Jun 29, 2022

Inside Noyo: Caring for the culture

Healthy company cultures are not mass produced on an assembly line, they are nurtured with deliberate planning. Here's how our People Operations Manager, Julian Damore, keeps us operating on the same frequency through improved resources and practices.

{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Communication is an integral component for any team to be successful. Every element utilized to establish cleaner coordination amongst Noyo’s employees — from the messaging tools we use each day to the ways we interact with one another in virtual and physical environments — is an essential part of our work process. Without the right programs in place to encourage efficient collaboration and enthusiastic discussions that lead to great accomplishments, the company’s core vision blurs and the entire work product suffers as a result.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"But healthy company cultures that support clear communication are not mass produced on an assembly line. Instead, they need to be nurtured with deliberate planning in order to take root and flourish. Noyo’s rich culture holds the team together through thick and thin and keeps the grounds open for inclusion and expression. We maintain a space for every employee that supports the growth, cooperation, and encouragement necessary for great ideas to be born.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Noyo’s People Operations Manager Julian Damore (they/them) has been on the job since July 2021 and is focused on improving the collaborative processes and programs that help our company culture thrive. Julian keeps us operating on the same frequency through improved resources and practices that grow us closer together for an excellent, more efficient end product.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"What is your role at Noyo and what's an exciting, challenging problem you're solving?","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"I’m proud to be Noyo’s first People Operations Manager! At a high level, I’m responsible for building and maintaining the people programs that foster an inclusive, transparent, and engaging company culture. I’m always thinking about how we can better support our incredible team.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Noyo operates in a very complex industry. We recently surpassed the 100 employee mark!  As we continue to scale, ensuring that everyone is set up for success from their very first day is going to be imperative for our success.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Therefore, one of Noyo’s quarterly strategic initiatives is to ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Make Everyone a Noyo Expert. ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"The goal of this cross-functional project is to ensure that Noyo’s onboarding and learning & development programs provide new (and current) team members with a comprehensive understanding of the business, the landscape, and the company. This will allow all of us to identify problems and opportunities quickly so we can turn our attention towards building or finding a solution.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"What did your path to Noyo look like?","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"After graduating from Rutgers University in 2015, I started my career as an HR Assistant at a mid-sized financial services firm. Initially, I wasn’t sure that Human Resources was what I actually wanted to be doing, and I started to get restless. In the spring of 2017, I decided to take some time off from work to thru-hike the Appalachian trail, which was a lifelong dream of mine. I quit my job, and spent the next three months living in the woods, soul searching, hiking all day, and having a blast! When I returned home after an ankle injury ended my hike earlier than anticipated, I made the switch to recruiting by taking a role as a Talent Acquisition Specialist. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"After a year of recruiting, I made the decision to move into the tech space, mostly because I was interested in finding out what startups were all about. I spent the next two and a half years working in People Operations for a few different companies in the SaaS (software-as-a-service) space. In the spring of 2021, I started to feel like it was time for another change. I wanted to join an organization that was challenging the status quo. Noyo is working to improve the lives of millions of people by making healthcare more accessible and easier to understand — something that really resonated with me — so I applied, and the rest is history. :)","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"What was the interview process like?","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"It was fantastic! My first conversation was with Liz Graham, Head of People Operations at Noyo. Liz did a great job of articulating Noyo’s mission and vision; she routinely made space for me to ask questions, which helped me gain a better understanding of the company’s culture. Later in the interview process, I had the opportunity to meet with several other members of the team, including some of Noyo’s people managers and the Co-Founders, Dennis and Shannon. Everyone was so welcoming!","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"What excites you most about our industry, our product, or your role in general? ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Noyo is transforming the way employee benefits are delivered to millions of consumers, and that gets me jazzed! Throughout my career in People Operations, I’ve seen firsthand just how inefficient, complicated, and frustrating benefits enrollment can be for everyone involved. There have been countless instances where I’ve thought to myself, “There has to be a better way!” It’s so rewarding to be part of a team that is laser-focused on empowering consumers to make the best choices about their care while simultaneously enhancing the benefits enrollment experience.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"What are the top 3 reasons you joined Noyo?","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"value":"Leadership ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"— Noyo’s Co-Founders and Leadership Team operate with a high level of integrity and transparency, and they live our core values each and every day.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"list-item"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"value":"Growth opportunities","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":" — we are dedicated to solving really challenging problems, and that means challenging yourself and your colleagues to go above and beyond. I feel like I’ve grown so much, personally and professionally, since I joined Noyo.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"list-item"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"bold"}],"value":"Incredible vision and product ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"— we are building something that has the potential to positively impact the lives of millions of consumers, and it feels really good to work towards that goal with such a supportive group of people.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"list-item"}],"nodeType":"ordered-list"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"How would you describe the culture at Noyo?","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Noyo is a place where folks can experiment, present new and innovative ideas, and ask questions without the fear of being judged or criticized for not having all the answers. At Noyo, we encourage team members to be themselves. Trust me, we definitely want to hear about your very niche interests, unpopular opinions, and hobbies! There’s a genuine curiosity among team members to get to know one another on a personal level, which I really appreciate, especially in a distributed work environment.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"Ultimately, we believe in supporting each other, having a good sense of humor, and giving each other the benefit of the doubt. That said, we own our mistakes and do whatever we can to make amends when things don’t go as planned.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"What's one of the most unexpected things you've learned about one of your coworkers?","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"heading-3"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"One of my favorite Noyo traditions is called “Getting to Noyo Coworkers” or “GNC” for short. Twice per month, one person from the team presents a topic of their choice that helps others get to know them better. The only rule is that the topic cannot be work-related.","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"In the past we've had team members teach us all about rugby, photography, the opera, how to fold a fitted sheet, and even described the time Boston was covered in molasses. ","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[],"value":"A few weeks ago, Jordan Hooker (Operations Manager, Customer Advocacy) showed us all just how seriously he takes the art of baking sourdough bread. I felt like I was watching an actual chef on Food Network! He made it look so easy!","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"},{"data":{},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"Searching for a company culture to call home? Want to be on the frontlines of enhancing benefits administration? At Noyo, a standard of excellence is all you need to succeed. Check out our openings ","nodeType":"text"},{"data":{"uri":"https://www.noyo.com/careers"},"content":[{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"underline"},{"type":"italic"}],"value":"here","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"hyperlink"},{"data":{},"marks":[{"type":"italic"}],"value":"!","nodeType":"text"}],"nodeType":"paragraph"}],"nodeType":"document"}

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