Winnie Tu

Becoming a Software Developer at HCSS

Blog, Development, Featured Posted: November 17, 2021

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit in a class for the sole purpose of learning how to be a professional software developer? At HCSS, our developers sit in a rigorous 3 month training, filled with curriculum taught by an experienced developer.

Around 2002 when HCSS began teaching classes to their developers, they were using Visual Data Flex or VDF. Because this technology was difficult to learn, a class was developed for new developers to go through once they were hired. The class is open to anyone, even without a computer science degree.

As HCSS updated its technology and systems, a new .NET development class was created. Instructors for the course came and went, one instructor in particular transformed the classes into what they are today. Diego Rincon began teaching the classes after inheriting them from a long time employee. Since his background was in computer science and he is equipped with a Masters in Education, he was the perfect fit for the role!

When Diego came into the role to begin teaching the classes, he expanded the .NET curriculum and created new classes. Today these classes take our developers through rigorous training on our technology while also immersing themselves in our culture and learning what it means to be a professional developer at HCSS.

In Diego’s own words, “This class is to train people to become a software developer. It isn’t about teaching programming.” He recommends having an algorithmic ability and a strong programming logic, which comes from hours of training and programming. Some skills he has seen in the most successful developers are communication, teamwork and creativity.

Below are some quotes from Diego’s former students:

“Diego was one of the people who interviewed me when I started, and I attended his first coding class. I would not be where I am today without his help and willingness to take a chance on an elementary teacher. Thanks for all the advice.” – Sarah Vaughan, Development Supervisor

“To say Diego’s class helped set me up for future success at HCSS would be an understatement. It was practical, to the point, and was focused on instructing and making you feel actually prepared rather than filled with ‘gotcha’s’. He is knowledgeable on many different subjects and is effective at communicating that knowledge out to students. The structure of morning classes combined with afternoon personal work was highly enriching and allowed for frequent check-ins and growth. Diego is phenomenal in his role here at HCSS and I would highly recommend the .NET class to any new developers.” – Tyler Jones, Software Developer

“My HCSS journey began with Diego, and because of his masterful mentoring, I quickly understood why this company is so unique. He has a true passion for all of the core values, much of which I proudly carry on. It is fair to say that he is the building block for extraordinary people in development.” – Omar Baca, Development Supervisor

Staying Well at HCSS

Blog, Featured, Talent Posted: August 25, 2021

HCSS is a very unique place to work, where employees are encouraged to have a growth mindset, be collaborative, and prioritize all aspects of their wellness. Our three building campus has been designed and built with care so that employees can easily incorporate activities throughout their day to stay well, which in turn allows employees to have more focus, and generally be happier at work.

The HCSS campus invites all interests in fitness, games, group activities, mental challenges, and sports. This company-wide wellness mindset originated with our CEO Mike Rydin and his late wife, Sophie Rydin. Together, Mike and Sophie built the foundation of staying well while at work, so that HCSS employees can more easily put their best efforts to customers’ needs.

In Building 1 of the HCSS Campus, a bright and bold gym houses strength training equipment and beautiful views of the outdoor track. Many employees use this gym to work out on their own, or to join our offerings of group fitness classes taught by a professional instructor.

The Building 1 Gym is a great hangout and social place for employees as well as a place to get stronger and learn more about fitness. Employees of all fitness levels are welcome, and there is always someone to help you get stronger.

In the outdoor space between Building 1 and 2, there is no shortage of action and activity. Our full sized covered basketball court doubles as an indoor volleyball court, and bootcamp area. Some employees come out weekly for a pull-up session, called “Pull-Up Club”! Employees at HCSS organize and host basketball tournaments and casual pick-up games, it’s definitely a place for some friendly heated competition!

Past the basketball court, there is a large open air space, with a full sized all weather running track for the runners, walkers and everyone in between. Since HCSS is a dog friendly campus, the track is completely gated so that dogs are free to roam in a large enclosed space or hang out with their owners and other dogs. Placed inside of the track is a full turf soccer field, stamped with the HCSS logo that can be seen from the air. The field is a fun place to kick around some balls, or play flag football. It’s also been the spot for a wild waterballoon fight and pumpkin themed tournament!

Our third and newest building on the campus boasts a second gym that is dedicated to cardio equipment and a motorized solo rock climbing wall so that you can never run out of challenges. There is a dedicated space for classes and activities such as Yoga, Dance, Tai Chi, etc.

Staying well at work doesn’t only pertain to physical fitness, but there are many spaces in the building for developing mental skills and other ways to be challenged. Building 1 has an entertainment section, with a baby grand piano, electronic drum set, many spaces to play video games with friends, and lots of space for board games! There is also lots of quiet nooks in the buildings for self reflection, meditation, or diving deep into a great book.

Want to be a part of our growing campus, culture and HCSS family? Check out our current openings here!

Get an inside look at what life is like #InsideHCSS, on Instagram @InsideHCSS

Intern to Full Time Journey – Jared G.

Blog, Interns, Talent, Featured Posted: August 9, 2021

Jared Gaertner, one of our Software Developers, tells us about his unique intern to full time journey:

As a student, I learned about HCSS at a University of Houston Career Fair. I started in 2011 as a Software Intern in the mobile team. My internship at HCSS was the largest period of growth in my career. Before I had even graduated, I had hands-on experience writing code in a team environment. I was respected by my peers and contributed to our team culture. Together, we built the first versions of Field Mobile (HCSS Product).

I left HCSS in 2014 to develop a medical device for a startup company. In 2017, I returned to HCSS to work full time as a Hardware Developer in Trucking (HCSS Product). I am now back in Trucking as a Software Developer.

HCSS has more than doubled in size since I started working! There was only one building on campus, and each product team neatly fit into Building 1. Most of our products were written in VDF. We were using SVN and had just started using build automation. Fast forward to today, we are developing world class construction software using industry standard tools. I am proud to have been a part of that growth.

I feel like my situation is pretty unique because I left HCSS and returned, but it gave me a unique perspective on company culture outside of HCSS. Our work culture played a significant role in my decision to return.

Everyone I have worked with at HCSS contributes to its unique work culture. That culture just isn’t present in other companies. It is one thing to have a mission, visions, and values statement, but it is another thing to live by them.

In contrast, my coworkers and I continually keep our vision in mind; we spend responsibly without waste.

At HCSS, I have learned to never stop learning. Software development has been transforming tremendously in the past few years, and there is always a cool new tool to learn about. Live by the golden rule and respect your peers; build them up and they will build you up.

HCSS has proven to be a stable company in difficult times. It has been a tremendously positive experience in my career, and I look forward to growing with it!

Take a look at our current opportunities and learn more about our World Class Internship Program here!

Intern to Full Time Journey – Genesis

Blog, Interns, Talent, Featured Posted: May 28, 2021

Networking, career fairs, assessing wants for your career, looking for a company that will support your growth and make you feel fulfilled – I remember all of those anxious feelings and thoughts floating around in my head when I was searching for internships. There were two things that I knew I wanted to do for sure. The first was to secure an internship at a SAAS company, and the second was to find a company that had a truly great company culture. Through research on Linkedin and networking with friends in my student organizations at the University of Houston like MISSO and HBSA, I found HCSS.

In the early Spring of 2019, HCSS invited my student organization for a campus tour where I learned about this amazing company and met some of the really great people who worked here. That day I felt like I struck gold because HCSS fit everything I was searching for. It is a company that is not only for its customers, but also its employees! I went home that night and applied to be an Education Services Intern. Coincidentally, when I interviewed for the position, some of my potential team members were those I met and talked with on the day I went to the campus tour!

I then started in April of 2019 as an Education Services Intern. The Education Services department is responsible for the services and resources available to customers to learn about HCSS software. In this position, I was going to have the opportunity to create and edit training videos, build learning material and courses that taught our customers how to best utilize our software products. I also learned the backend of our Learning Management System called the “HCSS Academy” where all the edited videos and courses are hosted for both internal and external use. In the summer, I learned how to coordinate our in-person training sessions and lead a call campaign to the Universities around the nation that utilized our HeavyBid Estimating software in their curriculums and competitions. My team had a lot of faith in me and strongly encouraged me to grow and try different areas of our department, so in the later part of my internship, I took over much bigger responsibilities like managing our HeavyBid 101 and 201 training events that generated direct revenue for our department, developed massive reports from data collected on excel that was later presented to our Executive team, making UI changes to the HTML & CSS of our custom HCSS Academy pages, and bigger creative projects like building out software simulations and interactive learning material.

