Boomi
In June 2021, I took on my first role in tech as a Solutions Architect at Boomi, a cloud-based iPaaS (integration platform as a service) vendor. Working in a low-code platform definitely lightened the learning curve, but there was also a lot to learn in terms of acronyms, jargon, best practices in documentation....not to mention I happened to start amidst the company's divestiture from Dell Technologies.
CREATIVITY
BUILDING APPLICATIONS
I learned to build solutions on the Boomi platform by first designing an application that would solve a problem with which I was very familiar. I signed up for numerous virtual 5K races during the pandemic to ensure continuous motivation to workout regularly. As I started to understand the capabilities of the Boomi platform, I quickly realized that Boomi could host virtual races for employees without needing a third-party vendor to track registration and results. That could all be done by building a process that utilized the application development platform (Flow) and their integration platform (AtomSphere) with ties to a SQL database. So I built it!
That first build was just for fun, but it gave me the hands-on experience I needed to start building production applications for the business to solve arising pain points as a result of the divestiture from Dell.
Research shows that corporate cultures with meaningful and frequent recognition of individuals’ contributions see real business outcomes. Employee recognition helps retain top talent, increases employee engagement, and encourages high performance. So as Boomi planned to sunset the use of Dell's HR applications, our Solutions Team worked alongside the new Boomi HR department to build an employee recognition tool using the products within our own platform. The HR Team outlined the goals and requirements and I jumped in (with the help of my teammates) to develop, test, and launch a solution 4 months after starting with Boomi. In just 30 days following our first conversation, we launched the beta version of the app for testing with a small group of employees. The final product launched 90 days later with integration into Slack as well as email notifications to the senders, receivers, and managers of receivers. It has been fulfilling to watch engagement with the tool grow and to see all the amazing accomplishments of my co-workers across the organization.
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Employee Referrals
Another opportunity arose to solve a divestiture-related issue when it came to collecting and retaining hiring referrals from current Boomi employees. That is certainly not data the company wanted to leave behind in Dell's employee referral system.
Unlike other Talent & Acquisition tools, the solution we built does not require referrals to be tied to a particular role. If an employee wants to refer someone, they simply tell us which department(s) might be the best fit and leave it up to the candidate to apply to the role(s) of most interest. No matter what role that individual gets hired into, the referring employee will be eligible for a referral bonus.
OUTCOMES
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50% of referrals were not attached to specific roles
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33% of referrals hired were not referred into specific roles
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33% of all new hires in the 1st quarter post-launch were referred by a Boomi employee
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To stay in compliance with new standard contract clauses in the European Union, