How we took the Buildertrend culture home with us

A lot can happen in eight months.

You can train for a marathon, watch the “Titanic” 1,946 times (yep, we did the math) or strengthen an already award-winning company culture – even as the entire team operates from home. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Buildertrend’s employees were all sent to work from home for the first time in the company’s history.

Today, remote work continues. It’s been eight months since we traded rush hour commutes for strolls to our laptops, but one thing has remained resilient: the culture that helped us claim the top spot on the Best Places to Work in Omaha list. To be a part of this team means coming to work ready to save the day and share a laugh at the same time.

That still holds true, even if “coming to work” looks a little differently today. While some of us may still have trouble remember to unmute in video meetings, we’ve gotten used to our new day-to-days and found new ways to replicate the camaraderie found at Buildertrend headquarters.

What was originally only supposed to be a couple weeks, turned into a couple months … then a couple more. Still those positive attitudes and that relentless drive persists. But don’t just take our word for it. We checked in with a couple of members of our team to see how they took the Buildertrend culture home with them.

Q: How have you stayed engaged with other teammates during this time?

Caitlin Edwards, onboarding specialist I:

Buildertrend, right away, made efforts to keep us active in our communication. They created new Teams chat groups for us to post pictures of our pets or any off-topic fun we wanted to share. I remember sharing photos of our “home offices” and seeing how our peers are working. Some of them had some very interesting setups!

We’ve also had awesome opportunities to volunteer, which is great because Buildertrend gives us all eight hours per year to get paid time off for doing some good! I have donated blood a couple times and spent the day at Heart Ministry handing out food to those in need and learning about the programs offered to get people a fresh start and get back on their feet. It was such a great feeling that I didn’t even realize I needed to feel during this pandemic.

Michael Vandevoort, corporate development strategist:

I have found time outside of work hours and on the weekend to grab a bite to eat on outdoor patios or enjoy some golf with colleagues. Additionally, I try and spend some evenings playing virtual Catan with other employees. The three Ts also help to stay in touch: Texting, Teams and Twitter.

Kyler Erickson, onboarding specialist I:

I’ve been able to stay engaged with other employees by attending our We heart Buildertrend events, hopping on Zoom calls to check in on each other and by utilizing Microsoft Teams messaging. Our current world situation is far from ideal, but here at Buildertrend we always adjust. When times get tough, families come together to help each other out. That’s exactly what we’ve done here at Buildertrend.

How do you continue to serve our customers during this time?   

Caitlin: We always strive to go above and beyond for our customers! It’s what sets us apart from our competition from day one. I always get the feedback from clients that have used other platforms that we have the best Customer Service, are the best at getting back to them and are the friendliest and most knowledgeable about our product. Now, if anything, our customers need us to go above and beyond more than ever so that they stay confident in their decision when they chose Buildertrend. We need to keep them positive and feeling good throughout this pandemic as well.

Michael: Digital transformation is hard. For some, COVID-19 has forced that hand. If we truly want to change the way the world builds, it’s going to take all of us going one step further to support our customers and make sure we are providing them all the help they need.

Kyler: We don’t take shortcuts; we don’t take the easy way out. However difficult and odd this year may be, we fight to do our best for our customers – and for our coworkers. I’ve always been told that adversity doesn’t define character, it reveals it. Our hard work, passion and give a sh*t attitudes are showing right now.

How have you personally taken the Buildertrend culture home with you? 

Caitlin: I think by continuing our over-communicating, keeping our Teams chats fun and building everyone up throughout the day for their efforts is a great start.

I have a great teammate who when asked how he is doing always responds with “living the dream!” and I constantly ask myself “Am I living the dream?” Then I make myself do one thing that makes me feel as though I am “living the dream!” I think the best way to make it through 2020 is to stay positive and destroy negative thoughts. We got this.

Michael: For me, I like to humbly brag about the company I work for. A lot of people are interested how our work is going and how the world of construction is adapting. I tell them about the impact of Scheduling, the Customer Portal and even the ability to collect payments online. From Sales to Customer Success to Engineering, it takes the whole village to make our customers successful and these are who I like to brag about.

Kyler: Since working from home, I’ve drank a ton of Fairy Nectar beer. It reminds me of the days of beating people in ping pong, bags and Golden Tee at the office after work. I’ve also met up frequently with some coworkers for lunch, as we used to do in the office.

The only part of the culture that I haven’t been able to replicate is chugging ZIP energy mixed with Diet Mountain Dew. There’s simply not a better combination in all of the world. Healthy? Probably not. Delicious? Of course. More importantly, I’ve continued to work hard, and I’ve tried to reach out to others to check in on them as much as possible.

We’re hiring!

If you want to experience this ever-positive and ever-productive culture for yourself, check out our career openings now.

We’d love to (virtually) meet you!