During my internship I found the niche of what I truly loved to do. I discovered that I really enjoyed the educational side to software in the technology Industry and knew that this was what I wanted to pursue full-time at HCSS. HCSS is a unique place to work, and I loved how centered it is on making the employee experience unbeatable. They care about our health and the campus is set up for use in each part of the facility during the day. I made sure that I did the best in successfully executing every project I was assigned, frequently met with my team members and manager, and even pushed some of my different unused skills onto new projects to show my initiative.

When it came time to make a decision on a full-time offer, I knew HCSS was the place for me and was my top choice. After a year and a half of being an Education Services Intern, I became a full-time employee and changed my title to Learning Experience Specialist. As a Management Information System major, our skills are not only technical but also creative, and I feel that I found the perfect place where I could actively utilize those skills and develop even better ones. It has been about 5 months since my initial start date, and I am already developing so much. For those who are still looking for internship opportunities and want to secure full time positions, show your drive, become irreplaceable in whatever you do, ask questions and put yourself out there. Those were the biggest things that helped me on my journey.

HCSS Leadership Journey Compilation

Blog, Featured Posted: April 7, 2021

At HCSS, we encourage growth and accelerate career development tailored to your unique journey. Take a look as our new leaders highlight their journeys!

Traci Arrington – Software Development Supervisor

“While I haven’t yet ventured outside the HeavyBid (one of the HCSS products) landscape during my tenure at HCSS, my role has significantly evolved since my first day. From part-time to full-time, from QA Analyst to Team Lead to Supervisor, I consider myself fortunate to be surrounded with support from every direction. As a lifelong learner, I am especially enjoying the opportunity to learn new skills, collaborate, and make an impact from a different direction. I am honored to get to serve my team in new and different ways, and to have the opportunity to grow by helping others grow.”

Donny Crouch – Technical Support Supervisor

“I’m looking forward to growing into my role as a Technical Support Supervisor for the Fleet Team. As a Technical Support Analyst, I loved the impact we were able to make on our customers. Helping them through virtually any issue or question they had concerning our software, 24hrs a day. In my leadership role, I am able to multiply that reach by onboarding, developing and mentoring my own team of support superstars who will each go on to make their own positive impact on our customers and eventually grow into new positions at HCSS as well!”

John Cappello – Regional Sales Manager

“I’m so grateful to have become a strong sales contributor and a knowledge leader in the sales department. I began my journey at HCSS as the first HR talent acquisition specialist. I then transitioned into the Lead Generation & Development Group and learned so much about our products, and quickly advanced through different roles in the Sales Department. I’m so grateful to have become a strong sales contributor and a knowledge leader in the sales department. Looking forward to my new role as Regional Sales Manager!”

TD Durham – Technical Support Supervisor

“In my first few months in HCSS Support, I fell in love with the teamwork-oriented environment in my department, and that collaborative environment made me want to pursue a role where I could be involved regularly, and even help facilitate the growth of that collaboration. When I was named Team Lead, I immediately began to learn and grow from the other leaders and teammates around me. Every day in Support, I get to work with those teammates that care for me and help me learn the best ways to continue to grow our culture, as well as the best ways to impact the incredible relationship we have with our customers. I love it here!”

Maleeha Ali – Technical Support Supervisor

“The past two years at HCSS have been so rewarding for me. I started as a Technical Support Analyst answering customers calls. One of the many things I loved about working in the Support department was the people in leadership. I looked up to them because I wanted to be like them- leading a department with transparency, clear communication and a true care for the development of each person. Because of this, I started following the leadership track at HCSS where multiple people were involved in sculpting me to be the best leader I could be. I was promoted
to a team lead with my own team of direct reports. My goal is to inspire them in the same way I was inspired.”

Doug Starr – Software Development Supervisor

“I’m looking forward to my role as Software Development Supervisor and I’m excited to solve a new set of problems. I will miss the hands-on technical work that I have done for years, but I know that this new role will be even more rewarding. I feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride when I lead my team to successfully complete a project. I will continue to support my teammates, and will strive to create an environment where they can excel in the work that they are passionate about.”

Inside Two Brains – Keeping In Touch

Blog, Development, Talent, Featured Posted: December 18, 2020

By Betty Lezcano and Allan Leung

Readers note: The following story features two different perspectives. One showcases the thoughts of Betty, the candidate, while the other showcases the HCSS representative, Allan’s, thoughts. This is a special story where keeping in touch ultimately led Betty to join the HCSS team.

