Our blog series featuring the folks behind the scenes at Perceptyx rolls on, and this month we’re chatting with Alanna Morse, a 4-year veteran of the company based in our Lincoln, NE office. In our conversation, Alanna shared a little about her career path (hint: don’t ask her about that Chemistry class…), the importance of fun, supportive co-workers, and why no two workdays are the same.
Q. How long have you worked at Perceptyx and what initially drew you to the company?
I’ve worked at Perceptyx for a little over 4 years. I started on the same day with Christian Wilbeck and Adam Thorne. We flew out to California for a week-long crash course on Perceptyx given by John Borland (now CEO). Imagine sitting in a room with one of the four people who knew literally everything about the system for 8-9 hours a day for 4 days straight. I was exhausted and motivated all at the same time.
There were three things that drew me to the company:
- The platform. I was coming from a project manager role where I had to say “no” to a lot of client requests and when John showed me during an interview the agility and flexibility of the platform, I was blown away. I can still remember asking him, “How does Perceptyx not win every sales pitch with this system?” I was that awe struck by it.
- The idea to be part of something special. It was obvious that Perceptyx was a family-oriented company and that everyone was eager to make an impact and grow together. When I talked to John, there was a passion in his voice for not only the platform, the clients, and the employees, but also a resounding feeling that we were going to make a major impact on the world of Employee Engagement.
- I wanted to be challenged. Many people know this about me, but I hate being bored. I am not talking about the weekends or anything, I am talking about at work. I wanted a job where I felt I was going to be challenged daily with a new system, new clients, and new problems to solve. I wanted to use the skills I knew I had to make an impact.
Q. You’ve worked with a diverse array of clients in different industries. While we would never ask you to play "favorites," can you share any specific customer projects or outcomes that really stand out for you?
The projects I’ve enjoyed most are the ones where I looked forward to the weekly meetings and the problem-solving conversations because the client was positive, respectful, and openly communicated their expectations.
The members of our Operations and Consulting teams have seen and done it all when it comes to employee surveys. Be it a Fortune 100 company or a company with 100 employees. Clients that look at Perceptyx as a true partner, rather than just a vendor, are often the most effective organizations I’ve worked alongside.
Q. At Perceptyx we’re all about helping organizations capture and respond to the voices of their employees. How has working here changed your thinking about what it means to be an engaged, fulfilled employee?
After working with probably hundreds of clients at this point, directly and indirectly, one thing that always seems to come up is the appreciation a manager needs to have for their employees. Since I’m no longer in day-to-day contact with clients, it’s important to hear from those individuals that understand the problems our clients and internal teams are facing, and make our processes, systems, and solutions better. Finally, I would say, having fun at work. Some people will say things like, ‘work isn’t supposed to be fun’ or, ‘I would rather work, go home and not worry about it until the next day.’ Personally, I would disagree.
Work is 40 hours a week (at least). That’s 8 hours out of my 16 hours a day (if you are doing the math, yes, I go to bed early most nights), or 53.33% of my waking hours. I absolutely want to have fun at work!
Q. What voices have been most meaningful in influencing your own life and career?
When I first started in survey out of college at J.D. Power and Associates, my two bosses were Andrea Lau and Mary Power. These two women were all about the company culture and the team dynamic before it was even a measure in Engagement surveys. But let me tell you, they worked extremely hard as well. I learned from these two ladies what it meant to see things from an employee’s perspective, how to not take things seriously, how to have fun at work, and how to drive change through actions.
Secondly, the entire team I work with influences not only my job but my life. I get the pleasure of working day in and day out with all different types of people. I could not do what I do now without the support and motivation that this group drives.
Last but not least, my family in general. Without the support of my family, I would not have been able to take on all the projects and work that I enjoyed doing for the past 4 years. Life is short. Find a job that you love doing, that you’re good at and that you can continue to grow in.
Q. What’s one thing your coworkers would be surprised to learn about you?
Throughout high school and early in my college career, I was focused on becoming a nurse. I really enjoyed the idea of being able to help people that were sick or in need. I entered pre-Nursing classes at the University of Kentucky while I was there playing golf and quickly realized nursing was not going to be in my future. Why?
- It took me two semesters to pass Chemistry.
- I passed out at the sight of needles and giving/taking blood.
I quickly changed my major and finished my degree in Business with a minor in Economics. I do, however, still really enjoy working with our healthcare clients specifically. Although I am not a nurse, I feel like our company directly affects patient care through the employee experience.
Q. What’s your favorite thing about working at Perceptyx?
Hands down, the people. I love the people I work with. My Operations family is amazing. People work hard, are respectful to one another, raise their hand even when their plates are already full, and honestly, are just good people.
Lastly, I would say the unknown. My day is never the same. I can have one meeting about a specific client, then jump to one about a product enhancement, then jump on a sales pitch with a prospect and finish the day discussing process improvements. My job gives me the ability to continue to challenge myself and our company.
Interested in joining our team and working with colleagues like Alanna? Check out our open positions and apply today!