At Built In, job satisfaction is rooted in meaningful work, flexible schedules, and supportive leadership that values trust and transparency. Employees connect their day-to-day impact to the company’s mission of empowering humans to build the future. Managers reinforce this through regular feedback, recognition, and semi-annual performance reviews focused on growth and collaboration.

Built In also supports well-being with Flexible Paid Time Off, Half-Day Fridays, quarterly Wellness Days, and an annual Recharge Week, along with a Lifestyle Stipend and comprehensive health and mental-wellness benefits. Leadership maintains open communication through an Open Door Policy, Whistleblower protections, and company values centered on inclusion, curiosity, humility, and ownership. These practices work together to create a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and motivated to do their best work.

Employee Perspective
 “I'm honored to foster a community where challenges are shared, solutions are found, and support is abundant.” — Sandhya Hemakumar, Senior Manager, Quality Engineering (2025)

At-a-Glance

• Primary satisfaction drivers: Meaningful work, flexibility, leadership transparency
• Core benefits: Flexible PTO, Half-Day Fridays, quarterly Wellness Days, Lifestyle Stipend
• Feedback rhythm: Semi-annual reviews + ongoing one-on-ones (2025)
• Survey insight: Employees cite recognition, balance, and purpose as key motivators (2025 internal survey)
   

External Signals (2025): ~72% recommend working at Built In (Glassdoor); executive team ≈ 80/100 (Comparably).

Learn more about Built In’s people-first culture in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

In 2025, Built In’s internal engagement data shows strong employee satisfaction and pride in recommending the company as a great place to work. Built In holds an employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) of +48, with 70 percent of employees identifying as promoters. Team members cite a supportive culture, strong career growth, flexibility that makes work sustainable, and a meaningful, mission-driven purpose as the top reasons they would recommend Built In.

Internal surveys conducted in October 2025 found that 86 percent of employees describe their work environment as positive and 82 percent feel clear alignment with company goals and strategy. This reflects a culture where people feel respected, supported, and empowered to grow. External data aggregated from independent employee-review platforms (e.g., Glassdoor, Comparably) as of 2025 shows similar sentiment, reinforcing that employees view Built In as a workplace worth recommending.

Built In achieved high offer-acceptance rates from referrals, demonstrating that employees see this as a place worth joining, with strong confidence in the employee experience and loyalty that translates into word-of-mouth recommendations. Recommendation data is bolstered by positive reviews on third-party sites, recognition in Built In’s own Best Places to Work awards, and external coverage highlighting Built In’s culture, flexibility, and mission-driven approach.

While some employees previously raised concerns about workload and growth paths, leadership introduced clearer career pathways and expanded flexibility programs in late 2022, which has helped stabilize engagement scores and reassure employees that Built In remains a company worth recommending to a friend.

Employee Perspective

“We've built up such a supportive, collaborative, hard-working group of people, and it's a joy to be able to work with and learn from them every day.”
 — Ellen Glover, Senior Associate Editor (2025)

At-a-Glance

• eNPS: +48 (70% promoters, Oct 2025 internal survey)
• Positive environment: 86% agree (2025 internal survey)
• Goal alignment: 82% agree (2025 internal survey)
• External recommendation rate: ≈ 70–72% (aggregated review data, 2025)
   

Learn more about Built In’s culture and flexibility in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance and explore our Benefits and Perks.

Built In is recognized as an innovator and employer of choice, known for its supportive culture, comprehensive benefits, and mission-driven work. As of October 2025, internal and external data reflect a consistently strong reputation: Built In maintains an overall workplace rating around 3.9–4.2 / 5 and receives B+ to A− grades for culture, management, and professional development.

On independent employee-review platforms, Built In ranks in the top 25% of similarly sized companies, with standout scores across key categories — CEO A+, Perks & Benefits A+, Compensation A+, Happiness A−, Professional Development B+, and Management B+. Collectively, these scores reflect strong employee confidence and broad validation of the company’s culture and leadership.

Built In’s reputation extends beyond review platforms. The company was named one of the Best Places to Work (2025) for its people-first culture, DEI initiatives, and commitment to balance. Leadership reinforces this reputation by investing in workplace experience, improving capacity planning and career paths, and responding directly to feedback. High offer-acceptance rates from referrals also demonstrate loyalty and word-of-mouth advocacy among current employees.

While some reviews have raised concerns about workloads and clarity around career paths, leadership introduced role balancing, capacity planning initiatives, and clarified career pathways in mid-2023, which have helped stabilize external ratings, improved internal confidence, and reinforced the company’s reputation in the market.

External Signals (2025): Independent employee-review platforms (e.g., Glassdoor, Comparably) report above-average ratings for leadership, culture, and flexibility — closely aligned with Built In’s internal engagement results.

Employee Perspective

“What I love most about Built In is the people. I always feel so supported by my leadership, manager and peers.”
 — Cali Anderson, Former Account Manager (2025)

At-a-Glance

• Overall rating: ≈ 3.9–4.2 / 5 (aggregated review data, 2025)
• Culture & Manager scores: B+ to A− range (2025)
• Category leaders: CEO A+, Perks & Benefits A+, Compensation A+, Happiness A−, Professional Development B+, Management B+
• eNPS: +48 with 70% promoters (Oct 2025 internal survey)
• Best Places to Work award: 2025 recipient
• Employee loyalty: High referral acceptance rates (2025 internal data)
• Leadership focus: Transparent communication, career path clarity, capacity planning initiatives (2023–2025)
  
   

Explore more about Built In’s culture in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection and Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

At Built In, one tradeoff employees experience is the fast-paced, high-growth environment that comes with working at an evolving tech company. About 42 percent of employees (2025 internal survey) report occasionally taking on responsibilities outside their core role — a reflection of Built In’s lean, high-ownership culture and startup mindset. Employees describe this as both challenging and rewarding, offering opportunities to broaden skills and collaborate across teams.

