The 2026 Companies Hiring — and Building Strong Cultures That Last

Finding an employer that reflects your values is no small feat. In fact, more than half of employees in the United States would take a pay cut just to work at a company with values that align with their own.

Shared values are the core of a strong team culture. Take AMP, an AI-powered recycling sorting company. One of AMP's cultural attributes, "learning agility," deeply informs the employee behavior at the greentech company.

“Learning agility means we encourage curiosity and continuous growth — we encourage people to push boundaries, learn from mistakes and challenge what’s possible,” Beth Dec, chief administrative officer, said. 

At Qualtrics, the company value of transparency helps illuminate the “why” behind the work . 

“Transparency means we value being open and honest so we can learn and grow,” Julia Anas, chief people officer, said. “We believe when people feel seen, valued and connected to a purpose bigger than themselves, they don’t just join a company, they join a community.”

Built In spoke with nineteen tech professionals who shared how their company’s values shape a team culture worth being a part of. 
 

 

Flywire is a global payments enablement and software company, providing digital payment solutions across education, healthcare, travel and B2B sectors.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Flywire, culture is not a talking point, it is an operating system. As we scale globally, we are intentional about hiring leaders and talent who are aligned to how we work, not just what they have done. That starts with clarity. We invest heavily upfront in role definition, leveling and expectations, so candidates understand the impact they are stepping into and how success is measured.

Our culture emphasizes ownership, collaboration and accountability. People stay at Flywire because they can see how their work connects to meaningful outcomes and because they are trusted to make decisions that move the business forward. We reinforce this through consistent leadership engagement, transparent communication and an expectation that leaders are present, accessible and invested in their teams.

Growth brings complexity, but our focus remains the same: create an environment where people feel challenged, supported and proud of the work they do. When employees are clear on the mission and confident in the leadership around them, retention follows naturally.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Flywire’s culture is grounded in execution, collaboration and continuous learning. Our values guide decisions at every level of the organization, especially as we operate across regions, time zones and markets. We expect leaders and teams to move with urgency, make thoughtful decisions and follow through.

What stands out most today is how interconnected our teams are. Success at Flywire is not driven by individual heroics, but by shared ownership and trust across functions. We value leaders who listen, who challenge respectfully and who are comfortable navigating ambiguity while keeping teams aligned.

Equally important is our commitment to growth, both personal and organizational. We encourage curiosity, feedback and reflection and we create space for teams to learn from outcomes, whether successful or not. This combination of accountability and support allows Flywire to grow with discipline, while maintaining a culture where people feel empowered to do their best work.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

At Flywire, recognition is embedded in our culture rather than a single program. We focus on meaningful impact, from exceptional execution to cross-functional leadership. Leaders are expected to call out contributions in real time, connecting individual efforts to broader business outcomes during team forums and updates.

A cornerstone of our appreciation is the annual recognition awards. FlyMates nominate peers across categories ranging from operational excellence to well-being advocacy. We also honor those supporting causes close to their hearts via volunteering — supported by our “FlyBetter” program, which gives FlyMates two dedicated PTO days for service annually.

For daily appreciation, our gratitude Slack channel serves as a visible, global forum where FlyMates at all levels thank one another for their support. By blending these high-stakes annual honors with consistent, peer-to-peer gratitude, we ensure wins are celebrated locally while reinforcing a shared purpose across regions. This intentional approach strengthens trust and ensures that great work is seen, valued and encouraged across our global team.

 

 

 

Apex Fintech Solutions provides the tools and services that enable hundreds of clients to launch, scale, and support digital investing for tens of millions of end investors. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

We call it “GREAT in every seat,” and we’ve defined GREAT — Grit, Results, Empathy, Accountability and Teamwork — as the everyday behaviors and expectations for every teammate — both our existing employees and the people we hire. “GREAT in every seat” aligns our Interviewer Scorecard with our core foundations. We evaluate candidates across character, role expertise and skills/abilities, artificial intelligence aptitude and culture fit — the behaviors we expect in practice are the GREAT framework. This consistent lens keeps expectations equitable as we scale and helps us hire people who think like owners, embrace change, put clients first, innovate for lasting impact and collaborate inclusively — agile, purpose‑driven builders who move outcomes forward.

Retention comes from keeping our promise: Embrace Change. Solve Big. Win Together. From the start we set clear, outcome-focused goals, use consistent feedback loops and create mobility across teams so people can grow with us. When teams see that the same behaviors we hire for are the ones we reward and develop, they stay engaged, perform with speed and quality and win together as one team.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Our foundation is a practical, people-first set of values: Think like an owner and operate ethically; embrace change and evolve together; put the client first; innovate for lasting impact; and be collaborative, respectful and inclusive. GREAT makes those values observable every day. Grit means we persevere with extreme urgency and finish strong. Results means we prioritize impact, ship fast and don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Empathy starts with discovering the “why,” playing back needs in plain english and designing for clients and teammates. Accountability is visible ownership — say it, do it, no surprises. Teamwork is “one team,” clear decision rights and sharing knowledge freely.

