A Culture of Trust

By: Jennifer Bogdanski

December of 2023 marked 11 years since I came to work at Finys. I started out in quality assurance (QA) and then moved pretty quickly into what we call a client partner role. I’ve been working closely with clients for almost 10 years. I currently maintain systems that have already been built or are adding large projects. That could entail starting from pre-implementation, putting them in live production, then working with them post-implementation.

I find the work very fulfilling. I pride myself in always trying to do what’s best for our clients and for our company, finding a mutually beneficial path. It might not be what either party wants out the gate, but we come to agreement on the best approach. I find that very rewarding when I can get to that spot because sometimes it’s a little challenging. That’s the value of communication. And communication is very important here, with our clients and within our teams.

At Finys, we’re given the authority to go along with our responsibility. That’s how we learn. We make mistakes and we grow. We move forward and do better. Being able to communicate to our peers that one way might be better than another way is part of that. Doing that respectfully can be challenging, too. But it’s very important to make sure everyone’s on the same page to work effectively as a team.

There’s also a distinct difference between management and leadership here. Management roles are specific assignments. But we’re all encouraged to be leaders, to contribute to the best of our abilities across team lines and given opportunities to support others and develop. It’s up to me to take that opportunity just like anybody else, but I do for sure.

I started my career at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in a management position. I enjoyed some aspects of that job, but there were things I just didn’t see myself going much farther in. I have a longtime family friend who also works at Finys, and she knew I was looking for a job. She knew I had no technical or insurance experience. But she knew my management experience and thought I might be a good fit.

I got an interview, got hired, and found so many people here willing to help kind of grow you up if you’re willing to take the help. As I learned the basics of insurance working as a QA tester, I got a better understanding of what insurers typically look for and what they do with our product. And from there, I grew into my present responsibility as a Client Partner.

The real difference between Finys and other companies is its culture. Beyond making sure you have the training you need, the people here give you the freedom to look into other aspects of the business that may not be directly assigned to you, to grow. I have worked with a lot of great people in my career at Finys. And people I don’t work directly with are always willing to help, and to check and see how I’m doing, see if I need a hand with something. Overall, it’s just a great community of people to work with. It’s a growing company that manages to retain its small company feel and working environment.

That cultural difference was evident in my interviews. It was much less regimented than I expected it to be. There was no script or list of questions. It was more of an open discussion in which the people who interviewed me let me talk, and they really listened. It was much more relaxed, in a very positive way.