Former Staff Writer Alton Zenon III explained, “Change is frequent as we scale, and you have to get used to things shifting — like goals, tools, and processes. This change creates opportunities for professional growth, and each development introduces the chance to learn a skill or take on more responsibility.”

Leadership works to balance this tradeoff through regular manager check-ins, semi-annual performance conversations, and structured workload reviews that help ensure sustainability. Well-being programs such as Flexible Paid Time Off, Quarterly Wellness Days, and Half-Day Fridays reinforce recovery and help employees recharge.

The tradeoff is offset by major strengths, including strong alignment with Built In’s mission (83% favorable, 2025), visible leadership accessibility, and clear opportunities for internal mobility. Former Software Engineer Carly Gundy shared, “Built In has been very supportive of our career development. When I expressed that I was interested in expanding more into software engineering, I was given the opportunity to join a new team.”

Built In recruiters surface these realities early in candidate conversations, managers revisit them in one-on-ones, and leaders discuss them transparently in companywide meetings — ensuring employees feel informed, respected, and prepared rather than surprised.

At-a-Glance

• Workload ownership: ~42% take on cross-functional responsibilities (2025 internal survey)
• Mission alignment: 83% favorable (2025 internal survey)
• Sustainability practices: Flexible Paid Time Off, Quarterly Wellness Days, Half-Day Fridays
• Manager support: Regular check-ins + semi-annual reviews
• Growth culture: High visibility, internal mobility, leadership accessibility
   

Learn more about how Built In supports employee well-being and sustainable performance in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance and Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection.

Built In employees describe the culture as collaborative, mission-driven, inclusive, and transparent (2025 internal survey). The company’s values — Be Inclusive, Lead with Solutions, Be Unreasonably Passionate, Own the Result, Stay Curious, and Do More — are embedded in daily interactions and decision-making.

Employees point to employee resource groups (ERGs), company rituals such as Recharge Week and Half-Day Fridays, value-based recognition programs, and informal team bonding as proof that culture is lived, not just stated. Many highlight a strong sense of connection and shared purpose, where smart, kind, and driven people work together to shape the future of tech recruitment and employer branding.

Leadership reinforces openness and belonging by discussing company values during all-hands meetings, maintaining transparent communication channels, and funding programs that promote inclusion, well-being, and connection across teams.

External data support these signals — as favorability scores show high marks for team relationships and a rating of ~87% for gender representation (Comparably), and Built In’s culture is further recognized through inclusion in Best Places to Work awards for flexibility, engagement, and leadership values.

Employee Perspective

Employees consistently highlight open communication, approachable leadership, and a workplace that feels personal rather than transactional.

“Folks on the content team really do encourage each other; we share our knowledge and make a point to learn from one another,” said Taylor Rose, Staff Writer (2025).

At-a-Glance

• Culture traits: Collaborative, mission-driven, inclusive, transparent
• Core rituals: Recharge Week, Half-Day Fridays, ERGs, value-based recognition

• Leadership style: Approachable, open communication, values-led

   

External Signals (2025)

~72 % of reviewers would recommend working at Built In (Glassdoor); overall rating ~3.9 / 5; outlook ~83 / 100 (Comparably). Built In is also featured on Best Places to Work lists recognizing flexibility and people-first culture.

Learn more about Built In’s people-first culture in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance

Built In employees describe collaboration as cross-functional, open, agile, and supportive (2025 internal survey). The company’s culture emphasizes autonomy balanced with empathy and transparency, where teams work together toward a shared mission of connecting the tech community.

According to the Employee Handbook (effective April 14, 2025), collaboration is embedded in Built In’s hybrid model — known internally as Flex Mode — which combines in-office teamwork in Chicago with virtual coordination across remote geographies. Employees leverage shared tools like Slack, Asana, and Jira, and participate in rituals such as retros, cross-team standups, and structured feedback forums to ensure alignment and fast decision-making.

Teams across Product, Tech, Content, Sales, Marketing, and Operations regularly partner to deliver seamless client and product outcomes. Leadership strives to create space for people to work autonomously, but they’re the first to step in, with empathy, and provide support when needed. This approach encourages innovation without silos and reinforces a culture of mutual accountability.

Employee Perspective

Employees consistently highlight clear ownership structures, openness across departments, and norms around asynchronous versus synchronous work that enable effective collaboration.

• “Built In has given me the opportunity to work in multiple functions and on various cross-functional projects,” added Leeah Freeark, Product Manager (2025). “These roles have given me a multi-faceted perspective on our product and led me toward my ideal career path.”
• “It’s pretty remarkable to experience an entire company operating as one team,” said a Growth Team member (2025). “At Built In, we tackle problems and achieve goals together, sharing in the responsibility of successes and downfalls alike.”
• “The team culture is collaborative. Everyone works together to help each other succeed… everyone’s focus is not just on their own output but also on the team’s success,” shared a former Sales Team member.

