Building a Family-Friendly Culture at CarGurus

When CarGurus CEO Jason Trevisan meets with leaders of the Parents@CarGurus ERG, the employee resource group for which he is an executive sponsor, he isn’t just bridging the gap between the ERG’s members and company leaders. Trevisan, too, is a parent, and he comes to each meeting with the same questions: “How can I best support you?” and “how can we make CarGurus the best tech company for parents in Boston?”

Since Parents@CarGurus was formed in 2019, the answers to that question have blossomed into a strong community and an array of resources to support the ERG’s members.

“CarGurus’ mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. For employees, this includes both in their careers and outside of work. This community definitely does that by helping us be our best,” said Director of Account Management and ERG leader Geoffrey Arruda.

For Arruda, the commitment to giving employees space to prioritize their families while excelling in their careers is clear from the highest levels of the company, including executive sponsor and CEO Trevisan and extending to the entire leadership team.

“There’s a strong push for work-life balance and an understanding that family comes first,” he said. “Our leadership lives this themselves. They definitely practice what they preach.”

Product Integrity Specialist Kari Quinn sees support for parents extend beyond the boundaries of the ERG. “While I happen to be the only person on my immediate team with small kids, everyone is understanding around scheduling. It’s an accepting environment from the top down,” she said.

As an early member and incoming ERG leader, Quinn has seen the group adapt in response to changing circumstances for families on a much wider scale than just those within the CarGurus team.

“The group was an invaluable resource during the pandemic, when there was so much uncertainty around schooling for kids and how to keep everyone busy and healthy,” she said. “And in 2022, the community also came together during a baby formula shortage and created a ‘Formula Finders’ Slack channel so we could alert one another to availability in different areas around Boston.”

Parents@CarGurus also started a “Parents Exchange” Slack channel inspired by neighborhood “buy nothing” groups — allowing families to help each other and the environment, too. The ERG doesn’t only support parents internally, either. Each year, the group comes together to support a back-to-school backpack drive, collecting backpacks filled with school supplies to distribute to kids across the Boston area.

In addition to providing support during times of need, Parents@CarGurus is also a space for connecting day to day. Drawing from across different teams, levels and tenures, the ERG community enables members to connect with people they may not otherwise engage with every day.

“It’s a vibrant community of parents who embrace the opportunity to swap stories, tips and laughs about the unique challenges of parenthood,” Arruda said. “We celebrate wins together and are there during more challenging times, too.”

That lively and connected atmosphere is a reflection of CarGurus’ larger company culture, as well. Recently, that positive approach helped keep spirits high for parents home on a Boston-area snow day that ended up being a bust for precipitation.

“Many of us had kids at home who were disappointed and bored because they couldn’t go out and play in the snow. There was a lot of good-natured commiserating that day,” Quinn said. “CarGurus is a fun place to work and you can feel that spirit through our ERG.”

When Order to Cash Manager Mony Gonzalez recently joined CarGurus, Parents@CarGurus was her introduction to participating in an ERG of any kind, much less one dedicated to her role as a parent balancing work and family.

“It was refreshing and comforting,” she recalled of her experience joining the ERG. “Connection is truly the thread. Our dialogue is not limited to discussing kids. We also get into how we as working parents can show up for each other and CarGurus and manage all of our responsibilities.”
 

“Our dialogue is not limited to discussing kids. We also get into how we as working parents can show up for each other and CarGurus.”

“It was so impactful for my kids to see where I spend the time when I’m not with them and the great people I’m spending it with,” Quinn said.

“Being in our office left a huge impression on my daughter, Avery,” Gonzalez agreed. “She always asks when she can come back.”

For Arruda, Bring a Kid to Work Day wasn’t just an opportunity for him to enjoy a day with his toddler son at the office — it was a chance for Arruda to share his whole self with his colleagues.

“I’m an employee at work and a dad at home," he said. “There’s a great picture of my son sitting with me at my desk playing with my keyboard. I’m clearly so happy because that was the ‘full me.’”

Celebrating the whole person means that many Parents@CarGurus members are active in other CarGurus ERGs.

“We are a highly inclusive group and our members represent many different perspectives and types of families,” Arruda said. “It’s important to us that everyone is heard.”

“We are very intersectional,” Quinn agreed. 

She also noted how that intersectionality has pushed the ERG to influence the company’s benefits offerings and policies. 

“Our parental leave and gradual return policies for birthing parents were already great, and our feedback led to CarGurus expanding them for non-birthing parents as well. It also grew our partnership with Carrot Fertility, which provides adoption, fertility and other family-forming support,” she said. 

As CarGurus continues to prioritize the needs of its employees, the Parents@CarGurus ERG remains committed to enhancing its support and programming. Arruda emphasizes the importance of ongoing communication and feedback from members to ensure that the ERG remains responsive to the evolving needs of its community.

By prioritizing the needs of its employees and embracing the values of community and support, CarGurus is not just building a successful business — it’s creating a workplace where every parent feels valued, supported and empowered to succeed.