Betty [2018]

I first heard about HCSS from a good friend, and if it weren’t for the fact that he is one of those who doesn’t lie or exaggerate, I would have thought it was too good to be true. That same day I checked the website and started looking for more and more information. I was so hooked that I ended up on the careers page to see if there was any open position that matched my background and experiences. At that time there were none but I continued to check regularly until a couple of months later a Software Developer position became available and I applied without a second thought.

Some say that starting the day on the right foot brings luck and that must be what happened the day Allan called me. The conversation was the prediction of what would be a different interview process, for the better, that I would enjoy along the way. I remember being impressed the first time I went to the campus. You could tell right away that it was a place where a lot of effort and heart had been put into making it the place you don’t want to run home from, a place that encourages you to do more than work colleagues: friends. Friends to play sports with, improvise a picnic to have lunch outside on a nice day, and have lots of fun together. I think what impacted me the most were the people I spoke with, for the number of years they had been working at HCSS and for the passion and humility they expressed. I remember in particular my interview with Chris, one of those honest and unpretentious conversations, where people look into each other’s eyes and where nobody is trying to sell something that is not truly there. I took away a life lesson that I still hold true today.

At the end of the process, I got an offer. For multiple reasons it ended up not being the right time and I declined it, with the certainty within me that one day, if they wanted me again, I would be part of the HCSS family.

Allan [2018]

I initially found out about Betty via an employee referral, Will, who had previously worked with her and spoke very highly of her experience and personality. I dug into our applicant tracking system to find her application and reached out to hop on a call. Betty was kind, personable, and showcased a great attitude towards learning and growth. Winnie and I guided Betty through our rigorous hiring process where she would eventually receive an offer to join the team.

Unfortunately, Betty ended up withdrawing so she did not officially start with us. She explained to me the difficult decision she had to make. While many companies may set this as an immediate ban from being considered again for future opportunities, Minh said the offer would still stand if Betty changed her mind. It’s rare for me to hear a response such as this from a hiring leader, but I made a note in our system to keep in touch.

The timing didn’t work out in our favor, but not one to close the door immediately, I connected with Betty on social media.

Betty [2018 – 2020]

The experience was so good and profound that for the next 2 years I continued to keep up with what was happening with HCSS, following and interacting with the content shared on LinkedIn by Allan, HCSS and several of the people I met there. I didn’t forget them and I wanted them to not forget me either… and it worked.

Betty [2020]

Two years later I received an unexpected message from Allan telling me about a Development Supervisor position. For the first time a recruiter was really keeping in touch – after 2 years! – those are the wonderful things that happen at HCSS. I was not looking to change jobs and we were three months into the horrors of COVID-19, with its fears, uncertainties, and the new “normal”. All this was enough to not even consider changing jobs, but it was Allan with HCSS. I knew that this opportunity was unique, that this position was exactly what I wanted, and I applied with the certainty that if they gave me another chance I was going to accept this offer.

The interview process was slightly different than before because it was for a different position, but the execution and quality of the interviewers was just as excellent, one of those rare interviews where you go out and say “I definitely want to work with them and be part of whatever is going on here, because it is special and it is working”.

If I have always admired something in Allan, it is that throughout the process he treated me with respect and always cared about my perspective, far from the conventional treatment of the recruiters who on so many occasions treat applicants like someone doing them a favor. After each phase, he contacted me to ask how I felt after each interview, and then gave me feedback from the other party, as one who recognizes that this process involves perspectives from both sides.

After the final round of interviews, I waited for the call. Maybe because I wanted it so much, but this time the wait seemed endless. When Allan called me, he started asking me about my experience, but this time I wanted him to fast-forward to the final decision. Finally with a smile, he gave me the wonderful news, I got the offer. I jumped and screamed happily trying unsuccessfully to keep my neutral voice. HCSS family, here I come!

Allan [2020]

Fast forward to today. Over the course of two years Betty engaged with the content that I shared online. On her LinkedIn profile, I saw that she had grown into a Team Lead role at her current employer as well.

When we were planning on opening up a Software Development Supervisor position, Betty popped into my mind. I immediately reached out to her to share more about the opportunity and see if it would align with her career goals. We were both candid with our perspectives, mine with the fear of losing her again and hers with the fear of switching jobs during COVID-19. However, I felt that we both poured our hearts and trust in each other in the conversation and mutually agreed that now would be the perfect time to join HCSS.

