Vendasta Fridays

Courtney Murrison
November 17, 2021

Starting a new job during a pandemic comes with unique challenges and unusual experiences. While job interviews are usually stressful enough, a set of virtual interviews comes with a whole new uncertainty - you now have to consider your background, internet connection and lag, barking dogs and screaming kids, and whether you are able to give a proper first impression of yourself virtually. You have to make a decision about uprooting your life and starting a new career path without being able to visit the place you will call home for eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. You don’t get to feel the vibe of your new work environment, meet your possible coworkers, or have a look at your workspace conditions. Once you take the plunge, you awkwardly try to build relationships with colleagues over video calls and instant messages when you have never met them in person or shaken their hand or exchanged small talk in the hall.

The Vendasta Promise

When applying to Vendasta, you are filled with excitement about the opportunity to work in such a unique and stimulating environment. Your head spins in reviewing the list of perks that comes with being a Vendastian, and you get a real “too good to be true” vibe when doing your research. Arcade style games and scooters in the office, a full-on social committee dedicated to organizing fun activities and competitions for staff, and… massage chairs?!? The organization is full of young people and it is growing like crazy! Flex time, casual dress code, FREE FOOD every single day, and.. you have got to be joking now… free beer every Friday?! 🤩 In the words directly from the CEO on the careers page: 

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(laughing) “Seriously! It’s a fun place! It’s fun to come to work, it’s challenging to come to work, and there won’t be a day that you come to work that you won’t learn something new!”

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Fun at work… what a concept! Vendasta makes it very clear that they understand that people have more responsibilities and commitments outside of work, and that they strive to help ease those stresses to allow its teams to work hard without cutting into the most important areas of their lives. It is also very clear that quite possibly the best part of working at Vendasta is the amazing people. You are told that your coworkers will become close friends, and that every day will be an adventure.

The Stories

Fast forward to a few months in, and back to that “awkwardly getting to know your coworkers” piece. With a mix of virtual and in-person meetings and interactions, we are figuring it out. There are a few key people in the company that you work with regularly, or at least have messaged from time to time, and you have built some six-feet-apart relationships. If you are someone who has one or two “Vendasta Veterans” on your team, then you have definitely heard the stories. The stories of how Vendasta “used to be” that aren’t advertised – trivia nights, karaoke, ski trips, pool parties, Ideas on Tap afterparties, Conquer Local Connect events, foosball obsessions, and of course, the infamous “Vendasta Fridays”. 

We hear things like: “It was crazy!”, “I MISS that!”, and “It was SOOOO FUN!”. These stories seem like ancient folklore to us pandemic hires, stories of a better time. With a large part of the staff working remotely, as well as the building transition and, you know, COVID, these things just didn’t seem to exist.

It’s REAL

Guys, I am here to tell you today that it is REAL. The legends are true! After eight months of working at Vendasta, I finally had the opportunity to experience a “Vendasta Friday”. 

At a Vendasta Friday, there are no cross-divisional barriers. There were representatives from all areas of the company in attendance - sales, marketing, R&D, S-Team, People Ops, and everywhere in between - there was no segregation, everyone was on the same level. Extroverts and introverts alike, everyone was Vendastian, and everyone was welcome. It was the first time I really felt like a part of the larger team.

As an introvert, I can confidently tell you that it was so easy make conversations. In fact, our fellow coworkers are eager to meet us! I met so many people that I don't normally get to socialize/work with. From one night, connections and even friendships were sparked. Those people that I had exchanged a few Slack messages with, I got to actually have a conversation with them, learn more about what they do, and how everything fits together at Vendasta. 

There is nothing like a friendly competition to build team camaraderie. Foosball and ping pong are set up upstairs, and there are more games to come. There are many ping-pong ball related games that can take place - the world is your oyster, and Vendastians are creative 😉. We banded together and cheered and laughed (and there might have been a bit of trash talking involved). When the CEO of a 550+ employee company gets downgraded from lead off in flippy cup, you know everyone is having a TIME.

The upper level floors have now opened up, and they are awesome! Many people have transitioned to at least part-time in the office, so there seems to be more real-live people around (especially on Fridays for those yummy catered lunches). Yes, the pandemic is still a thing. But as more people become vaccinated and everyone takes the proper health precautions, FUN is POSSIBLE.

Open Invitation

So now you know, this side of the Vendasta culture does exist, and all are welcome! As a fellow pandemic hire, I want to extend an open invitation to everyone who is comfortable, please join the team in a “Vendasta Friday” hang out upstairs. We are told that so many amazing people work at Vendasta, and it really is true - we just need to get to know them!