BuiltIn.com’s list honors companies whose outstanding cultures show a commitment to their employees
Ringing in the new year with a positive note is always fun. Our sites in 4 major U.S. cities - San Francisco, Denver, New York and Austin - were included in BuiltIn’s Best Large Companies to Work For list for 2022.
Wix has always put its people first. Our decisions and actions as a company are driven by our people’s voice, so listening to their feedback - especially in these times - is an ongoing routine.
Our People group is constantly connecting with our people to understand what they need and work to deliver on that. Some changes include enhancing our PTO offering, switching to Benepass, working on options for flexible work post-pandemic, launching our internal mobility platform, and more. Our goal is to be a top employer for employee well-being, and we think it's this commitment for caring to our people that helped us get recognized on this list.
To hear more about how our employees feel at Wix and why they think we were selected in BuiltIn’s Best Companies list, we spoke with 3 of our employees in Denver and Austin.
Caring in times of trouble
2020 was quite a year for Joel Goodman. He moved to Austin, Texas, got married and started a job in sales after working as an actor for 25 years. Then, in the early days of the pandemic, he was also laid-off, along with all his Austin-based colleagues.
Things didn’t look very bright back then, but a few months later, Wix’s Customer Care group reached out to Joel and his friends and offered for them to interview with us. “I was thrilled because I’m good with people and I like helping them, so I went through the interview process with Wix and a bunch of us started working in September 2020.
“The beginning was weird because we did everything from home due to the pandemic,” says Joel, “but we always had lots of team meetings and activities in order to get into the culture and I can tell you that even if they’re done virtually, those are the moments of team building and site building,” he says.
Joel wasn’t surprised that Wix was included in BuiltIn’s Best Companies to Work For list in Austin. “There are the obvious things - the great healthcare plan and the fact that Wix pays for my lunches - but it isn’t just that. I come from a tough industry, so when I got hired and saw Wix's ‘No assholes’ policy I snickered, but I have to admit I have yet to run into an asshole at this job. And I am amazed at the amount of support that leadership has provided for their Customer Care Experts. We’re a business which has a pretty good heart, “ he says with a smile.
What kind of support?
“First, there’s emotional support. Last January my wife and I came down with Covid. We were quarantined together and it was ugly. We weren't prepared for it and one day out of nowhere, I opened the front door to get some fresh air and there's a gift basket at the front door. I put it on the kitchen counter and it turns out it’s a get well basket from Wix with chicken noodle soup, crossword puzzles, coloring books, and tea bags and stuff. I turned to my wife and I said ‘What kind of company am I working for? Who does this?’ It made me feel that the company I work for does care about me. It really blew me away and I even teared up a little bit.
“Another example is how Wix took care of everyone who needed help when an ice storm hit Austin last year. Wix put together a plan to make sure that employees had housing, food and water and that really impressed me.”
Creating a safe and inclusive work environment
Neha Desai came to Wix after close to 10 years at a major U.S. retail company. She started as an analyst, moved into strategy, and then shifted into sales. Eventually she was in charge of about 20 employees as a specialty sales manager.
In January 2020, just before Covid began, Neha decided to change trajectory and started looking for something new. “I was only planning to be unemployed for a few months, but it took a little bit longer because of Covid. I remember finding out that Wix was opening a site in Denver in the early summer of 2020 and I decided to learn more about it. Eventually, I applied for a role as Customer Care Team Lead and I could not be happier with that decision.”
Why?
“I feel very, very lucky to be a part of this company. The care that Wix has for their employees is something I just have not experienced at any other job. And you can see it around mental health, physical health, career growth, and more.
“Employees at Wix are pretty autonomous on what their growth looks like to them. There is no set path that you need to take. We work hard, but we're also rewarded and that appreciation shows, not just in everyday perks and healthcare benefits,” she says.
“A couple of the ways I see that appreciation come through at Wix is first and foremost from the support of my peers and my leaders. Praise and simple recognition for a job well done goes a very long way. Whether that's through a Slack channel, or on a larger scale during national meetings or All Hands meetings. I also see it through leaders providing their employees with exposure to different projects or areas that are of interest to an employee to aid in their growth. Our leaders see us here, and I don't doubt that my manager is always looking out for my best interest and finding me opportunities to grow and take my next steps here.
“On top of that, there are diversity and inclusion efforts that are very important to me. Not only can Wix talk the talk, but it can walk the walk when it comes to how progressive and how inclusive it is as a company.
“One of the first few things I did when I joined was checking our diversity and inclusion efforts. I stumbled upon sKinTech (a group of Wix employees dedicated to building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community at Wix and in tech). They have been working very closely with our People group and I think it’s such a great example of the hard work that our own employees have put in to move these efforts, so being a person of color in this company, being a woman, and being a part of the LGBTQ+ community and seeing these kinds of efforts being made makes me feel comfortable and valued.”
Community building
Celeste Zuber joined Wix in November of 2020 as Customer Success Manager after years in the Denver start-up scene. She works with some of Wix’s top users on the bookings and fitness side of their business. This means monitoring their businesses’ performance, suggesting new ways to do things in order to make a larger impact, using certain tools creatively and always optimizing processes.
Celeste says that although she started working at Wix in the midst of the pandemic and has been working remotely, her team of 9 feels close and intimate because of many team building activities.
“Recently, we went to a baseball and a hockey game and it was fun seeing everyone again. We were encouraged to meet as a little team and do coffee meetups if we felt comfortable. If you would rather stay at home, there are creative ways to meet during COVID and lockdowns. Lately, for example, we had a virtual sushi rolling workshop which was lots of fun,” she shares.
“I think two of the main reasons Wix was included in those lists are our transparency and our culture. People are honest and leadership is transparent about where we are and how we should get there, and the people you work with really can help turn your day around! If you're having a difficult day because of personal reasons or maybe you're struggling while learning something new, having a great team makes your day that much better. So many team members are always willing to help out when you need it.”
Celeste also says that, “Wix certainly knows how to come up with creative gifts to send employees. You never know what you'll get and it's a fun surprise that makes your day. Then if something personal is going on in your life, you have teammates that are there and help you in your time of need and it's comforting.”