The rest of the hiring process was relatively smooth sailing since Betty had met with the initial hiring team in the past. This time she was paired up with new interviewers who were in alignment that she would be a great addition to the team. When I called to extend Betty the offer again, she let out a joyous scream. I was happy and couldn’t wait for her to start her journey with us.

During the period between the offer acceptance and the start date, one of Betty’s family members unfortunately passed away from COVID-19. I immediately let Betty know to take as much time as she needed and partnered with Tiffany to deliver flowers and express our condolences.

On Betty’s first day, she met with her new HCSS teammates and took a picture with our famous slide.

Betty’s impact has already been recognized by her peers, with one commenting that Betty has a ton of relevant experience but she’s willing to listen to the team first. She shapes her contributions to what the team is ready for and balances this with a sense of confidence to fight for changes she wants to introduce. Because of this and many other reasons, she was selected as the “Best Newcomer” in the HCSS Devvy Awards.

I’m looking forward to watching her grow and continue to lead her team to success!

Stories such as this begin with an interest in joining our team. Explore our open opportunities at careers.hcss.com.

Making an Impact as a Web Dev Intern

Blog, Development, Interns, Featured Posted: July 24, 2020

Being a Software Developer Intern at HCSS is multi-faceted. My work revolves mostly around full-stack web development, but I have also learned a lot about the web design process, parsing large datasets into useful reports.

In my team, Credentials Dev, we use a wide variety of tools, which requires me to know a nice mix of programming languages and keep an open mind for learning new things. For example, while working in the backend, I primarily use C# and SQL; on the front end, I use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and TypeScript. I also have had the opportunity to complete many fruitful and challenging projects, such as revamping the old HCSS Apps login page, updating our API system to be properly versioned with standardized responses, creating unit tests for our APIs, updating the design of Credentials, designing and implementing new customer-requested pages, and many more.

Yet, I did not join my team knowing how to accomplish all these tasks. My skills and overall web dev knowledge grown significantly from the awesome training and mentoring that I received since starting at HCSS. I was anxious going into my onboarding and training, as this was my first professional experience as a Software Developer intern. However, my anxiety was soon swept away after my team took the time to go through the codebase, explaining how all the pieces worked together and answering questions I had. My real work began with small bug fixes and implementing minor features, often as paired programming, to further familiarize myself with the codebase and to hone my skills. Shortly afterwards, I gained more freedom within my projects and I took on more challenging issues.

In addition to the rewarding work, HCSS is big on promoting its employees’ health and learning. It is common to see a sports tournament happening right outside the window or group workout sessions. One of my favorite activities is attending HCSS Tech Talks where employees share some of the cool technologies they have created or are learning, encourage best practices, and demystify complex topics.

Another awesome event that I had the opportunity to partake in was Ideas Cup 2020, which is like a hackathon at HCSS that any employee can participate in– all you need is an idea! During Ideas Cup, I paired up with Ramon Ramirez, a software developer in Credentials, who sought to fix how user authorization and permissions are managed. Currently, many of the HCSS product development teams implement their own form of handling user roles and permissions that affect what features users are authorized to access. Therefore, one of the main goals of our project was to consolidate these user roles and permissions into a single service that can then be shared across our products. Additionally, the project encourages a separation of concern between the two distinct processes of authorization and authentication. Working on this project with Ramon was a great experience. I learned a lot about the process of authorization and creating a microservice that could help other development teams.

Overall, I’ve had so many fun learning experiences through my time as an intern. When I reflect back on my skills as a developer, I’m honestly amazed at how much I’ve been able to improve. Having a team that actually listens to you and helps guide you towards your interests is one of the best things about HCSS. Even though I’m still in the early stages and exploring what I enjoy most in software development, I’m happy to know all my efforts are making a great impact to my team and to HCSS.

Reflecting on My Intern to Full-time Journey

Blog, Interns, Featured, Development Posted: June 24, 2020

Anita, one of our new Quality Assurance Analysts, reflects on her intern to full time journey:

My journey with HCSS started at an Internship Mixer at the University of Houston held right before the Spring 2018 semester started. That is where I met Winnie and Allan, who were the recruiters at that time. They invited me to come to their office for an event that they were hosting in a few weeks. After I attended the event, I remember coming home and telling my family that, without a doubt, I wanted to work for this company.

