Sometimes, to know what a company IS NOT<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0is as telling as to know what a company IS<\/b><\/strong>. So, in this post, you will learn what you will NOT find at Highlands, as well as some things that you most certainly will. Let\u2019s hit on some key points to shed light on our company\u2019s culture, work processes and other telling indicators. In the spirit of full disclosure, let\u2019s drill into the working machinery of Highlands.<\/p>\n Say \u201chello\u201d to the customer. She (or he) is at the scrum meeting. Well, not literally<\/i><\/em>. If you want to visualize the customer looming over the conference table or hovering, phantom-like<\/i><\/em>, during a scrum meeting, go ahead. It is not far from reality. But you will be hard pressed to find a software company that is more eager to please the customer. Soliciting\u2014and acting on<\/i><\/em>\u2014customer feedback is as important as any other task that Highlands does. In fact, while most companies are satisfied to keep only minimum records of existing customers\u2014contact name, billing address\u2014that would never do for Highlands. We got the sale, yes, but our commitment to our customers doesn\u2019t end there. We want to be sure that our software continues to deliver and perform well after the deal goes through.<\/p>\n Our team gathers customer feedback constantly. How is this done? Customer Support Representatives call customers every 2 to 3 months to check-in and get updates on how the software is performing. We want to know what is working, what isn\u2019t, and what we need to change. In the process of fielding inbound calls, tech support engineers gather information as well. If we don\u2019t understand a client\u2019s issue, we use any technology available, from video recorded calls to client demos, to truly understand what a client needs and wants from the software. Now and then, the Engineering Director gets on the phone to make a \u201cdiscovery call\u201d and uncover precisely what a customer is looking for in our software. How many companies do you know of that do this? (We call this \u201csoftware features on demand\u201d). Information from our clients is meticulously documented and factored into the process of product development, as we will discuss in the paragraphs below.<\/p>\n Human Resources is probably one of the most important departments in our shop. Why is this so? Because equal in importance to our customers\u2014if not more so<\/i><\/em>\u2014are the people that work at Highlands. These are the folks behind the core machinery at Highlands. Without them, we would not produce anything of value. So, we invest as much in our employees as we do in our product. <\/i><\/em>We hope that employees take advantage of the many training and advancement opportunities that Highlands offers to grow and evolve.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s something you may not recognize: A company needs to evolve and grow with its employees. If you consider Highlands your work \u201chome\u201d, you will want the team at Highlands, and the processes and systems that make it all come together, to work, evolve and grow stronger too. Ideas to make the community and the systems stronger at Highlands are always welcome.<\/p>\n How much code did you write today? This is NOT a question you will hear from any of us. Management cares about developers. We are not in the business of extracting blood and sweat. We expect hard work and our performance standards are high, but above all, we are fair. We will work with you, not against you. You are one of us\u2014remember?<\/p>\n We believe in the magic and power of teams. You won\u2019t be asked to learn the job on your own or figure out problems in isolation. We pair you up with another programmer to help you become familiar with our processes. A culture of teamwork and partnership forms the backbone of work at Highlands. We are a tight group that is interdependent, supportive of one another, and motivated to produce the best product possible under the best working conditions possible.<\/p>\n How good would we be as developers of leading-edge engineering software if we couldn\u2019t change course quickly and respond to client needs? We wouldn\u2019t last long. So not only are we quick to address the people<\/i><\/em>\u00a0side of things\u2014the team and workplace issues, but we are agile and fluid when it comes to our product too. In fact, evolutionary ideals shape everything we do at Highlands.<\/i><\/em>\u00a0We take an iterative tack with respect to software design. If in the process of shaping our MVP (minimum viable product) we realize we are off track on core features, we don\u2019t waste time. On a daily basis, the Highlands routine goes something like this: scrum meeting, write code in pairs or teams (ask questions), assess progress and check goals (ask questions), work, repeat tomorrow (and ask more<\/i><\/em>\u00a0questions).<\/p>\n Final question: Is the Highlands team a bunch of arrogant know-it-alls<\/i><\/em>\u00a0who can\u2019t stand to be corrected or told that they are wrong?! No. We know change and growth is good. We also like to think we are a humble bunch of folks who just want to make good\u2014actually really good<\/i><\/em>\u2014engineering software and to have some fun doing it. We hope you\u2019ll consider joining us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Customer is in the Room\u2026and other News from Highlands Sometimes, to know what a company IS NOT\u00a0is as telling as to know what a company IS. So, in this post, you will learn what you will NOT find at Highlands, as well as some things that you most certainly will. Let\u2019s hit on some…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3680,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16,2],"tags":[22,24,47,49,30],"yoast_head":"\nNOT<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0a corporation that snubs the customer<\/h3>\n
NO<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0stagnation here: Employees Evolve\u2026 as does the Company<\/h3>\n
Not<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0a Coding \u201cMill\u201d<\/h3>\n
No<\/b><\/strong>\u00a0Stuffed Shirts<\/i><\/em>\u00a0Here: Software Development as quick to Adapt as the Company itself<\/h3>\n