At-a-Glance

• Collaboration style: Cross-functional, transparent, and empathy-led
• Hybrid model: Flex Mode (in-office in Chicago + remote collaboration elsewhere)
• Core tools: Slack, Asana, Jira, retros, cross-team standups
• Cultural anchors: Autonomy, accountability, and shared mission alignment

External Signals (2025)

On review sites, employees describe Built In as “a company that truly operates as one team,” praising leaders who “empower people to collaborate with empathy and transparency” (Glassdoor). Built In employees rate their manager 87/100, earning a B+ in external reviews for their support and collaboration (Comparably 2025). 

Learn more about how Built In leadership fosters a collaborative culture in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection. And how collaboration spurred Built In’s growth in Built In Growth: How the Company Went From Local Job Sites to an International Tech Hub. 

Built In employees report that recognition is authentic, frequent, and values-driven, reflecting a culture where appreciation is both public and personal (2025 internal survey). Recognition at Built In occurs through company-wide celebrations, digital platforms, and day-to-day acknowledgment from peers and managers.

At monthly All Hands meetings, employees who exemplify Built In’s core values — Be Inclusive, Lead with Solutions, Be Unreasonably Passionate, Own the Result, Stay Curious, Do More — are spotlighted in front of the company. Ongoing appreciation happens in the #celebration Slack channel, where team members celebrate wins, anniversaries, new hires, and personal milestones like weddings and baby showers.

Employees also highlight small, meaningful moments of appreciation — a manager calling out great work in a meeting or a cross-departmental thank-you that makes contributions visible beyond immediate teams. These gestures make recognition feel genuine rather than performative, reinforcing Built In’s culture of authenticity, transparency, and shared success.

Leadership further embeds recognition into performance review cycles and team rituals, ensuring strong work is acknowledged for its real impact, not ceremony. Recognition is viewed as a key part of alignment, motivation, and company-wide connection.

Employee Perspective

Employees describe Built In as a place where people celebrate one another’s wins and leaders make recognition personal and consistent.

At-a-Glance

• Recognition formats: All Hands spotlights, #celebration Slack channel, peer shoutouts
• Values focus: Monthly recognition tied to Built In’s six core values
• Manager practice: Frequent acknowledgment in team meetings and performance reviews
• Culture drivers: Authenticity, transparency, shared success

External Signals (2025)

Employees on review sites praise “leaders who make recognition personal and consistent” and describe a culture that celebrates wins across teams (Glassdoor 2025). About 87 percent of employees also rate the workplace as positive (Comparably 2025). 

Read more about how Built In leaders foster an authentic culture in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection.

We value diversity, it’s core to how we lead and how we build. Today, about 70% of our leadership team identifies as female, 60% of our managers do as well, and roughly 20% of our team identifies as people of color. Built In is also female-founded and led.

At the same time, we recognize the work is far from finished. Diversity isn’t evenly represented across every function or level. Senior technical and product roles, in particular, remain an area where we want to see stronger representation. While we’ve made progress over the past few years, sustaining and accelerating it requires structural effort—from how we source and develop talent to how we promote and retain it.

Our goal is clear: ensure leadership at every level reflects the diversity of our broader team and the communities we serve.

Built In offers a structured yet flexible framework for advancement. Employees are eligible for promotion based on performance and evolving business needs, supported by bi-annual compensation reviews that align pay and progression with market benchmarks. In 2022, Built In introduced company-wide Career Paths to formalize growth expectations and provide transparent pathways for development. The company emphasizes promoting from within, half of its current leadership team began as individual contributors before stepping into management roles.

Built In operates in a high-velocity, scaling environment where roles evolve quickly and cross-functional opportunities emerge often. Teams are intentionally compact, allowing employees to broaden their scope, take on new challenges, and deepen their expertise. With a median leadership tenure of over four years, the company combines stability with continual upward mobility and growth.

Employee perspectives: Employees consistently highlight Built In’s culture of growth and mentorship, citing leaders who invest in personal development, celebrate hard work, and create visibility for emerging talent. Many describe an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration that enables people to expand their roles as the company scales.

Built In supports continuous learning in a number of deliberate, structured ways. Every employee receives a $250 annual Lifestyle reimbursement that can be used toward continued education or professional development — supporting personal growth on an ongoing basis. This stipend complements formal learning initiatives such as lunchtime learning sessions, in-hour education opportunities, and stretch assignments across teams.

Career development is woven into how the company operates. Built In maintains Human Development Plans with all employees and reinforces goal-setting through regular 1:1s, feedback cycles, and coaching conversations. The company combines transparent roadmaps and cross-functional exposure so employees can take on new domains and responsibilities while being supported in growing skill sets.

Employee perspectives: Many team members emphasize the culture of learning and peer support. One engineer shared, “I feel empowered … engineers are encouraged to improve our tech stack … I am constantly learning and growing professionally.” Others observe that Built In “operates as one team,” celebrating one another’s wins and elevating professional growth across roles.

Built In provides a thoughtful structure of mentorship and coaching anchored in the manager–employee relationship. Every employee is paired with a manager who meets regularly through consistent 1:1s to discuss performance, challenges, aspirations, and course-correct in real time. The company also maintains a Human Development Plan for each employee, which helps structure individualized growth goals and clear next steps for professional development. 

Managers at Built In are expected to act as coaches, guiding through feedback cycles, supporting stretch assignments, and helping team members step into new domains. They leverage regular performance reviews (conducted biannually) to align on development priorities and to explore promotion or cross-functional movement. 

Employee perspectives:  internal voices emphasize a culture where leaders are approachable and invested in growth. One engineer reports feeling “empowered … constantly learning and growing professionally,” which suggests that managers and peers play active roles in enabling that development.

