Trust should be granted, not earned.
Take PrizePicks Recruiting and Onboarding Coordinator Shelly Duren. In less than a year with the company, she revamped the company’s onboarding process — and then some.
The notion that trust must be earned can delay progress. While some companies prioritize months of meticulous new hire training, those that lean into a new employee’s potential end up ahead of the curve.
Duren’s journey with PrizePicks started with identifying key areas in the new employee experience that could be enhanced. Her goal was to turn the company’s existing one-hour, virtual orientation into something warmer. What resulted was just that: an experience that was not only in depth, but on site at the company’s headquarters in Atlanta.
WHAT DOES PRIZEPICKS DO?
Founded and headquartered in Atlanta, GA, PrizePicks is a fun, fast and simple version of daily fantasy sports, covering a wide variety of sports leagues from the NFL and NBA to esports titles League of Legends & Counter-Strike.
“I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve created,” Duren explained, “while continuing to put the employee experience first.”
Companies should plan carefully before becoming entirely laissez-faire, but if new employees are trusted to hit the ground running, chances are they won’t be disappointed.
That’s the philosophy at PrizePicks.
What was the onboarding process like for you?
The onboarding process at PrizePicks was efficient and welcoming. I enjoyed learning about our core values while providing input regarding culture and processes. I felt heard and my opinions were respected, which was so refreshing and helped to build my confidence in a new role from day one.
What pleasantly surprised you after you joined?
Having come from a fully remote company, the culture here has been such a pleasant surprise. Everyone has their opinions on working from home versus working in office, but PrizePicks has created an office culture that is so welcoming and relaxed while still efficient.
Since being hired, I’ve also had the opportunity to participate in two of our AllPack sessions, for which the whole company gets together at our headquarters in Atlanta for a few days of intense collaboration, breakout sessions and more fun than I've ever had at any other company. All these factors combined have made my experience here stellar.
When did you know you made the right choice to join your company?
I knew that I had made the right decision when I started going to sleep on Sunday evenings excited for the work week ahead. I know that the work I do is impactful and appreciated and it helps keep the cogs in the giant machine that is PrizePicks running.
“I knew that I had made the right decision when I started going to sleep on Sunday evenings excited for the work week ahead.”
What aspect of your professional growth are you most excited to evolve?
PrizePicks is big on feedback and keeping a pulse on how we’re doing day to day so there are no major surprises when performance reviews come around. It’s refreshing to know where I stand and to be able to give and receive feedback, both upwards and laterally. I am excited to continue my career at a company where I have been trusted to completely revamp onboarding, and I look forward to taking on more responsibility as it relates to enhancing the employee experience.