We’re agile by design. We invite people who solve problems in ambiguity, take initiative across functions and move outcomes forward without waiting to be asked. That combination of owner mindset and one-team collaboration is how we scale while keeping culture intact.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Our top honor, the Apex Summit Award, recognizes a select group whose exceptional contributions propel our company and reflect our values. It’s peer‑nominated year‑round, with colleagues submitting stories tied to be GREAT. An executive committee reviews nominations and selects honorees, who are celebrated at our companywide town hall, where we share their impact, thank the teams behind them and spotlight client outcomes. Summit honorees go above and beyond, demonstrating innovation, collaboration and excellence — the pinnacle of professional achievement here.

We also celebrate the everyday wins through WorkTango, where peers recognize one another in real time for behaviors that move the business forward. And for more formal, year‑round feedback, we use anytime feedback in Workday. It lets teammates and leaders share praise and constructive input as work happens and those notes roll into the performance review so growth and recognition aren’t limited to a single moment. Together, these practices reinforce our core foundations, keep momentum high and ensure people feel seen, supported and motivated to grow with us.

 

 

AMP is an AI-powered sortation company that gives waste and recycling leaders the power to reduce labor costs, increase resource recovery and deliver more reliable operations. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

Our culture shapes how we hire and retain talent. Because we value adaptability and openness to change, we look for candidates who demonstrate curiosity, resilience and collaboration in our hiring process. During interviews, we assess not just skills but alignment with our mission to enable a world without waste. Once onboard, employees are supported through regular feedback, opportunities for growth and recognition efforts that reflect our cultural values. As a result, our latest engagement survey shows that employees feel connected to the mission, understand our direction and are more likely to stay long-term because they see meaningful impact in their work.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

There are four behaviors that I believe help define AMP’s culture today: Learning Agility, Critical Problem-Solving, Collaboration and Drive. Learning agility means we encourage curiosity and continuous growth — we encourage people to push boundaries, learn from mistakes and challenge what’s possible. Critical problem-solving shows up in how we approach the most complex challenge since the beginning of time — solving what we do, as a society, with trash. We approach these challenges with data-informed decisions and continue to disrupt the status quo. Our culture is nothing without collaboration. We promote cross-functional engagement where people openly exchange ideas and support each other to achieve shared goals. And drive is about ownership and execution: we hire people who are motivated to deliver impact — to the company, each other and the world — that help advance our mission. Together, these behaviors shape how we work, how we hire and develop talent and how we deliver value to our stakeholders.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition was a priority for AMP in 2025. We launched a concept called engagement circles where a cross-functional team of employees met a few times throughout the year with our senior leadership team to discuss what recognition means to them and how we can improve as a company. A tangible outcome of the employee feedback was focused on a tool we use for recognition, Bonusly. This tool allows anyone within AMP to recognize the contribution and impact of another employee, whether it be manager to employee or peer-to-peer. Every time an employee is recognized, they earn points that they can redeem for company gear, lunch with an executive, team treats, or books. The changes we implemented in 2025 were well received, with employees responding most positively when recognition came with tangible outcomes.

 

 

Tms is a marketing and technology company that offers a suite of products and consulting services. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

Our culture influences hiring by attracting people who believe in our purpose and how we work, plus it influences retention by creating an inclusive, collaborative and growth-oriented environment where people can do meaningful work and build lasting careers. As tms grows, our culture is what allows us to scale without losing who we are and our values serve as both a talent magnet and a retention engine. Growth happens through collaboration and development. tms thrives on collaboration and creative problem solving. We foster a culture where people are encouraged to ask questions, contribute ideas regardless of title and learn through real business challenges. This creates a sense of psychological safety and sustained professional growth, which employees consistently cite as a reason they stay and build long term careers with us. 

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Our values (Do What’s Right, Respect and Value All, Elevate Customers and People and Think Big Together) as well as our priorities (People, Clients, Communities, Suppliers and Planet) guide how we attract and select talent. We look for individuals who are energized by collaboration, comfortable challenging the status quo and motivated to create impact while holding high ethical standards. This focus helps us bring in people who not only have the right skills, but who also thrive in an environment built on shared purpose and accountability. Inclusion is central to how we build teams. We believe we deliver the best outcomes when everyone has a seat at the table. Our global inclusion efforts are intentionally embedded into the employee journey — from attraction and hiring, to development and advancement — so people from diverse backgrounds feel seen, supported and valued at every stage of their career. This commitment strengthens both engagement and long-term retention. 