Built In employees report strong confidence in the company’s compensation practices and performance-based rewards (2022 internal compensation survey). In its 2024 year-end compensation review, Built In delivered average base salary increases of approximately 5%, positioning median total compensation near the industry midpoint to ensure fair and market-aligned pay.

Earlier internal compensation surveys (2022) showed that 80% of employees were satisfied with compensation, and 60% rated pay as above industry average, reflecting competitive pay relative to peers and transparent, results-based rewards.

Eligible employees receive annual bonuses, with payouts reaching up to 120% of target in high-performing years, underscoring both goal achievability and the fairness of incentive structures.

Leadership reinforces this framework by benchmarking salaries against industry data sources such as Pave and Repvue, conducting semiannual compensation reviews, and integrating market analysis with performance evaluations to determine salary adjustments and bonus multipliers. Built In also publishes clear guidelines outlining salary bands and bonus criteria, ensuring employees understand how pay decisions are made and what drives outcomes.

Employee Perspective

Employees report confidence that pay is market-competitive, trust that bonuses reflect company and team performance, and recognition that compensation scales directly with results.

“Our leaders invest in our growth and make sure we’re rewarded for improving our craft and delivering results,” said Alton Zenon III, former staff writer (2022).

At-a-Glance

• Average annual base increase: ~5 % (2024 year-end review)
• Median total compensation: Near industry median
• Bonus range: Up to 120% of target in strong performance years

Built In employees report high satisfaction with the company’s comprehensive benefits and holistic approach to well-being (2025 internal survey). The company’s programs combine competitive healthcare coverage, meaningful paid time off, retirement support, and everyday perks that enhance life at and outside of work.

According to the Employee Handbook (effective April 14, 2025):

• Built In covers 70% of employee health insurance premiums and offers PPO and HSA plans through BlueCross BlueShield, plus dental and vision coverage through Guardian.
• Employees enrolled in the HSA plan receive an annual Built In contribution of $500 (individual) or $1,000 (family).
• The 401(k) plan includes a 50% match on the first 2% of contributions (up to a 1% match), with eligibility beginning after 90 days.
• Built In provides Flexible Paid Time Off (no accrual limits), 12 paid company holidays, and four floating holidays for cultural, volunteer, or personal use, along with a fully paid summer Recharge Week.
• Paid Parental Leave includes up to 14 weeks for primary caregivers and 6 weeks for secondary caregivers, depending on tenure.
• Other benefits include a $250 annual wellness and lifestyle stipend, commuter benefits (up to $315/month, pre-tax), pet insurance, cell phone reimbursement, technology stipends for remote work, and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Built In’s culture complements these benefits with Half-Day Fridays, quarterly Wellness Days, and annual team offsites, reinforcing its belief that rest, connection, and renewal are essential to sustainable performance.

Employee Perspective

Employees consistently describe Built In’s benefits as comprehensive, easy to use, and transparent, noting smooth enrollment, responsive People Team support, and flexibility in stipends. Internal survey data (2022) show that 80% of employees were satisfied with benefits, and 65% rated Built In’s perks as better than industry average, reflecting trust in leadership’s focus on employee well-being.

At-a-Glance

• Health coverage: 70% employer-paid (BlueCross BlueShield + Guardian)
• Retirement: 401(k) match: 50% on first 2% of contributions (eligibility after 90 days)
• Time off: Flexible PTO; 12 holidays + 4 floating days + Recharge Week
• Parental leave: Up to 14 weeks (primary) / 6 weeks (secondary)
• Additional perks: $250 wellness stipend, commuter + pet insurance, tech stipends, 24/7 EAP

Learn more about how Built In supports its employees with work-life balance benefits in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

Built In employees report they would recommend working here thanks to a culture that treats work-life balance as a performance enabler, not a perk (2025 internal survey). The company sets clear norms for sustainable workloads and reasonable working hours, emphasizing outcomes over optics.

Core business hours are 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m., with year-round Half-Day Fridays that let employees end the week at 12:30 p.m, according to the Employee Handbook (updated April 2025). Full-time employees also benefit from Flexible Paid Time Off, quarterly Wellness Days, and an annual Recharge Week, ensuring everyone can fully disconnect and rest.

Flexibility is built into the culture — especially for parents — allowing employees to step away for school pickups, sick days, or other family needs without stigma. Managers reinforce boundaries, model full PTO use, and maintain predictable workloads through regular check-ins and clear prioritization.

Employee Perspective

“As we continue to navigate the future of work, flexibility has been one of the best parts of working here,” said one employee in an October 2025 survey.

Built In’s approach results in a workplace that values high output and human sustainability, where balance is modeled and normalized across teams rather than managed top-down.
 

At-a-Glance

• Average weekly hours: 40 (2025 internal survey)
• Flex access: Company-wide hybrid + remote mix
• Recovery rituals: Recharge Week, Wellness Days, Half-Day Fridays

Learn more about how Built In supports a flexible work-life balance in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

Built In employees report near-universal access to flexible scheduling under a hybrid and remote model (2025 internal survey). The company focuses on outcomes, not optics, empowering people to manage where and when they work as long as performance and collaboration remain strong.

The Employee Handbook (effective April 14 2025) outlines Built In’s approach to hybrid work:

• Roles that are not fully remote include regular in-office time for collaboration, typically two to three days per week.
• Remote or telecommuting arrangements require manager and leadership approval, and must meet all performance and communication expectations.
• The policy reinforces that working remotely is a trust-based privilege, not a guarantee, and Built In may adjust arrangements as business needs evolve.

