. I passed my exam a few weeks ago and I’m not sure I would have been able to do it without the support and flexibility that Terakeet offered.”
Q4: In your opinion, did this benefit help you decide to come work at Terakeet or to stay at Terakeet?
Katie H.: “Definitely! The benefits Terakeet offers its employees, flex time and work from home included, are such an indication of how they value the people who work here, which was a motivating factor for me to come to Terakeet.”
Katie R.: “Often, previous employers would ask me what I needed as a working mother. I always felt it troubling to articulate that what I was looking for was really the ability to be trusted. This benefit from Terakeet [is] something I’ve been wholly impressed with … how we all make work work. We’re all just so readily available regardless of where and when we’re working.”
Jonas: “I actually started working here before flex time existed. I remember when it rolled out, and it just seemed too good to be true. I see the stress other families deal with when they have to miss work because of sick kiddos or school closings. They worry about falling behind, or being seen as a slacker, or not getting paid in some cases.”
Jenna: “I can’t even begin to describe how important the benefit of flex time and work from home is to me! I love my job, but I love having a fulfilling life outside of work too. Without a flexible schedule, I wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with my family or have been able to rescue my dog.”
Nicole: “I found Terakeet through LinkedIn and when I started looking into the company and the Glassdoor reviews I was blown away. The industry I came from was so different, I honestly didn’t realize companies offered benefits like this. The benefits package including the flex policy definitely drew me in.”
Q5: What would you tell a prospective employee about Terakeet its use of flex time/work from home?
Katie H.: “Terakeet’s flex time and work from home benefits ensure that all of its employees are able to approach their work in a way that’s uniquely their own. Whether you’re an early riser, enjoy the office buzz, or just need a midday change of scenery, the benefits offered at Terakeet give you the opportunity to work in a way that’s best for you.”
Katie R.: “Across the board, I’ve been impressed with how productive our employees are. My team, for example, meets three times a week in-office. So we still have the right touchpoints in place, but there is a lot of flexibility too. Regardless of when we’re in the office, or when we’re working remotely from a coffee shop, there’s enough awareness and understanding of what the expectations are that we can all make sure we’re hitting the mark and getting the right facetime.”
Jonas: “Terakeet doesn’t ask you to choose between your family and your job which removes a lot of anxiety, and there’s really no price you can put on that value.”
Jenna: “I’ve always said that when it comes to being successful at Terakeet, you have to be self-driven and have good time management skills. My coworkers are the most ambitious, hard-working, and successful group of people I’ve ever been surrounded with and I think the independence to make our own schedules directly drives our amazing results as a company!”
Nicole: “I’ve never worked for an employer like Terakeet before. At my previous jobs it was always 9-5 everyday, an hour scheduled lunch, had to use PTO if I had a doctors appointment or needed to leave early. One of my favorite perks is being able to walk over to a local cafe for an hour, have a cup of tea, refocus on work and just enjoy the little things! I still spend the majority of time in the office because the atmosphere is great and my coworkers are awesome, but it’s nice to have options.”
We think we’re a great place to work – and hope that after checking out the benefits we offer employees such as flexible working arrangements, that you do too! Head on over to our openings page to find your perfect fit, or click around to explore more about life at Terakeet.