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

A typical example: after we deliver a major client milestone, we spotlight the cross functional team during a global townhall. Leaders share the story behind the work and teammates offer peer shout outs so contributors at every level are recognized — not just the project leads. We pair these spotlights with community celebration moments (often through our internal website and other events) so recognition reflects who we are and the clients we serve. We also celebrate contributions across the employee journey — from welcoming new joiners into inclusive project teams to highlighting growth and learning in open forums. This approach reinforces belonging and makes recognition a shared habit, not a once a year ceremony. Employee testimonials echo that our culture feels collaborative, motivating and safe to contribute — another reason people feel seen here. We celebrate wins in the open, connect them to our values (Do What’s Right, Respect and Value All, Elevate Customers and People, Think Big Together) and make space for every voice to be recognized — because we believe the best outcomes happen when everyone has a seat at the table.

 

 

Cargill is a global company that provides food, ingredients, agricultural solutions and industrial products. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

In digital technology and data, culture isn’t a poster on a wall — it’s how we hire, welcome and grow our people. We recruit for capability and community: builders who are curious, collaborative and energized by real customer problems. Our location strategy concentrates teams in hubs to deepen capability, speed delivery and strengthen connection — because proximity to peers, clients and customers fuels learning and belonging. We’re building an end‑to‑end “talent engine” that connects early‑career experiences, meaningful onboarding and targeted learning so people can create a future here and feel supported while getting there. We also recognize that our people are our best advertisement every time they tell someone they know about what it’s like to work here.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

We are creating a culture anchored in putting people first, doing the right thing and reaching higher. Putting people first shows up in how we design for people — creating space where every voice matters and feedback travels fast. Doing the right thing helps us simplify how we work, aligning to business outcomes and removing what slows us down. Reaching higher is our bias toward building relationships across Cargill, using systems thinking to make better decisions and being willing to experiment, iterate and fix what isn’t working. 

These values are embedded in our operating model — agile product teams, insourcing critical skills and bringing teams together, so collaboration is real, not theoretical.

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

We practice “recognition in the flow of work.” Across the globe, we strive to ensure every employee feels connected, engaged and valued. In our Atlanta Hub, for example, our team regularly spotlights new hires, shares community events and volunteer opportunities, hosts spirited chili-cookoffs and so much more. We also host monthly #CargillAndChill socials that bring us together. No work, just time to meet and connect with one another. Leaders send quick, specific thank‑yous and amplify peer kudos and our product teams celebrate wins and learnings. We also mark life moments — new roles, certifications, community service — because people bring their whole selves to work. These are small, intentional acts, but they compound: they tell our teams, “You are seen. You matter. Keep going.”

 

 

Vantor is forging the new frontier of spatial intelligence to unlock a more autonomous, interoperable world.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Vantor, culture is a key driver in attracting and retaining exceptional employees, especially in highly competitive talent markets. As we scale, our culture helps us connect with people who are motivated by purpose-driven work and retain them by clearly linking their contributions to customer and business success. 

Once people join, our culture of ownership, accountability and teamwork reinforces long-term engagement. Employees understand how their work directly supports customer missions and contributes to something bigger than themselves. As a result, our culture continues to strengthen as we grow, enabling us to attract top talent who want to do challenging, meaningful work in an environment where they can truly thrive.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Our culture is grounded in values that show up in how we work every day. First and foremost is Customer Mission First. We take the time to deeply understand our customers’ missions, deliver results with urgency and celebrate their success as our own. 

We also have a relentless focus on results. We hold ourselves accountable, honor our commitments and move with speed and intention. Integrity is non-negotiable at Vantor. We value the courage to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. 

Equally important is our belief in collective strength. We invest in one another and know our best work comes from inclusive collaboration. We encourage our teams to think boldly, innovate and fearlessly blaze new trails. And finally, we act like owners. That means taking initiative, continuously improving how we operate and caring deeply about the success of the business and each other. 

What makes these values meaningful is that they aren’t aspirational statements on a wall. They are consistently modeled by leaders and teammates across the organization. 

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition is a core part of how we reinforce our culture at Vantor. One example is our company-wide rewards program called STAR, which stands for Stellar Thanks And Rewards. Employees and leaders regularly use STAR to recognize one another, either through public social recognition or point-based awards. These recognitions are visible across the company, creating shared moments of appreciation that reinforce our values. 

In addition, during our quarterly all-company meetings, our CEO presents peer-nominated awards to individuals and teams who exemplify what it means to live our values. Together, these practices ensure recognition is timely, meaningful and rooted in the behaviors that help our people and our business thrive.