I applied and the interview process went quickly and smoothly. I started working as a Strategy and Business Development Intern in April of 2018. In this position, I had the opportunity to learn about the construction industry, interact with customers, and learn their business and technical requirements.

In June 2018, I moved to the Development department as a Quality Assurance Intern for the HeavyJob Project Management team where I had the opportunity to work with an agile development team of six on a brand new HCSS product.

In January 2019, I transitioned into a Quality Automation Intern role where I learned software test automation and created a new automation suite for HeavyJob Project Management. I also worked on other projects on this team, such as the Releases Site and the Product Automation site.

As you can tell, I was bouncing from one position to another, and this was because I wanted to take advantage of my internship by absorbing as much as possible. I wanted to learn as many skills as I could during my time here, as well as meet and work with more of the amazing people that were a part of HCSS. Along the way, I wanted to find what kind of work interests me and what I could see myself doing after graduation.

In April 2019, I accepted a full time position as a Quality Assurance Analyst, and was all set to begin full time in December of 2019, right after my graduation from the University of Houston.

I had full time offers from other companies but the main reason I chose HCSS as my full-time choice was that I saw myself here for the long term — that is what set HCSS apart from the rest. In the other companies, I just imagined myself working for a few years, and then moving on. I think the main reason HCSS felt right was because I had experienced managers and co-workers who truly cared for my growth and career development. Also, I had a good internship experience in that I was encouraged to try new projects — this gave me assurance that if I chose HCSS as my full time employer, I would have the flexibility to get involved in projects that interested me and helped me grow further.

The conversion process from being an intern to a full time employee was also very smooth. Not only did I get to attend the onboarding classes organized by the HR department, I also took part in the QA Academy. During those 2 months in the QA Academy, I learned about all of the HCSS products, the role of quality assurance in each stage of the Software Development Life Cycle, and advanced software testing strategies like mobile testing, effective troubleshooting, and network traffic. Another important objective was to get familiar with the product that I was assigned to after converting full-time, HCSS Safety. I learned and presented to stakeholders all the features of the product, how the data flows in the backend, and how it integrates with our other products.

Fast forward to the present, I am now the Quality Assurance Analyst Lead for the HCSS Safety team. It’s been six months since I have been a full time employee, but it feels like I have always been on the Safety team because my team is so welcoming. I’m excited to continue my professional journey at HCSS and see what all I can accomplish here. If I were to give a word of advice to incoming interns, it would be to ask questions, be curious, and express your interests, because HCSS does a great job finding a best fit position for you.

Inside Two Brains – Hiring Nontraditional Talent

Blog, Featured, Talent Posted: June 3, 2020

Readers note: The following story features two different perspectives. One showcases the thoughts of Ami, the candidate, while the other showcases the HCSS representative, Allan’s, thoughts. This was a special moment that occurred as part of the HCSS recruitment process.

Ami: From the first mention of HCSS, I was hooked. My friend had worked there for a few years and had such wonderful stories she constantly shared. After my jobs in the services industry, and working for companies that didn’t truly care for their employees, a place like HCSS sounded like a dream.

As I looked at the open positions on the careers website, I was looking for ways to impress and boost my resume. I had my degree in business management, but I had spent the last couple of years as a stay-at-home mom. I knew I wasn’t overly qualified for the initial position of Project Coordinator that I was interested in, but I still went for it.

Allan: When I first read over Ami’s resume, I saw that she had taken on roles as a Girl Scout Leader and Substitute Teacher. Prior to those roles, she had worked in services positions in more corporate environments. Others could have quickly passed on the resume due to the lack of direct experience, but knowing that we’re a company that also evaluates talent from a nontraditional lens, her background intrigued me. She was also highly recommended by one of our employees. Therefore I decided to pick up the phone to learn more about her and her story.

On our call, I asked questions to dig deeper into her experiences. Ami shared with me that she had left the corporate world to stay at home with her children and was ready to step back into a professional role. What I liked is that she continued to stay actively involved in her community and I saw some skills that may be able to translate over into the role she was interested in. More importantly, I was drawn to her shining personality and was willing to go to bat for her to ensure HCSS becomes her next career home.

