Forward Networks was just named a Great Place to Work in the Bay Area by Fortune. We’re excited to be on this list in an area known for setting the bar high when it comes to treating employees well. Perks are nice, but perks alone don’t get 100% of employees to say they work at a great company — that comes down to people and culture. And 100% of my colleagues said that Forward Networks is a Great Place to Work, beating the national average by 43%.
During my first conversation with a recruiter, I knew in my heart that there was something special about Forward Networks. Throughout the rest of the interview process – my hunch was confirmed, everyone I spoke to was smart, dedicated, and authentic. I knew it was the kind of environment where I could be myself, keep learning, face challenges, and thrive.
I love our platform, and I’m so happy to be working with a technology I believe in – but for me, the best part of Forward Networks is the people I get to work with. Everyone is committed to doing what’s best for our customers.
About two months into my tenure, we had our first hackathon. I’ve always experienced hackathons as a (well-earned) week for engineers to go play with their toys without regard to practical application. That’s not how my amazing co-workers approached it.
Every team focused on resolving a challenge our customers had experienced. Founders worked on teams with junior engineers – side by side as equals. Best of all – we incorporated several of the teams' suggestions into shipped product within a quarter. This is because everyone checked their ego and truly collaborated to support our customers. It’s also because we have some of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with on staff.
I’ve always appreciated working with smart people; I mean, who doesn’t? But sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions. That’s never been the case here. People are not only willing to share knowledge, but to ask for your expertise as well. We all sit down to lunch together once a week – from our founders and executive leaders to the newest kid on the block.
I asked some of my co-workers why they think Forward Networks is a great place to work, and while the answers were unique, the themes of trust, empowerment, and people rose to the top. Here are some of the responses:
“I enjoy the level of autonomy I have in doing my job. I also appreciate that I have the full support of management anytime I need it.”
– Jack Shen, Customer Success
“Forward Networks fully supports its people. When I decided to pursue a master's degree that required me to move overseas, I had the full support of my team and leaders to pursue my dream and continue to contribute to the company.”
– Aditya Chakraborty, Design
“The people at Forward Networks exhibit a high level of integrity. They are dedicated, smart, hard-working, accountable, and responsive. I can trust them implicitly. At the same time, our product is amazing. There’s no other networking software offering like this in the industry, and we are just getting started.”
– Andi Voellmy, Principal Engineering Manager
“The Forward Networks platform is software I wish I’d had access to earlier in my career. We’re breaking new ground around network digital twins, and I get to be on the forefront of this development all the while working with great people that I trust and appreciate.”
– Tyson Henrie, Customer Success
“Forward Networks understands how to hire and empower people that exhibit a desire for continuous learning and growth. We have lots of people in the company that went to top schools, and we have people with non-traditional backgrounds. We all work together with mutual respect and trust which makes this a great place to work."
– Scott Arky, IT Manager
I feel so fortunate to be at this company with these people. Sure, we have a game room, happy hours, lunches, and great benefits, but none of that matters if the company culture is unappealing. We have a secret sauce that can’t easily be replicated; we have talent, trust, empowerment, and support, combined with the excitement of solving “unsolvable” problems. And … we’re hiring. Check out the careers page if you want to be as happy at work as we are!