 

 

Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform every year, and that value goes directly back to retailers, consumers and toward important sustainability initiatives.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Upside, we see culture as a growth lever, not a side effect of growth. As we scale, we are deliberate about hiring people who thrive in environments with real ownership, high standards and clear accountability. Our work impacts millions of consumers and thousands of retailers, which naturally attracts candidates who want their work to matter in tangible, everyday ways.

From a retention standpoint, we try hard to drive clarity. Clarity of goals, clarity of expectations and clarity of impact. People stay when they understand how their work connects to business outcomes and when they’re genuinely trusted to make meaningful decisions. We prioritize context over control, empowering teams to solve problems, rather than simply execute tasks.

As we grow, we’re focused on reinforcing shared principles such as customer obsession, ownership and bias for action. All while allowing teams the flexibility to evolve. That balance helps us scale quickly without losing engagement and momentum.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Three behaviors define Upside’s culture today: ownership, customer empathy and velocity with purpose. Ownership means people think beyond their job description and take responsibility for outcomes. Teams are encouraged to solve problems holistically, not just within functional boundaries.

We hire people who are self-motivated and self-directed. These people take pride in seeing problems from start to finish. That ownership is paired with proactive collaboration: our best work happens when experts across disciplines lean in together early, challenge one another productively and align around shared outcomes.

We’re also competitive in the right ways. Teams are driven to win for our consumers and retailers, not for individual credit. We value deep subject-matter expertise, but we equally value people who roll up their sleeves and take on not-so-subject-matter expertise challenges.

Finally, we look for people who are hungry to learn and on a strong upward career trajectory. Curiosity, adaptability and growth mindset aren’t optional here because they’re core to how we build the business and keep improving.
 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

At Upside, recognition is designed to be timely, visible and tied to impact. One simple and playful example is our company-wide Slack channel where teammates give one another virtual, celebratory tacos. It’s a lightweight way to recognize great work in the moment.

What makes it effective is visibility. Recognition isn’t confined to managers or performance reviews; it’s peer-driven and shared across the company, reinforcing the behaviors we value.

We pair that day-to-day recognition with leadership call-outs in all hands and written acknowledgments that connect individual contributions to business outcomes. Together, it creates a culture where great work is noticed quickly and tied back to our broader goals.

 

 

Caliola Engineering develops secure, resilient communication technologies that support mission-critical operations for national defense.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Caliola, our culture acts as both a filter for recruitment and a foundation for long-term retention. In hiring, we look for “cultural multipliers”: experts who pair technical excellence with a desire to see how their work integrates across the entire mission. We seek those who want to see the direct impact of their work and thrive in a high-trust environment where big problems are tackled as a collective. Imagine a team of people marching towards a goal together. Despite their individual drive, every one of them would stop to throw their jacket over a puddle when they notice a teammate is about to step in it. People stay at Caliola not just for the technically interesting challenges, but because they are part of a community that refuses to let an individual stomp through a puddle alone.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Caliolans are defined by our reliable ambition. We are a team of driven experts who believe that mission success is inseparable from the well-being of our people. We lead with Insight, approach challenges with Innovation and anchor every action to our Integrity and Accountability. We don’t view innovation as a solo pursuit; instead, we operate with the transparency and heart required to ensure our mission succeeds as one unbreakable team.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

At Caliola, we celebrate contributions through a mix of structured rewards and personalized appreciation. We utilize bonus cycles and formal awards programs to recognize professional excellence. However, we also celebrate the person behind the work through our “Daymaker” program. Under this initiative, each employee selects a day of the year that is personally significant to them — whether it’s a milestone like a birthday or a whimsical occasion like Pi Day. We then tailor a celebration to their personality; for example, an extroverted employee might enjoy balloons and a ‘Happy Birthday’ sign in the breakroom, while a more introverted peer might choose to share pie with the office on March 14th. This ensures that every team member is recognized in a way that feels truly meaningful to them.

 

 

TigerConnect is a healthcare communication platform that assists with care collaboration among doctors, nurses, care teams and patients. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

As TigerConnect continues to expand, our culture is not something we manage on the side. It is the foundation that guides how we hire, how we work and how we retain great people. 

From a hiring perspective, culture shows up early and intentionally. We evaluate candidates not only on technical capability, but also on how they align with our core values and how they can help strengthen them. Skills matter, but values determine whether someone will truly thrive here. We want every person who joins TigerConnect to feel connected to our mission and confident they can contribute meaningfully from day one. 

That same clarity carries through to retention. Our values create shared expectations around what good looks like, including owning outcomes, collaborating across teams and prioritizing impact over activity. Because those values are consistently reinforced through feedback, recognition and everyday decision-making, employees feel trusted, supported and empowered to grow with the company rather than outgrow it.

 

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition at TigerConnect is intentionally tied back to our values. Employees can recognize and celebrate colleagues, peers, collaborators, or really anyone across the company and connect that recognition directly to the specific values being demonstrated through Workday’s employee recognition platform. This reinforces what was accomplished AND how it was achieved. 

