Tyler Hardy

Tell us more about your job. What are you responsible for in your role, and what’s a typical day like?

I am responsible for coordinating with the clients to determine software requirements, designing systems, and tasking the work to achieve those requirements and the review of the completed work. A typical day consists of collaborating with developers who are working on related features for the projects I’m on, meeting with clients, and developing software.

What attracted you to work at Susco? How did you know it would be a good fit?

I was most attracted to Susco because of the laid-back atmosphere, as well as their focus on results and self-driven learning. I knew it would be a good fit because Susco demonstrated an environment that allows people to rise to the occasion. There’s a strong emphasis on personal growth, and the team emphasized that this philosophy also applies to work. Since joining Susco, it’s become clear to me that employees are given the opportunity to carve their own path and grow as much as they’re motivated to grow.

Tell us about when you’ve felt most proud of your work or colleagues.

My proudest moment at Susco was hearing that our software, which was designed to replace a complex process for a client, was well-received among their team. At the beginning, our client’s executives were skeptical about putting something in front of their team because they had rejected software introduced in the past. They wanted to make sure that we delivered a product that would truly improve their team’s workflow, and we went through a year-long, iterative process with the client’s executive team to craft this software. Ultimately, the team was grateful for our software because it increased their efficiency immensely.

What do you value most about your company’s or team’s culture? What sets it apart from other places you’ve worked?

The best thing about Susco’s culture is the cohesiveness. The entire company has a cooperative mindset that exemplifies our namesake: “Sus” (solve) and “co” (together). Siloing simply doesn’t exist at Susco. Also there’s no internal competition, because we all have to work together to achieve our goals. We learn from, grow with, and lean on each other. Other places where I’ve worked showed an obvious competition between team members, who were all vying for a promotion or gain over others. The structure at Susco allows us to thrive in our own spaces without tearing each other down.

How has your company shown appreciation for your work? What kinds of employee achievements are recognized?

Susco has been incredibly gracious with work appreciation, from weekly, monthly, and yearly recognition. Every Monday, teammates pass off Tusco—our employee-of-the-week elephant (plus a nice bonus)—to another teammate who showed effort over the past week. We also receive quarterly bonuses for short-term accolades on projects. When a specific project goes incredibly well, the team is made aware, and sometimes we’ll celebrate the occasion on company outings. And lastly, we get yearly anniversary appreciation from the leadership team, along with company lunch and games.

What advice do you have for someone in your field applying to jobs at your company?

Start to understand yourself and what you want both personally and professionally. Professional growth only gets you so far at Susco. You really need to dig deep on your life aspirations and how those apply to your career. Obviously, demonstrate the technical skill required for your position—and be self-driven to gain whatever skills you don’t have.