This framework supports retention, satisfaction, and balance between work and personal life, giving employees the autonomy to design how they work best.

Employee Perspective

Employees highlight manager-approved remote days, autonomous schedule adjustments, and intentional in-person collaboration as evidence that flexibility is genuinely lived, not just offered.

“The flexible work environment makes it possible to manage work and life in a sustainable way,” shared one employee (2025 survey).

Leaders reinforce this trust-based model by publishing clear hybrid guidelines, equipping teams with distributed-work tools, and training managers to sustain flexibility through accountability and respect for individual needs.

At-a-Glance

• Flex access: 100% company-wide (2025 internal survey)
• Typical hybrid rhythm: 2–3 in-office days per week
• Model type: Hybrid + fully remote roles
• Approach: Trust-based; focus on outcomes over optics

Read more about how Built In creates a flexible work culture in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

Built In employees report strong satisfaction with the company’s wellness benefits and culture of care (2025 internal survey). The company invests in comprehensive mental health and well-being programs designed to make support accessible to all employees and their dependents.

Built In offers a 24/7 confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that provides counseling for stress, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, and workplace issues. Employees also receive behavioral health coverage through BlueCross BlueShield, with both in-person and virtual access to licensed mental health professionals, plus telehealth therapy via MDLIVE for around-the-clock convenience.

Company-wide initiatives like Recharge Week, quarterly Wellness Days, and year-round Half-Day Fridays further reinforce that rest and recovery are not optional — they’re integral to performance and well-being.

Leadership integrates wellness goals into benefits strategy, models healthy boundaries, and encourages full PTO use. Managers are trained to check in on both performance and well-being, fostering an environment where employees feel supported, balanced, and able to perform sustainably.

Employee Perspective

Employees emphasize that mental health support at Built In is accessible, stigma-free, and backed by leadership behavior. Internal feedback highlights that these programs reduce stress, improve morale, and enhance work-life balance.

At-a-Glance

• EAP access: Free, 24/7 confidential counseling (employees + dependents)
• Coverage: BlueCross BlueShield behavioral health; MDLIVE teletherapy
• Wellness rituals: Recharge Week, quarterly Wellness Days, Half-Day Fridays

Learn more about how Built In supports a flexible work-life balance in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

Managers at Built In lead with clarity, accessibility, and coaching. According to the Employee Guide (2025), managers hold regular one-on-ones, provide structured feedback, and conduct semi-annual reviews focused on development rather than evaluation. They also maintain an open-door policy that encourages transparency and collaboration, ensuring employees feel supported and heard.

Built In managers are trained through the People Leader Forum — an internal program where leaders share best practices, discuss coaching techniques, and align on feedback expectations. This community of practice helps maintain consistency in how managers communicate, develop talent, and reinforce company values.

Leadership reinforces alignment through company-wide roadmaps, quarterly strategy reviews, and monthly updates that connect individual work to broader goals. This structure turns performance conversations into genuine development partnerships — helping employees grow while embodying Built In’s core values: Be Inclusive, Lead with Solutions, Own the Result, Stay Curious, and Do More.

By emphasizing empathy, communication, and accountability, Built In managers help employees thrive while building trust and long-term engagement.

Employee Perspective

Employees describe managers as approachable, fair, and deeply invested in their growth. They cite consistent feedback, mentorship, and transparent communication as core drivers of their professional development.

“At every available opportunity, and from multiple people in leadership, I’ve been pushed to advance my skills and knowledge,” said Alton Zenon III, Former Staff Writer (2025).

At-a-Glance

• Manager rhythm: Regular 1:1s • Semi-annual reviews • Open-door policy
• Leadership programs: People Leader Forum • Quarterly strategy reviews • Monthly updates
• Focus areas: Empathy • Coaching • Accountability • Growth alignment
  
   

External Signals (2025):
Data from Comparably shows high manager favorability — with roughly 80 percent of employees saying their manager “seems to care about them as a person,” and over half receiving meaningful feedback monthly or more.

Learn how Built In cultivates growth and clarity in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection.

Built In leaders communicate goals through clarity, consistency, and open dialogue.
The Employee Guide (2025) outlines structured goal-setting and semi-annual performance reviews that align each employee’s objectives with the company’s broader mission of empowering technology professionals. Expectations are communicated early and reinforced through team check-ins, department touchpoints, and quarterly strategy updates.

Transparency is a cornerstone of leadership communication.Through companywide all-hands, manager cascades, and recurring leadership forums, the executive team connects every initiative — from hiring to product innovation — to Built In’s mission and values. The Open Door Policy ensures employees can raise questions or seek clarity at any time, while leadership modeling emphasizes reliability and follow-through.

“We always do what we say we are going to do … we underpromise and overdeliver,” said Maria Christopoulos Katris, CEO (2025).

Leaders at Built In maintain a “human-centered” approach, balancing autonomy with support. They empower teams to take ownership of goals while staying present to guide, listen, and adapt when priorities evolve. This culture of alignment, communication, and empathy helps employees understand expectations and stay connected to the company’s long-term vision.

Employee Perspective

Employees often describe Built In as “an entire company operating as one team,” emphasizing how alignment is reinforced by shared ownership of both challenges and successes.

As one former team member shared in 2024, “Leadership invites open, honest conversations, and new ideas are actually implemented. It’s a company that’s learning and evolving fast — not perfect, but always trying to do right by employees and customers.”