We regularly spotlight these recognitions during company-wide all hands meetings, which helps bring our values to life and celebrate contributions publicly. Because recognition is peer-to-peer and not just top-down, it highlights both visible wins and the behind-the-scenes work that makes them possible. 

We also celebrate milestones such as new sales, successful customer go-lives and implementations and we reward strong performance along the way. The result is a culture where people feel seen, appreciated and motivated to continue contributing in ways that reflect who we are as a company.

 

 

 

Regal is an AI platform that empowers companies to transform customer communications with AI agents.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

Regal’s culture is one of the strongest signals candidates pick up during the hiring process and a key reason they stay. We’re intentional about hiring people who have demonstrated excellence in a previous role or in school, are excited by ownership, ambiguity and solving hard problems through a data-backed, hypothesis-driven approach, not just executing. Additionally, clarity early on in the hiring process is critical. We are very upfront about why people tend to succeed or fail at Regal. That way, people know what they are signing up for and this clarity helps us hire faster and better, creating alignment from the get-go. As we grow, culture acts as an amplifier for our business: great culture bearers tend to refer and help hire the best people and it creates an environment where high performers want to stay because they feel trusted, challenged and invested in. They understand how their work connects to the bigger picture, feel like authors of our culture and our success and know where Regal is headed, so they can enjoy the journey!

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Customers are Royalty is our most sacred value. We are hyper-focused on making sure every role at the company has access to customer signals, feels connected to the customer problem and use cases and prioritizes solving problems that move our customers’ businesses forward, above all else. We pair customer obsession with a Growth Mindset, valuing teammates who take ownership, stay curious and continuously raise the bar for themselves and the product. Fast Execution Wins guides how we operate day to day: Teams collaborate in small pods, move with urgency and aren’t afraid to test, learn and iterate (and fail). We believe Data Beats Opinion, so ideas are debated openly and decisions are grounded in evidence, not the loudest or most senior voice. And while we move quickly, we also Enjoy the Journey — we have fun together, celebrate wins that are big and small, and build genuine relationships along the way.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition at Regal is designed to be visible, inclusive and tied directly to impact. We have a shared recognition channel open to everyone, where teammates regularly post kudos, milestones and weekly wins, ensuring appreciation is a part of our daily culture. Each week, we also highlight standout accomplishments in company-wide roundups, adding context on the problem solved and its impact on our customers and on the business to keep teams aligned and motivated. Twice a month, teams host demos to showcase what they’ve built, answer questions and give the broader organization visibility into work across product and engineering. We also create opportunities to share domain knowledge and ideas through monthly tech talks and biweekly guild meetings. When we reach major milestones, we celebrate together at off-sites, reinforcing momentum, connection and our belief in enjoying the journey while we build.

 

 

Wipfli is an advisory firm that delivers holistic solutions to help clients navigate the modern marketplace, optimize performance and drive growth. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Wipfli, culture is a strategic advantage that directly shapes how we hire and retain talent. Our people-first approach emphasizes clarity, kindness and collaboration. This builds trust and connection into the candidate experience, through every stage of an associate’s career. That means being transparent about expectations, actively listening to feedback and investing time in meaningful performance conversations so employees feel supported.

We see the difference this cultural focus makes in our annual engagement survey. Wipfli consistently shows high levels of associate commitment and clarity about how their work contributes to the firm’s mission, even as we continue growing. Our strong engagement scores — well above industry benchmarks — signal that people want to stay and grow here because they feel valued and trusted.

This culture also broadens our recruiting reach. We intentionally embrace flexible, inclusive work arrangements and foster remote community connections, which expands our talent pool and enables us to compete for top talent regardless of geography.
 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Our culture is defined by a set of core values that guide how we work, hire, lead and grow together. Wipfli’s values are actively woven into our leadership expectations and everyday behaviors. For example, leading with clarity and kindness is something we reinforce across the organization because it helps associates understand not only what we do but why it matters, deepening engagement and a shared sense of purpose.

We also cultivate a culture of continuous learning where feedback is encouraged, diverse perspectives are amplified and people feel empowered to innovate and grow. Our culture strengthens belonging and reflects “The Wipfli Way” in action.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Within teams, recognition often shows up at Wipfli in day-to-day interactions: colleagues and leaders acknowledging professional growth, learning achievements and contributions to major initiatives. Through coaching frameworks and regular dialogue, we recognize the outcomes, but also the intentional behaviors — like collaboration, creativity and living our values — that fuel long-term success.

Moreover, we invest in programs and benefits that acknowledge the wholeness of our people. For example, we have enhanced well-being benefits, developed diverse business resource groups and created leadership development opportunities that celebrate both growth and performance.

