Rapid7
Boston, MA
Grade: A
| Editor’s Summary: Work for one of the top cybersecurity firms while challenging convention and taking part in “Moose Tank,” a pitch opportunity where you could win $25,000. This leading-edge workplace has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion with a commitment to charitable causes. Fully covered gender reassignment surgery Also, one of the few if not the only organization with an unlimited vacation policy. |
| Intro: We walk the walk. It is common for companies to sell their “stellar culture” but few actually go deeper than superficial elements like free food and a ping pong table. Our culture starts with our core values – we ensure that every employee doesn’t just know our values…we help them to deeply understand and embody them as well. From there, we ensure that each value is carefully woven into every element of the employee lifecycle – starting with the first interaction we have with prospective candidates, straight through the day we part ways. |
Impact statements:
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Advancement Opportunities:
Each year, we select a few mission-critical goals for the company. We assign strong leaders to spearhead the work, who then assemble cross-functional teams across the entire organization to ensure we are approaching the goal with the most robust and diverse mindset possible. This exposure and engagement creates great additional visibility for people to be recognized for their efforts. People who have led these efforts have benefited from the exposure to new lines of business, partnering with executives, and accelerated career advancement.
Measuring satisfaction:
Surveys, and a whole lot of open conversations. We’ve created a culture where people are largely comfortable sharing – so we learn a lot from asking questions and doing a lot of listening. We share back the information and learnings with our people, so we build trust with transparency, as well as confirm back what we will be focusing on based on the feedback they have provided.
We’ve invested in “workplace experience” over the past year and a half. In each office, we have recreated a model that rids us of private offices, add plenty of both closed and open meeting spaces, and lots of functional common areas to optimize collaboration. Each office has common Rapid7 features but also has special unique elements to represent the local culture of the area. We also furnish our offices in collaboration with local artists; provides them an opportunity to show their work and for us to get unique, special and affordable art. We’ve opened 5 offices since we started this work, and our new headquarters which opened July 15, 2019 is absolutely epic!
Creative meeting places:
We’ve held global products kickoffs in Belfast, NI and casinos. Winners of our President’s Club for sales headed to Costa Rica and The Grand Caymans. Summer parties have been held in a variety of fun locations to optimize collaboration, connection and fun – including taking over Fenway Park this week!! Each office is encouraged to choose venues that work best for their team and the inspiration they are trying to create. No windowless conference rooms for us!
Perks:
Opportunity to travel globally to our various offices, catered Town Hall meetings every month, (along with catered meals for a variety of meetings), opportunities to attend industry conferences, free snacks in every office, game rooms, wellness rooms, and award winning amazing office spaces that accommodate the various ways we work.
Fun:
During the day, most people are heads down working. However, many are keen to find new lunch places/food trucks together, take a break to play in our game rooms, work out at local gyms, do walking 1 on 1 meetings so they can enjoy the outdoors.
How corporate vision is communicated:
Our CEO and members of our leadership team share at the beginning of the year – through meetings, working sessions, etc. and then it’s revisited during our town hall meetings, team meetings, etc. There is constant communication going in all directions, and we always make sure to share the “why” behind the message being shared.
Empowering employees:
One of our core values is “challenge convention.” We actively encourage people to take opportunities to innovate and advance the company forward. This includes quarterly awards celebrating people who operate this way, as well as funding our own “Moose Tank” (like Shark Tank) where people pitch their innovative ideas to further the company…we give away 5 – $25,000 bonuses to teams who deliver!
Senior promotions (director and above) get announced to the company by our CEO each quarter; other promotions are shared by team leadership in whatever way that works for their teams (some do email announcements, some wait for public team meetings, etc.). We announce quarterly “best in leadership” awards and “core value” awards publicly at our Town Halls.
Two of our core values are “challenge convention” and “never done.” To live our core values is to build the confidence to take a risk to push the business ahead – and have the resilience to dust yourself off, try again, and “continuously learn” when you have a misstep. We encourage – and reward – people for their innovative ideas and ability to have the confidence to move them forward through daily employee driven recognition (our guitar pick program) and our quarterly core value awards.
Ensuring well-being:
Healthy snacks, no sodas (lots of water options!) Biggest Loser competitions, time off to volunteer, go to the gym, etc. We also have worked hard to de-stigmatize mental health through trainings and providing an environment where our people feel comfortable reaching out when they need help.
| Closing company statements: No company is nirvana, but Rapid7 comes pretty close. We are candid about who we are, how we work together, what we are trying to accomplish, and we love to partner with people who align with our mission, and embody our core values If that appeals to you, you will absolutely love it here. |
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