09/16/2015
09/16/2015
Continuing our series of employees sharing what the Zappos culture means to them, we have Kandis, one of our product managers, sharing her perspective and telling a story about her journey.
Continuing our series of employees sharing what the Zappos culture means to them, we have Kandis, one of our product managers, sharing her perspective and telling a story about her journey.
I started at Zappos 5 1/2 years ago. My brother, who also works here, gave me a pep talk before my interview. “Just be yourself” was the last thing he said. Nervous and wearing my best interview mask, I eagerly tried to make a good impression. As the interview went on my nerves faded and it felt more like I was sitting with a friend, talking, laughing, and even telling an embarrassing story about myself. It was amazing. I was actually being myself and not just the person I thought they wanted to meet.
Culture means I bring the real me into the office, the one who laughs too loudly and is known to swear on occasion. Where
my love of dogs and tacos is celebrated. In this culture I have found more than a job, I have found a home. I do not have coworkers, I have friends. I do not hide my mistakes. Instead, I am supported, challenged, and trusted. We are all in this together.
Two years ago I took a leap of faith and moved from being in a leadership position in our Customer Loyalty Team to a content creator for our Labs team. Our Labs team is a research and development team based out of San Francisco that creates innovative retail experiments. On the one hand, I was thrilled to take on a new adventure. On the other, I felt like I was playing catcher in the majors without a glove. I had no technical experience and was afraid. As soon as I joined the Labs team I was being encouraged to sit in on meetings, provide feedback, and jump into projects. Slowly, I became more comfortable, feeling less restricted by my background and fears because my team believed in me. I did too. I have learned skills and taken on tasks I would have been too afraid to do, all because of the support I received. I could not be more grateful for the group that I get to work with. It is their belief in me that tells me together we can tackle anything, I can tackle anything.
Culture is not about wanting to be the same. The magic of the Zappos Culture comes from people coming together, supporting each other, encouraging each other, and growing together.
I started at Zappos 5 1/2 years ago. My brother, who also works here, gave me a pep talk before my interview. “Just be yourself” was the last thing he said. Nervous and wearing my best interview mask, I eagerly tried to make a good impression. As the interview went on my nerves faded and it felt more like I was sitting with a friend, talking, laughing, and even telling an embarrassing story about myself. It was amazing. I was actually being myself and not just the person I thought they wanted to meet.
Culture means I bring the real me into the office, the one who laughs too loudly and is known to swear on occasion. Where my love of dogs and tacos is celebrated. In this culture I have found more than a job, I have found a home. I do not have coworkers, I have friends. I do not hide my mistakes. Instead, I am supported, challenged, and trusted. We are all in this together.
Two years ago I took a leap of faith and moved from being in a leadership position in our Customer Loyalty Team to a content creator for our Labs team. Our Labs team is a research and development team based out of San Francisco that creates innovative retail experiments. On the one hand, I was thrilled to take on a new adventure. On the other, I felt like I was playing catcher in the majors without a glove. I had no technical experience and was afraid. As soon as I joined the Labs team I was being encouraged to sit in on meetings, provide feedback, and jump into projects. Slowly, I became more comfortable, feeling less restricted by my background and fears because my team believed in me. I did too. I have learned skills and taken on tasks I would have been too afraid to do, all because of the support I received. I could not be more grateful for the group that I get to work with. It is their belief in me that tells me together we can tackle anything, I can tackle anything.
Culture is not about wanting to be the same. The magic of the Zappos Culture comes from people coming together, supporting each other, encouraging each other, and growing together.