 

 

Benchling develops modern software to accelerate modern science. Think of Benchling as your central source of truth for biotech R&D. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

Our mission does a lot of the heavy lifting. We’re working to unlock biotechnology and help bring ten times more life-saving therapies to the world. That attracts a specific kind of person — someone who wants the intellectual challenge of building enterprise software but also wants their work to matter beyond the screen. When your product helps scientists accelerate drug discovery, you don’t have to manufacture meaning.

We also rally around a concept we call “team science.” It’s our way of describing how we work: like a high-performing sports team that believes deeply in what science can do for the world. That framing shapes everything from how we run interviews to how we celebrate wins. It gives candidates a clear picture of what they’re joining and reminds us who we want to be.

Finally, one of our earliest leadership principles is “recruit and develop the best.” It’s not just a hiring mandate — it’s a retention strategy. When you surround talented people with other talented people and invest in their growth, they tend to stay. Excellence attracts excellence.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Curiosity runs through everything here. One of our leadership principles is “stay curious,” and it’s not a poster on the wall — it’s how people actually operate. We’re building for scientists, so asking good questions matters. That shows up in how engineers dig into the biology behind what we’re building, how product teams challenge assumptions and how people treat mistakes as chances to learn rather than something to hide.

We also live by “play for the front of the jersey.” It means the mission comes first — ahead of personal agendas or team politics. In practice, people step up for problems that aren’t technically theirs, share credit generously and make decisions based on what’s best for Benchling and our customers. There’s not a lot of ego here.

And we’re direct with each other. Feedback flows freely because people want the work to be excellent. That kind of honesty only works when there’s trust underneath it — and there is. People know the feedback comes from wanting everyone to succeed.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Twice a year, we run Leadership Principle Awards where anyone in the company can nominate a colleague who’s embodied one of our principles — Stay Curious, Play for the Front of the Jersey and the others. The nominations come from everywhere: peers, cross-functional partners, direct reports nominating their managers. It’s not top-down.

What makes it meaningful is how we share it. At our all-hands, we ask nominators to record a short video explaining why they nominated that person. So it’s not just “congratulations, here’s a trophy” — it’s a colleague telling the whole company, in their own words, what that person did and why it mattered. It puts the winner and their work on stage for a moment.

Winners also get a cash prize, which is a nice way to say thank you. But honestly, the videos are the part people remember. Hearing a teammate describe how you showed up for them — that sticks with you.

 

 

Digible offers digital marketing solutions for the apartment marketing industry.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

Every person we hire needs to align not only with the culture we currently have, but the vision we are building toward. When everyone on the team wears our values and cultures on their sleeve, we attract like-minded people who are motivated by the same things: ownership, accountability and growth. As we grow, we need to ensure culture isn’t just words on the walls of our office but part of every interaction within every level of the organization. This ensures we keep the right people engaged and excited to be a part of the company, even when there are tough days.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

As a company we have five core values, but the two that I think most define our culture day to day are Curiosity and Authenticity.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

One of the things I love about Digible is people are recognized in both big and small ways every day. We have slack channels where people can be recognized by peers and teammates, recognition that happens monthly at our all company meetings and then even at our annual company DigiAwards, we have peer and leader nominated and voted-on awards. I always say marketing is a team sport - and we aren’t successful without the support and teamwork of those next to us and we can’t be shy about calling out great work big and small.

 

 

Yext is a digital presence platform that allows brands to seamlessly deliver consistent, accurate and engaging experiences and meaningfully connect with customers. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Yext, culture isn’t something we talk about once during onboarding, it shows up in how we work every day. That has a direct impact on retention. People stay because they feel trusted, supported and connected to their teams.

A big part of that is growth. We invest in learning, manager enablement and internal mobility so employees can evolve their careers here instead of feeling like they need to leave to level up. We encourage people to stretch, try new things and take ownership of their development.

Belonging matters too. Our ERGs, global community events and strong cross-team collaboration help people build real relationships and feel comfortable bringing their full selves to work.

We’re intentional about protecting what makes Yext special: transparency, connection and a true “one team” mindset. That intentionality starts in recruiting. By being clear about our values and how we work, we attract people who are aligned from the start, which sets the foundation for long-term growth and retention.

When people feel heard, challenged in a healthy way and excited about the impact they’re making, they don’t just join Yext, they grow with it.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

A few behaviors really define Yext’s culture right now: ownership, curiosity and collaboration.

There’s a strong bias toward action. People are encouraged to take initiative, experiment and solve real problems instead of waiting for perfect answers. That mindset shows up especially in how teams approach innovation and AI. Programs like our generative AI accelerator cohort empower employees across functions to test use cases, build workflows and share practical solutions with their teams. It’s less about chasing trends and more about building real capability across the organization.