Ami: The interviews were a collection of some of the most enthusiastic people asking me real-life questions, trying to get a feel for who I really was and understand how I might fit in. Starting with the phone call with Allan – he immediately put me at ease, and I was able to be my normal, cheerful self from the beginning. I got to talk about personal projects and goals I had worked towards, and relate them to a company in a fast-moving industry that demanded self-motivated workers and innovative thinkers. Fortunately for me, Allan saw all of that and passed it along!

Allan: I anticipated that I would encounter a situation where some of the interviewers would do a double-take and ask me why I wanted them to meet Ami based on her resume. Given that I have been recruiting for HCSS for some time, I had a better understanding of the cultural nuances and shared how Ami would be a great cultural addition to the team. What I saw in Ami was potential and I knew that the others would see the same if they met her.

Ami: After interviews with various members of the Professional Services team, I came in for my in-person interviews with some of the Executive team. Allan was there to greet me, put me at ease, and offered me words of encouragement, which was something completely different from any other company I had ever interviewed for. The last interview with Chris was one of the most intense interviews I have ever had. He was passionate and had high expectations from the get-go. Looking back now, I realize that interview is the one that made all the difference.

Allan: The feedback I received from Ami’s first set of interviews with the hiring team was very similar to my initial interaction with her. When it came to the final round of interviews, the consensus was that Ami has a positive, customer-focused personality. However, she would need training and support to be successful. After some conversations, it was decided that we were going to create a role specifically for her on the Customer Success team.

Ami: After what felt like ages (but in reality was just a few days), I finally got a call from Allan. The first words he had were, “I have good news and bad news. Which would you like first?” Of course I asked for the bad news first, wondering how a position could possibly include both good and bad news. That’s when he told me I did not get the Project Coordinator position. In all honesty, I forgot there was good news coming – I felt the disappointment, but I was determined to remain polite and appreciative of the opportunity. Allan must have heard the disappointment in my voice though, because he said, “wait! I haven’t told you the good news yet!” He went on to tell me that everyone I had interviewed with thought I would be a great addition to HCSS and a new position would be created for me as a part of the Customer Success team. I was completely blown away – I had never expected that kind of response from a company in all my life.

A few months after I joined, I learned Chris was the driving force behind convincing the necessary people to hire me for this new position – it was a new concept and a new approach to how HCSS interacted with customers and the products they used. Chris told the Customer Success team just to hire me, sight unseen. The first time I met my manager was the day I started!

Every day, I am so grateful for that entire process – from the first phone call to the last.

Allan: What makes HCSS special is that we look at hiring talent not just for an immediate need, but how they can grow with us in the future. Ami quickly grew from being a Customer Success Analyst to now being a Technical Product Manager. She continues to carry her positive demeanor and is a joy to collaborate with. We are so fortunate to have her on the HCSS team!

Stories such as this begin with an interest in joining our team. Explore our open opportunities at careers.hcss.com.

Team Trip to Colorado

Blog, Featured, Development Posted: May 4, 2020

Climbing Mountains

When we think of team building activities, we can say we’ve done escape rooms, happy hours, and team lunches. But when one of the members of your team lives in Colorado, it’s the perfect opportunity to kick team building up to another level!

The Intelligence team coordinated a trip and one of our team members Michael graciously hosted us in his beautiful home in Colorado Springs. He has an incredible view of the city and is near hiking trails and some phenomenal scenery.

We began the weekend by flying into Denver and enjoying breakfast at Denver Biscuit Company and riding scooters around the suburbs of Denver. It was an excellent start to the trip to bond over biscuits and bloody marys!

Next was a lovely drive to Colorado Springs and an afternoon hike. The mountains in every direction and crisp air had us feeling great.

Being the dedicated Texans / Houstonians that we are, we ended day one with hamburgers and watching the Astros win against the Yankees to go back to the World Series.

Day two was more hiking and more Houston sports! We found some more beautiful trails to hike, watched the Texans game at a local bar, drove through the Garden of the Gods, and got to have dinner at Cerberus Brewery. We ended the night with fun group games and more bonding.

Day three included riding ATVs through the mountains and seeing some additional sights, including an amazing view of Pikes Peak.

While a simple post can’t really capture how great of an experience this was, getting a chance to bond with the team in a new environment over the course of days is something that I hope every team would get to experience.

Thanks to Michael for hosting us, Kara for making it all happen, Jonathan (Kara’s husband) for taking so many pictures, Logan for the great company, Herman for the entertaining stories, and Christina for the late night Hamilton sing-a-long!