At-a-Glance

• Communication channels: Quarterly all-hands • Weekly team meetings • Slack updates
• Feedback structure: Semi-annual reviews • Goal-setting conversations • Open Door Policy
• Leadership values: Clarity • Reliability • Empathy • Alignment
• Award-winning leaders: Outstanding Tech CEO Award Winner for the 1871's 2023 Momentum Awards

Get an inside look at Built In’s leadership philosophy.

Leaders at Built In provide vision by connecting every initiative to the company’s mission and values. The Employee Guide (2025) emphasizes that leadership models ownership, curiosity, and solution-driven thinking — principles that guide both long-term planning and day-to-day decisions.

“Back then, and still today, we stay maniacally focused on our mission — built on the premise of serving others,”
 — Maria Christopoulos Katris, CEO (2025)

This mission-centered approach has guided major milestones: national expansion in 2020, international growth in 2024, and the 2025 launch of the recruiting industry’s first AI-powered reputation product. Leaders hire for potential and humility, champion underrepresented talent, and foster diversity across teams — ensuring innovation aligns with inclusion.

Strategic direction is reinforced through quarterly strategy reviews, monthly company updates, and team goal-tracking rituals. These cadences keep strategy visible and help every employee understand how their work connects to broader goals. Leaders are transparent about shifts in priorities and consistently communicate the why behind major initiatives, so teams remain aligned, adaptable, and inspired.

Employee perspective

“It’s pretty remarkable to experience an entire company operating as one team. At Built In, we tackle problems and achieve goals together, sharing in the responsibility of successes and downfalls alike.“ 

-Alyssa Schroer, SEO Analyst 

At-a-Glance

• Core Leadership Principles: Ownership | Curiosity | Solution-Driven Thinking
• Strategic Cadence: Quarterly reviews + monthly updates (2025)
• Major Milestones: National expansion (2020) | International growth (2024) | AI reputation tool (2025)
• Mission Focus: Serving others through connection and empowerment
   

External Signals (2025)

• CEO rating ≈ 88 / 100 — Top 5% of similar-sized companies (source: Comparably)
• Leadership Outlook Score ≈ 83 / 100 — Top 35% of similar-sized companies
• 83% of employees express confidence in Built In’s future; 77% report high excitement about their work
• Outstanding Tech CEO Award Winner for the 1871's 2023 Momentum Awards

Learn more about the recruiting industry’s first AI-powered reputation product.

Innovation is core to Built In’s identity. The company has a strong track record of evolving ahead of industry trends — from its national expansion in 2020 to international growth in 2024, and most recently, the 2025 launch of the recruiting industry’s first AI-powered reputation management tool for employers.

At every level, employees are empowered to experiment, share insights, and pilot improvements that strengthen both the user experience and business impact.

Leadership reinforces this mindset through transparent strategy reviews and a culture that rewards learning, not just outcomes. Together, these practices keep Built In in a state of constructive momentum — always iterating, testing, and pushing forward rather than waiting for the market to define what’s next.

Employee Perspective

Employees describe Built In’s engineering culture as one where curiosity drives progress and innovation is part of everyday work — an environment that rewards experimentation and collaboration.

At-a-Glance

• Innovation milestones: National expansion (2020) | International launch (2024) | AI reputation tool (2025)
• Approach: Empower experimentation | Transparent strategy reviews | Culture of learning
• Tech stack: Continuously evolving | Engineer-led improvements

• Mindset: Iterative, data-driven, employee-empowered innovation

   

Explore how Built In’s people-first culture creates the foundation for innovation in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

Built In equips employees with modern, high-performance tools and technology designed to remove friction, increase speed, and accelerate impact.

Between 2022 and 2025, the company overhauled its entire codebase, adopting a streamlined .NET-based framework that simplified architecture, reduced technical debt, and enabled faster, more reliable product releases.

“It’s really important that we can move quickly, and having a simple architecture makes that easier,” said Jamie LeSuer, former Staff Data Scientist (2025).

This modernization supports global scalability and cross-functional collaboration, empowering engineers, designers, and product managers to ship updates rapidly and with confidence.

Every employee has access to integrated AI tools — from Gemini for day-to-day productivity to Claude Code for engineering tasks — allowing teams to automate routine work, analyze data, and focus on creative, high-impact problem-solving.

Built In treats technology as both a technical foundation and a cultural mindset — a force multiplier for innovation, ownership, and empowerment.

Employee Perspective

Employees describe Built In’s engineering culture as one that values autonomy and experimentation. Teams are trusted to improve systems, introduce new tools, and shape technical strategy — keeping innovation agile and accessible at every level.

“You’re not told to stick to your role,” said Ravi Budigelli, CTO (2025). “Any idea that you have is fair game.”

At-a-Glance

• Modernization: Full codebase rebuild (2022 – 2025) → streamlined .NET architecture
• Technical impact: Reduced tech debt + faster product releases + global scalability
• AI tools: Gemini (productivity) | Claude Code (engineering) | Integrated automation workflows
• Culture: Empowered experimentation | Cross-functional collaboration | Rapid iteration

Learn more about Built In’s product and tech team.

Built In adopts new technology early and deliberately, pairing speed with strategic purpose. Between 2022 and 2025, the company modernized its entire codebase, a shift that dramatically increased agility and reduced technical debt — allowing teams to integrate new frameworks, APIs, and AI capabilities without disruption.