Another defining behavior is constructive candor. Open feedback is encouraged, ideas are debated respectfully and transparency is valued over hierarchy. That creates better decision-making and stronger trust across teams.

Finally, collaboration is deeply embedded in how we operate. Cross-functional partnerships are the norm, not the exception and people genuinely show up for each other. Together, these behaviors create an environment where employees feel empowered to grow, innovate and make a meaningful impact.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition at Yext is woven into how we communicate and show up for each other, not treated as a once-a-year moment.

One of the biggest ways we celebrate wins is through our internal newsletters like Yext Insider and News You Can Use, which highlight employee achievements, team milestones, product launches and company-wide successes. It’s a consistent way to make great work visible and help teams feel connected to what’s happening across the business.

Our company town halls also play a major role. Through our people celebrations segment, we recognize new hires, anniversaries, promotions and internal moves, giving space to celebrate growth and career milestones in real time. We also spotlight teams and individuals who made meaningful contributions and drove impact for customers and the business.

On a day-to-day level, our #announce-kudos Slack channel keeps appreciation flowing. Teammates regularly recognize colleagues who went above and beyond or supported others in impactful ways.

Many teams also run their own recognition programs and peer shoutouts, which makes celebrating wins feel authentic and tailored to each team.

 

 

Qualtrics is an information tech company whose platform serves as a single system of record for companies to track all experience data, managing customer, product, employee and brand experiences.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Qualtrics, our culture isn’t just a set of rules, it is how we show up for each other every day. We believe when people feel seen, valued and connected to a purpose bigger than themselves, they don’t just join a company, they join a community. As we grow, we empower our people to be caretakers of our culture. By living our TACOS and focusing on our mission to improve the human experience, we create a space where belonging is default, not an afterthought. We don’t just ask for feedback; we act on it through initiatives like XM Day and our resource groups, ensuring our team knows their voices actually shape our future. When people feel that level of investment, they don’t just stay, they thrive. That’s how we grow, by attracting people who care as much about our culture as we do.

 

We see these values in action every day, from our employee resource group initiatives to the way we recognize each other’s wins. This shared commitment to our values is what truly defines us and makes this such a meaningful place to work.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition at Qualtrics is not about making sure no win big or small goes unnoticed. One of my favorite traditions is our annual TACOS Awards. It’s an absolute highlight because it’s entirely peer-nominated; there is something incredibly powerful about being recognized by the people who work beside you every day for truly embodying our values and driving meaningful business outcomes. But we don’t wait for an annual event to show gratitude. We’ve built a culture of ‘continuous celebration’ through peer recognition programs and team gatherings where we pause to say thank you. Our employee resource groups also play a massive role, creating spaces where we celebrate our diverse backgrounds and unique contributions. Even on our annual XM Day, when we’re out volunteering in our communities, the focus is on celebrating our shared impact. All of these moments build the bonds that make us a true community. We want every person here to know that their work matters and that they are appreciated.

 

 

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How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

We are always looking for new ways to hire and find the right candidates, whether that be with virtual or in-person job seminars or visiting local universities. We are expanding into different markets yearly, allowing for potential new positions varying on different levels and departments. 

Our culture influences retention through performance reviews, 401(K) sharing, updated policies to fit the team as we grow (flexible scheduling, team lunches, paid for breakfast/snacks/coffee), team bonding, holiday parties, birthday and anniversary celebrations. Employees have the ability to move between projects and teams within the company, giving them the freedom to choose what they would want to be a part of. We appreciate all learning curves and provide classes and online courses to help bring employees up to speed with anything that could help them move forward in a project or in their career.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

It’s OK to make mistakes or fail. My CEO would rather a project fail or not do as well as it was projected to do than for employees to never take the risk to begin with. This has helped employees take ownership and accountability while also being open to feedback. Our flat structure encourages open information-sharing across teams, creating a collaborative, silo-free way of working.

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

We recognize contributions in a few ways, such as through our Slack channels or during our weekly company-wide meetings. We also take employees out to lunch for birthdays and celebrate the team’s end of the year with a company dinner.

 

 

Rula is a mental healthcare tech company. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

At Rula, we’ve learned that company culture is symbiotic. The workplace attracts and retains top talent and those employees become the reinforcing function of a positive company culture. Our culture directly influences hiring and retention in several concrete ways.

Values-based hiring: Our core values have become an integral part of how we recruit, hire and onboard new employees. We actively evaluate whether candidates align with the behaviors and principles that define who we are as an organization and don’t just assess them on skills and experience.

Culture committee integration: We’ve established a culture committee made up of top performers who serve one-year terms as culture ambassadors. By rotating high-performing employees through this committee, we’ve created an ever-expanding group of “insiders” who are bought into our core values and actively work to reinforce them. This creates a powerful retention mechanism with these employees becoming more engaged and providing valuable insight into employee sentiment.

