Featured Employer: Square Root

This Week’s Noteworthy Find: Square Root

A Texas software company on a mission to connect with their team, clients, and community; Square Root is a customer-inspired certified great place to work. 

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During the time of a global pandemic, many companies were quick to come up with a gameplan on how to move their employees to an online, remote setting without disrupting the workflow of business operations. When the Texas automotive software company, Square Root, was presented with this challenge- they not only came up with a gameplan on how to run operations, but they also prioritized their employee’s needs and put an emphasis on keeping up with the camaraderie of their office life. The best part? Square Root has acted on its company values in order to thrive in an uncertain world. 

Founded in 2006 by Chris Taylor, Square Root chose Austin, Texas as their place to call home. With endeavors of hoping to help the automotive industry, Taylor created the software platform CoEFFICIENT® for Original Equipment Manufacturers to reach their goals and assist stores in measuring data patterns through insights. He strongly believes that each retailer has a unique way of finding possibilities for making themselves the best they can be. Through field management, Square Root plans to reimagine these possibilities.

Square Root has made its mark in People Magazine on the annual “50 Companies that Care” list, coming in at number 27 in 2019. They have been listed as a certified Great Place to Work, have been featured on Fortune’s “50 Best Small Workplaces”, implemented a Learn Anything program for their Radicals (a moniker for Square Root employees), and they take the time to give back to their community through volunteering together. The company even holds Innovation Day to meet with brands like Subaru, Honda, and Walgreens. With just about 50 employees working out of a cozy house that has since been renovated into their office. Since COVID-19, Square Root has moved to an online platform but still manages to create an inclusive, thoughtful, open-minded, and welcoming environment for all according to their website. 

Square Root’sInclusive Culture Pre-Pandemic and in Current Times

Square Root has taken their company values to the next level, before and currently living in a world riddled with uncertainty. Their mission to “Think Big, Do Bigger, Be Customer Inspired, Partner, and Thrive” has been reflected in ways of working with clients and with one another. 

This has been done in a number of ways, starting with Innovation Day. This is an opportunity to connect with clients. The day starts with learning about other companies’ work cultures and ends with a friendly Happy Hour. Brands such as Nissan and Audi have raved about their Square Root Innovation Day. According to Kent O’Hara, Nissan Global Vice President, it “gave [the] team that rare opportunity to clear our minds so we could think more strategically about the year ahead”. In an effort to invite various perspectives into the conversation of company culture, Square Root encourages other startups and aspiring automotive leaders to take part in Innovation Day as well. Part of Square Root’s values is to Be Customer Inspired, and Innovation Day exemplifies this important value of their culture. This gives an advantage for those seeking inspiration to learn more about how other companies put their values to work. 

Another way Square Root has been successful in staying true to their values is by offering a Learn Anything program. This program encourages employees to pursue their interests and hobbies outside of the workplace and to learn something from it! With a budget of $3,000 for each individual, the possibilities are endless. The “Thrive” value really is brought to a new meaning in this program, creates an opportunity for employees to be creative outside of their comfort zone, and provides the resources for them to do so. Since the pandemic, some of these resources, such as travel, have been put on hold. However, it is still important for Square Root employees to thrive even at home. In a blog post written by Chris Taylor, he states: 

We’re preserving our culture of authenticity, inclusion, and camaraderie from home. Caring about the health, safety, and growth of each other has always been a strength, but now it’s an imperative...It’s why we’re building new channels for connection. And it’s why we’re encouraging time for mental-health breaks and family time during the workday.

Success found in this community-based culture at Square Root goes even further. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to volunteer as a team with a mission to “give back to the causes near and dear to our hearts with a focus on family, animals, and inclusion in tech” as stated on their website. Since the company began, the women of Square Root have started their own Radical Girls Crew, to create a space where they can share stories of working in the male-dominated technology field. With so many hours of volunteering, sponsoring, and donating; Square Root has given a total of $15,000 back to their Austin community. 

“As the pandemic disrupts every aspect of our lives, I have been especially introspective on how to lead our team through this uncertainty with conviction, transparency, and empathy.” 

- Chris Taylor, Square Root CEO and Founder 

Our Takeaway

Square Roots has lived up to the promise of embracing the differences in others in order to grow and maintain an inclusive culture. With their core values, as well as other company features such as Innovation Day and the Learn Anything program. This company not only aspires to leave a lasting positive impact on their clients but on their employees and community as well. By providing the resources that their hard-working staff need to expand on personal and professional growth, GoodSeeker recognizes that Square Root definitely walks the talk with their employees when they say they will support them! 

Pandemics are unpredictable, and companies were pushed to accommodate their employees in a new way while bridging the gap between staying connected and working from home. Square Root has done just that and has gone as far as to admit time for their employees to spend more time with their families, and to look after their emotional well-being. There is so much effort that this company puts into making its clients and employees feel seen and heard.  With the amount of appreciation and empathy that Square Root possesses for its employees, there are bound to be countless GoodSeeker stories within the company! 

About Our Featured Employers: GoodSeeker is on the hunt for companies who bring out the best in teams, humanize their brand, and take employee experience to the next level. Each week we monitor job boards for companies with jobs related to employee experience, employee success, employer branding, and storytelling. We read job descriptions, online reviews, ambassador activity, career pages, and more. And then we pick one to give some props.