That agility came to life when Built In’s engineering team delivered an international platform proof of concept in roughly one and a half weeks, a process that previously took months.

This technical foundation enables seamless adoption of emerging technologies — from AI and automation to new development frameworks — across products, workflows, and operations. Engineers regularly pilot and evaluate new platforms, ensuring that each addition aligns with Built In’s mission of connecting and empowering technology professionals.

Built In’s approach reflects a clear belief: staying competitive means staying current — and the best way to future-proof the business is to keep building on a modern foundation.

Employee Perspective

Employees describe a culture where innovation moves as fast as the tools. 

“We’re doing this within minutes rather than days or weeks,” said Tripp Weiner, Senior Software Engineer II (2025), describing how the modern architecture has accelerated deployment cycles.

Modern systems, cross-functional communication, and leadership trust make it easy to test new ideas, refine processes, and scale improvements quickly across teams.

At-a-Glance

• Modernization: Full codebase rebuild (2022 – 2025)
  Deployment speed: International platform prototype in ~1.5 weeks
• Core enablers: Streamlined architecture • Minimal technical debt • Automated testing
• Innovation tools: Integrated AI • Continuous integration & deployment frameworks
• Mindset: Strategic adoption • Iterative learning • Fast, sustainable execution
  
   

Explore how Built In’s leaders enable innovation in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection.

Built In’s mission — to connect, inform, and empower technology professionals — comes to life through its products, content, and culture. The platform reaches millions of tech professionals each month, helping them discover companies, jobs, and insights that align with their career goals. Editorial and branded teams share a unified goal: to deliver inspiring, instructive, and informed content that helps readers grow in their careers and better understand the tech industry.

Internally, that same mission drives how teams work and support one another. The Employee Guide (2025) reinforces curiosity, ownership, and inclusivity as daily behaviors. Built In’s people practices — including hybrid flexibility, paid volunteer time, generous PTO, and employee-led culture committees — bring those values to life across departments.

“We’re maniacally focused on our mission — built on the premise of serving others.”
 — Maria Christopoulos Katris, CEO 

In 2025, leadership strengthened quarterly goal-sharing and all-hands storytelling to help every employee see how their work contributes to the mission, reinforcing alignment and connection to purpose.

Employee Perspectives

“Our goal as a company is to be the best place to connect talented tech workers with talented technical companies,” said Tripp Weiner, Senior Software Engineer II. 

At-a-Glance

• Mission: Connect, inform, and empower technology professionals
• Reach: Millions of professionals each month
• Cultural Anchors: Curiosity | Ownership | Inclusivity
• Practices: Hybrid flexibility | Paid volunteer time | Culture committees
• Alignment: Quarterly goal-sharing + companywide storytelling (2025)

Take a look inside Built In’s approach to work-life balance.

Built In advances its mission of connecting, informing, and empowering technology professionals by making the tech ecosystem more equitable, transparent, and connected. Through its platform, the company helps millions of professionals discover opportunities and understand employers’ missions, values, and impact. Its employer-branding content amplifies underrepresented voices in tech, helping companies share their culture authentically and reach diverse technical talent.

Internally, community and inclusion are woven into daily life. Built In supports multiple employee resource groups (ERGs) — including Women United in Tech, Built Out (LGBTQ+), and Built Different (Neurodiversity & Disability) — which foster allyship, learning, and advocacy. Employees receive paid volunteer time and are encouraged to engage with local causes through ERG-led initiatives and company-sponsored volunteer events.

Leaders model that purpose by linking business goals to impact, transparency, and community partnerships. “We’re helping good tech workers find good companies,” said Tripp Weiner, Senior Software Engineer II, describing how the platform bridges opportunity and access.

In 2024, Built In expanded community programming through structured volunteer opportunities and cross-ERG collaboration, increasing participation and alignment around social impact. These efforts reflect the company’s belief that improving access, equity, and opportunity in tech begins with living those values internally.

Employee Perspective

“We’ve always had a very inclusive culture, which we can credit to our CEO, Maria. It was this focus on inclusivity, tied with Maria’s passion for our mission, that confirmed I was in the right place to grow my career. That passion has only burned brighter across the organization as we’ve grown.”
 — Julie Dillon, Former Director of Business Development 

At-a-Glance

• Core Impact: Expanding access and equity in tech careers
• Platform Reach: Millions of professionals each month
• Key ERGs: Women United in Tech | Built Out (LGBTQ+) | Built Different (Neurodiversity & Disability)
• Community Involvement: Paid volunteer time + ERG-led initiatives (since 2024)
• Leadership Focus: Linking goals to purpose and transparency
  
   

Learn more: Explore how Built In invests in its people in Built In’s People-First Approach to Work-Life Balance.

Built In’s six core values — Be Inclusive, Lead with Solutions, Be Unreasonably Passionate, Own the Result, Be Humble, and Stay Curious and Do More — shape every decision, from strategy to everyday collaboration. According to the Employee Guide, these principles define how teams communicate, solve problems, and measure success.

Leaders reinforce these values through semi-annual reviews, peer recognition programs, and company-wide updates that connect decisions directly to purpose. CEO Maria Christopoulos Katris has described Built In’s culture as grounded in reliability and integrity:

“We always do what we say we are going to do … we underpromise and overdeliver.”
 — Maria Christopoulos Katris, CEO (2025)

Built In’s consistency between words and actions is reflected in employee sentiment. In 2025 internal feedback,

• 93% of employees said the company acts consistently with its stated values, and
• 85% said they trust leadership to do the right thing.

