By: Norman Heath

After joining Finys in 2018, I can say the company’s been good to me and good for me.

I’d been doing IT work for Comerica Bank in its Client Support Department when the bank undertook a downsizing. When my position was eliminated, I wanted to find a place to bring technology and customer service together. There was a client-support position available at Finys. So, I said, “Yeah, let’s take a shot at that.”

Given the size of Comerica Bank, I find Finys to be more homey; that is, everybody here knows everybody. Given that, if there’s something you need help with, you have a good sense of your relationships and can get help to navigate any type of situation you run into. That actually took a little getting used to.

For example, in my first month here I was talking to Kurt, the CEO of the company. I thought, “Okay. This is unusual.” But it’s not. We had a conversation about how the company operates, and he’s one of the people I can go to for help and opinions. He’s not this guy up in the sky somewhere that you never see like in the huge companies I was used to.

I started as a Business Analyst. I’m now a Client Partner. That means I work with our clients to ensure we develop what they’re looking for in their platforms. I get to work with our developers on the technological side, and I work with the clients on the other hand to bridge the gap. Because I’ve been in this role for some time, I have one person under me whom I oversee to make sure she’s also developing and growing in the role to be successful as well.

Since I’ve worked in dog-eat-dog environments, I have to say the Finys environment is remarkably free from ego. I love the culture here because it’s very much team-based. We all work together to succeed. If I’m trained well and I train the next person well, we’re not competing with each other. We’re complementing each other. It’s all about what we’ve done to help improve the customer’s experience.

My first indication of what it’s like here came during my first phone interview. Rather than asking something like, “Where do you see yourself in five years,” they said, “We’re looking for a person who wants to be around and grow in our company for at least five years or more, someone who wants to help us build and grow.” After I accepted the job offer, I could see what they’re trying to build. The goal is to bring in people to make everybody rise together. And when we have our team meetings, Kurt emphasizes that we’re all in this together. We’re looking out for what’s best for the company and our customers, and we’re all rising together. In general, the questions were more about personality and curiosity: “What would you do in this situation? How would you do that?” They’re interested in the person you are.

Given all that, it certainly helps to have a sense of internal drive. We’re allowed to generate our own opportunities here, taking into consideration that we can always ask for help. That’s part of the culture, too. We strive to develop leaders and even to develop roles, responsibilities, or positions that may not have existed before.

In one instance, I was given a project to build a newer version of a customer’s existing platform using our infrastructure. Since I needed to figure out the requirements and understand the environment in which the platform was being used, I asked Kurt if I could make a site visit. He said, “Okay. We’ll get you down there.” And he did. But I had the opportunity to generate the approach and the ideas on my own.

I’m fortunate that, in my career, I’ve been able to do an amazing gamut of things. I’ve done customer service at Target, I’ve worked at Best Buy. I’ve done everything from retail to corporate banking. Now I have the opportunity to work in a place that encourages and appreciates my abilities and my contributions. And this is not me shilling for the company: Where I’m at right now at Finys is the most enjoyable and fulfilling work I’ve ever done.

Even through the pandemic, we worked out flexible scheduling and continued to help each other and our customers without missing a beat. And the company looked out for us and for our families. I’m very thankful and happy to work for this company and for the relationships I’ve formed. I can see myself being here until I’m done.

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.

By: David Hilber

I’ve always been an insatiable learner, but the rigidity of learning in a school setting was difficult for me. After finishing high school, getting married, and starting a family, I knew being a bank manager wasn’t going to be enough to satisfy my creative and intellectual desires. So I did what I do best: I took up a somewhat unconventional hobby. I decided I was going to learn how to write software.

How It Began

As most hobbies begin, I was a self-admitted neophyte. I read as much as I could, and I practiced the information I gathered to gradually improve my skills. I started off writing macros and VBA scripts using Microsoft Excel. And then as luck would have it, a friend of mine gave me my first copy of Visual Studio 2005. I’m pretty sure I stopped sleeping after that. I began spending every waking moment designing, redesigning, and making small applications. I made applications for my wife to use for her work. I made applications for my father-in-law. At that point, I knew I found my passion. And I knew I had to find a way to use my knowledge and experience.

So, I did what most folks do in the age of information: I created a resumé and put it out there, hoping to find a career in this newfound passion of mine. And as luck would have it, my resume was found and I was brought in for an interview.

The Rest is History

As nervous as I was to have my first interview as a Software Developer without a formal education, I knew this was my chance. I confidently walked into the office and showed off what I had built. And from that moment on, my career took off.

I have to admit, it was difficult at first. I was previously leveraging VB.NET with Access databases. And at Finys, our primary language is C# with Microsoft SQL Server databases. There was a plethora of new knowledge I had to obtain. At first, I felt like I was drowning. And then, I met my co-workers. Everybody at Finys was welcoming, kind, and supportive. It was more like a mentorship than what I had expected. I expected to be thrown into the water to see if I was going to sink or swim. But because the environment was so welcoming, because everyone was so generous with their time and the things they’ve learned, I simply springboarded and accelerated even faster than I ever imagined.

I wanted to make sure Finys knew how serious I was. I wanted to make sure they knew they made the right choice by giving me a chance. After about three months of being mentored, I was put on my first project. I remember spending so much time reading the ISO manual for Commercial Auto. I presented my ideas to the team and was given the opportunity to work with the development team to build and implement my design. That project certainly seemed to separate me from the herd.

The Diamond in the Rough

Fast forward ten years, and I’m sure they would agree taking a chance on hiring me was worth it. While I still run technical projects and develop software, I’m also responsible for some of the hiring procedures at Finys. And I’m grateful for the opportunity because I get to look for individuals that share my passion and perhaps not the typical path of formal education followed by career. I try to watch out for those individuals who have the drive, a unique way of thinking, and for some, the ability to claw their way into a field like software development.

If I can find developers to add to the organization who have a similar mindset to my own, Finys will be a better company for the perspectives they’ll bring.

Family First

I’d also like to share the family-oriented perspective that Finys brought into my life. When I was working at the bank, my first child was born. He was born on a Saturday, and I was back to work the following Monday. At that point in my life, I figured that was just the way life was. But when I had my second child and I was an employee at Finys, I was given time off to bond with and care for my child. That experience was invaluable, and I’m grateful to work for a company that saw the value in my absence for the purpose of my family life. I may not be the poster child for the optimal work/life balance. I get passionate about my projects. But with a family-oriented employer like Finys, they see the value in supporting me to be equally as passionate about my wife and children.

We’re looking to add team members who fit into our culture. We’re looking to add team members who want to succeed. And I’d say we’re looking to add team members who not only add value to Finys, but want to find their personal value and true potential. It’s more than a job. And I’m grateful to be a part of this organization.