Zendesk Look inside
Zendesk employees. Image: Connor McKenna

Zendesk encourages employees to pursue their passions

22 Nov 2017

With so many organisations looking for top talent, company culture is becoming as important as the job itself.

Everyone wants to enjoy what they do for a living. Sure, a big part of that is the work, but you should pursue a career in something you’re passionate about.

If you’re going to spend a large chunk of your day doing something, you need to make sure you love doing that thing.

With a talent shortage, particularly in tech, there are plenty of companies that could offer you a job you love. But how do you choose?

Company culture has become a huge factor when people are deciding where they want to work. But how can you know for sure what the culture is like in a particular company? A look inside and hearing from employees themselves is a good start.

At Zendesk, a laid-back, friendly atmosphere is essential, according to associate HR business partner Claire Walsh.

“It’s quite informal at Zendesk; we have events and we have Happy Hour every Friday with drinks to kind of wind down after the week, so definitely a sense of fun and humour is really important,” she said.

This sense of fun and a good work-life balance is echoed by Roberto Aiello, an instructional designer at Zendesk.

“We are dedicated to our job but we don’t work crazy hours; we have time for family, for friends and, of course, for our own passions,” he said. “We’re always encouraged to pursue our own passions.”

On a broader scale, Zendesk’s culture doesn’t just stretch to its employees’ work-life balance, it also participates in community outreach.

Aiello said Zendesk helps local non-profit organisations by improving education and promoting gender equality.

Zendesk’s culture is particularly important to its business model because it is a platform that helps its clients have more meaningful relationships with their customers.

In order for Zendesk to help its clients give customers a human touch, it needs people who are passionate about what they do.

Jenny Darmody
By Jenny Darmody

Jenny Darmody became the editor of Silicon Republic in 2023, having worked as the deputy editor since February 2020. When she’s not writing about the science and tech industry, she’s writing short stories and attempting novels. She continuously buys more books than she can read in a lifetime and pretty stationery is her kryptonite. She also believes seagulls to be the root of all evil and her baking is the stuff of legends.

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