These results highlight credibility in follow-through, integrity in leadership, and a culture where values are operationalized — not performative. Employees describe Built In’s leaders as transparent and values-driven, regularly explaining the “why” behind business decisions in all-hands meetings and celebrating peers who embody inclusion, humility, and ownership.

In 2025, Built In expanded its peer-nominated awards and values recognition programs, further increasing visibility and reinforcing alignment between leadership communication and lived experience.

Employee Perspective:

Since every jobseeker’s journey is different, Built In is dedicated to personalizing the cross-platform experience. This commitment to inclusivity shows up in the product:

“We want users to find their dream job, connect with companies that share their values or upskill their careers in a seamless and thoughtful way.“

-Sam Daley, Product Manager 

At-a-Glance

• Core Values: Inclusivity | Ownership | Curiosity | Humility | Passion | Solutions
• Employee Signals (2025): 93% say Built In acts consistently with its values; 85% trust leadership to do the right thing
• Reinforcement: Semi-annual reviews | Peer recognition | All-hands transparency
   

Learn more: See how leadership practices reinforce Built In’s culture of trust and accountability in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity, and Connection.

Built In demonstrates long-term financial stability through steady growth, investor confidence, and continuous reinvestment in innovation. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Chicago, Built In employs 72 team members, including a growing product and technology group — reflecting more than a decade of sustained expansion.

In 2019, Built In raised $22 million in Series C funding, led by Updata Partners and MATH Venture Partners, using the investment to accelerate development of its matching engine and professional-development platform. Since then, the company has introduced new AI-driven employer solutions and achieved international expansion in 2024, demonstrating measured investment and long-term discipline.

Built In’s inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list for consistent growth and its decade-long track record of innovation underscore a foundation of financial resilience. CEO Maria Christopoulos Katris summarized the company’s philosophy following the Series C raise:

“Everything we’ve worked on since then has been driving toward that mission, and we couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead.”

At-a-Glance

• Founded: 2011 | Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Team size: ≈ 72 employees (2025)
• Funding: $22 million Series C (2019, Updata Partners + MATH Venture Partners)
• Growth milestones: AI-driven product launches (2023–2025); international expansion (2024)
• Recognition: Included on Inc. 5000 list for sustained growth
• Leadership philosophy: Purpose-driven, long-term investment mindset
  
   

Explore more about Built In’s evolution in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection and Built In’s AI-Powered Product Innovation.

Built In has evolved from a local Chicago platform into a recognized leader in tech-career media and employer-branding technology. Its platform connects millions of tech professionals each month with companies nationwide and abroad, offering deep employer profiles, job listings, and career-advancing content. Through its Built In For Employers suite, the company partners with hundreds of organizations to help them authentically represent their culture and attract diverse talent.

Employee Perspective: 

CTO Ravi Budigelli credited this growth to a culture of empowerment and speed: “It’s been incredible to see how quickly we can scale when we empower teams to make decisions and move fast.” With continued product investment and a mission to “connect the world through meaningful careers in tech,” Built In is positioned as one of the most trusted platforms for tech professionals and employers alike.

Built In continues to differentiate itself through innovation — including its 2025 launch of the recruiting industry’s first AI reputation tool — and its commitment to curated, mission-aligned content. Its international expansion in 2024 and recognition on the Inc. 5000 list underscore industry momentum. “It’s a fast-paced, high-growth environment,” a former employee wrote on a review site, reflecting the company’s ability to adapt and lead within the tech talent ecosystem.

At-a-Glance

• Founded: 2011 | Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Platform reach: Millions of tech professionals monthly (2025)
• Customer network: Hundreds of employer partners nationwide and abroad
• Key products: Built In for Employers suite | AI Reputation Tool (2025)
• Growth milestones: International expansion (2024) | Inc. 5000 recognition for sustained growth

• Leadership focus: Empowerment + speed drive innovation

   

Learn more about Built In’s growth and leadership philosophy in Built In Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity and Connection.

Built In’s growth trajectory reflects a balance of innovation, sustainability, and people-centered expansion. Since its $22 million Series C raise in 2019, the company has scaled from a Chicago-based platform into an international brand (2024 expansion) that connects millions of tech professionals each month. Built In continues to invest in AI-powered employer solutions, new market entry, and steady hiring across engineering, sales, and content teams.

Leadership credits this progress to a culture of ownership and empowerment and a deliberate focus on developing talent from within. “We hire for potential as opposed to the shiniest resumes,” said CEO Maria Christopoulos Katris, emphasizing Built In’s long-term investment in people and growth.

While some employees previously expressed concerns about scaling pace, leadership introduced phased hiring and cross-functional resource planning in 2025, ensuring expansion remains balanced, mission-aligned, and supported by the right infrastructure.

Employee Perspective:

“Our org chart is hardly ever static due to promotions, additional hires and the creation of new departments. This change creates opportunities for professional growth, and each development introduces the chance for team members to learn a skill or take on more responsibility.” -Built In Staff interview with a former employee, 2019

At-a-Glance

• Series C funding: $22 million (2019)
• Expansion: International launch (2024)
• Focus areas: AI-powered solutions | Employer branding | Talent matching tech
• Workforce: ~70+ employees | Scaling engineering and sales teams (2025)
• Growth model: Phased hiring + resource planning | Mission-aligned expansion
• Leadership philosophy: Hire for potential | Empower for impact

Learn more about Built In’s mission-driven expansion in Built In’s Leadership and Management: Inspiring Growth, Clarity, and Connection.