Side-by-side employee spotlight: First hire vs. newest hire
Whether it’s day one on the job or day 1,000, our team knows Buildertrend is not like most workplaces. And we don’t want to be.
There are no corner offices. Ties have been replaced by T-shirts, and a positive attitude is celebrated instead of a cutthroat one. Even our three founders and co-CEOs sit among and work alongside the rest, not behind closed doors. We work as one team, together – whether someone has been with the company from the very start or their Buildertrend journey has just begun.
That’s what brings us to our latest employee spotlight. It’s a two-for-one special! Instead of just speaking to one all-star employee, you’ll hear from both Paul Wurth, Buildertrend evangelist, and Mike Beins, applications developer III. Paul was the very first hire our co-founders made in 2006, and Mike is part of our most recent class of new team members.
We thought it would be fun to see what they value about our work culture, despite the difference in time spent here, and ask them to travel back in time to recall their first days. (Sorry, Paul. You’ll have to travel just a smidge further back than Mike.)
Q: What was your first role here at Buildertrend? What did your day-to-day look like?
Paul: Vice president of sales. I was the first salesperson for the company, and at that stage we were still figuring out a lot of our process. Our co-founder and co-CEO, Dan Houghton, led our sales team and set strategy for lead management. A lot of the early months and years, we all were developing our process around how to properly handle leads, perform demos and communicate our value prop to the market. It was a lot of trial and error, hard work and cold calls … but a lot of fun!
Mike: I’m in my first role now – applications developer III. So, I am currently in training, which consists of several meetings a day and coding exercises.
Q: What first drew you to the job at BT?
Paul: I’d known the three founders for some time and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with them. It was exciting to think about starting something from the ground up and helping them build a business. It was totally different from the corporate world of my first job and offered a fast-pace and creative environment.
Mike: Several people I knew spoke very highly of Buildertrend. Being a referral myself, I liked that the company has seen continued growth each year, growing to over 500 employees. I also like the casual dress code, the fact that there are regular team outings and onsite perks once we’re back in the office.
Q: How would you describe the Buildertrend culture?
Paul: Authentic. Since the word “culture” has become so popular in business, I think it’s easy for a company to promise a great culture but it’s really hard to deliver on that promise. Again, from each stage, Buildertrend delivers on its promise: If you come in and work hard, have a great attitude and care about the company and people around you, you will succeed!
Mike: Open. Casual. Laid back.
Q: Here’s a question just for Paul. There’s been a lot of change throughout your years. What’s something that has always remained constant?
Paul: Product excellence. The Buildertrend project management software helps construction companies streamline their business and become better. Buildertrend’s feature set has definitely grown throughout the years thanks to our talented engineering and corporate development teams. However, even with our original feature set, it’s been a gamechanger for construction. Not many companies can say they’ve revolutionized an entire industry. We can and continue to do so.
Q: And now here’s one for you, Mike. You started during a pandemic. What was that like?
Mike: The hiring process was straight-forward and nonintimidating. I prefer working in the office over at home, so it’s been an adjustment. But the team has been very accommodating and helpful in making sure everything was ready for me on day one. Being able to start a new job during a pandemic when there are so many hiring freezes out there is an amazing feeling.
Q: What do you think makes Buildertrend unique to any other tech company like it?
Paul: Hard work. Sometimes success is as simple as that. There is no other tech company I’ve ever seen that has the same amount of hardworking and dedicated employees as Buildertrend. We simply out work our competition.
Mike: Its focus on team. By having Team as one of our three core values, it shows Buildertrend is truly invested in its employees. They give back to the team through benefits and growth opportunities. Going through the interview process, one of my questions was about growth and what the path looks like to advance here. The answer I received was the path is yours. You can grow at your own pace.
Q: What’s your biggest piece of advice for new hires?
Paul: Trust. Again, Buildertrend’s biggest asset is authenticity. Trust every day that if you work hard, be open to coaching and bring a great attitude, you’ll have success.
Mike: Take it one day at a time. Pace yourself and reach out to your peers if you have questions.
Are you our next new hire?
Good news for Mike. Being the freshest face at Buildertrend never lasts long. Our team is always growing.
If you want to come work for one of the Best Places to Work in Omaha (hooray and yay for being back-to-back champs on this citywide ranking!), check out our job openings here.
Life really is better here – from day one to day 1,000 and beyond.
Get to know our podcast hosts
You listen to them every week, but who are they outside of the studio? Zach and Charley, hosts of “The Building Code,” answered questions to help listeners get to know them.
Builderbond: Where collaboration comes before competition
Buildertrend and CBUSA hosted their first Builderbond event where builders from across Nebraska shared best practices on how to thrive in today’s competitive market.
Customer Ride Alongs: Our secret weapon for understanding builders – and improving the product
We’re sending Buildertrend team members on Customer Ride Alongs to better understand the needs of our builders and gather feedback for improving our tech.
Want to contribute to our blog?
We believe in building a community for construction – sharing is a big part of that. If you have industry expertise or a story to tell, your voice can reach thousands here.