 

What values or behaviors most define your company culture today?

Our core values were developed through a rigorous, bottoms-up process that involved brainstorming workshops throughout the company. We gave employees a chance to offer their perspectives on what’s important to them, what makes us special and what behaviors we want to reinforce. The culture committee and executive leadership team then synthesized these insights into our consolidated values. The core values that emerged from all of that work are something we are genuinely proud of: Take Big Swings, Keep It Real, Handle With Care and Make It Happen.

What makes our values authentic is that they’re not aspirational statements on a wall; they’re the actual behaviors we reinforce through how we recognize and reward our employees. Our core values guide all the critical relationships and activities in the company — how we treat our patients, providers and each other; how we use our resources; and the priorities we set when making tough decisions.

We believe in living our values and recognition is central to making this happen. We’ve built multiple programs to acknowledge and celebrate behaviors that reinforce the culture we’re building.

 

In a fully remote, dispersed workforce, these recognition moments create connection and shared purpose.

 

 

Adswerve is an award-winning data, media and tech consultancy and a leading Google and Adobe partner that helps brands and agencies think beyond clicks and conversions to unlock new opportunities for growth. 

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

Inclusive hiring practices, where every team member feels seen, heard and valued. Our pillars are Guide, Genuine, Giving, Gritty and Groundbreaking. We know that candidates are looking for companies with a good culture.

As we scale, our culture serves as the primary engine for both attracting top talent and fostering long-term loyalty. We recognize that today’s candidates seek more than just a position; they want an environment where they are truly seen, heard and valued. This begins with our commitment to inclusive hiring, rooted in being Genuine — where we remain secure in our uniqueness and welcome diverse perspectives with kindness. Once on board, our retention strategy is fueled by our Giving nature, where a generous, “sharing is caring” philosophy forms the foundation of our excellence. We empower our team membe rs to be Groundbreaking learners who push boundaries and to act as a Guide for our clients, transforming insights into remarkable outcomes. By hiring for Gritty individuals who own every challenge and create their own paths, we ensure that as we grow, we remain a community of trusted partners and caring teammates who are as resolute in our culture as we are in our success.

 

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Pillar awards. Team members nominate each other for their efforts and the leadership team votes on the five winners that best represent our pillars based on the nominations.

The winners are recognized during our company-wide all-hands, where not only their work and role are highlighted, but the impact they had on the business and the people they collaborated with. 

Our recognition process is designed to be a direct reflection of our pillars in action, ensuring that every team member feels seen and valued by both their peers and leadership. At the heart of this is our pillar awards, a peer-driven nomination process where team members highlight those who have gone above and beyond to embody our values. Whether someone displayed a Gritty resolve to overcome a complex obstacle or acted as a Genuine and kind team member during a difficult project, these contributions are captured and shared.

Once nominations are submitted, our leadership team reviews the entries to select five winners who most powerfully represent our core pillars. These individuals are then celebrated during our monthly company all-hands meeting. This isn’t just a brief shout-out; we take the time to deeply highlight their specific role and the Groundbreaking work they’ve accomplished. More importantly, we share the tangible impact their efforts had on the business and the people they collaborated with. By connecting a person’s individual Grit or Giving spirit to the success of the entire team, we reinforce that every contribution is a vital part of our collective path forward.

 

 

Distributed across more than 160 data centers globally, the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform combined with advanced AI combats billions of cyber threats and policy violations every day and unlocks productivity gains for modern enterprises by reducing costs and complexity.

 

How does your culture influence hiring and retention as you grow?

We’re very deliberate about how we foster our culture. At Zscaler, culture means defining what success looks like through our daily behaviors and making sure it’s reflected in our work processes and practices. If we’re doing it right, candidates should experience our culture not only as content on our website, but through the interview and onboarding process and everything that comes after. Culture certainly influences who we welcome into our organization, but our people also influence our culture — it’s a two-way street. We study our best leaders and high performers to understand what makes them successful so we can replicate that in our culture.

 

 

Can you share an example of how your team recognizes or celebrates one another’s contributions?

Recognition is one of our cultural tenets — when people feel valued and appreciated, that’s one of the hallmarks of a successful culture. Whether it’s from a leader to their team or from peer to peer, we celebrate contributions and impact through formal channels like our internal recognition portal, monetary spot bonuses and work anniversary moments. We also encourage informal, organic recognition every day through verbal thanks, Slack shoutouts and more. Recently we updated our manager toolkit with a menu of options to show gratitude, including customizable graphics that can be posted on LinkedIn. This blend of recognition approaches ensures that gratitude remains integral to our culture and the employee experience at Zscaler.