BY: HALLIE SNELL, CONSULTANT AT TWELVE CONSULTING GROUP
During my transition into working at Twelve, I came across a Harvard Business Review article that caught my attention. The article compared corporate versus startup culture and as a Type A analytical thinker, with a passion for fast-paced work environments, a startup culture just felt right. I wanted a workplace that encourages problem-solving and thinking outside the box. I believe startups allow you to prioritize passion and see the impact of your work — I was ready for the challenge.
As I began researching different startups, I set out to answer three questions from the HBR piece. How I answered these questions ultimately led me to join Twelve:
What can I learn?
Do I believe in the leadership’s vision and align with the culture?
Where is the industry and company headed?
What can I learn? At Twelve I am constantly learning. From the new hire bootcamp to my colleagues continually pushing my thinking, I know I’m on the fast-track to personal growth. The organized, well-rounded onboarding process was very attractive to accelerate my Anaplan model building knowledge. After passing my FP&A certification, and with the help of my teammates, I feel confident and enabled to start my first project. While I still have a lot to learn about Twelve, Anaplan and our clients, I know that I’ll never stop learning. They say you should surround yourself with people who lift you higher; at Twelve that is exactly what I found.
Do I believe in the leadership’s vision and align with the culture?
I wholeheartedly believe in our leadership, their vision for Twelve and the culture they’ve created. What first attracted me to Twelve was their four core values: well-being, personal growth, excellence and collaboration. I love seeing how the values play out in the office every day. A few examples:
Personal Growth: My colleagues pursuing MBA programs and entrepreneurial activities
Collaboration: Constantly lifting each other up and offering to share a wealth of knowledge
Excellence: Striving to be the best version of ourselves and our company
Well-being: Making smoothies after Alchemy workouts every Wednesday
While I align myself to all of the values, my favorite one is well-being. I value living an active lifestyle and nourishing myself with real foods. Outside of the office, you can find me running marathons, sailing on Minnetonka and cooking away in the kitchen. Twelve encourages us to be the happiest healthiest version of ourselves so that we can do our best work. The vibe in the office isn’t just something you’ll find in our marketing videos, it’s real and present every day.
Where is the industry and company headed? I’ve witnessed firsthand how valuable Anaplan is and how connected planning is the way of the future. I joined Twelve at the 50-employee mark, as we celebrated our 5-year anniversary and yearly kickoff event. Joining at 50 meant I had the opportunity to see that Twelve had a solid product and place in the market. The company had nearly doubled in size compared to the prior year and won Anaplan’s regional partner of the year for Americas in 2017, 2018 and 2019. On top of that I was able to see how valuable Twelve has been to our customers through customer testimonials.
The definition of a startup is not easily defined. If you ask around the office you will receive varying definitions surrounding the question, “Is Twelve still considered a startup?” Ultimately, Twelve has a startup mindset. We are focused on growth, excellence and adapting to change on the fly. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to join a growing startup and the Twelve family to further develop my career and leadership skills. I look forward to helping our clients level up and to continue to evolve with our company! If interested in joining our team, head over to our Careers page!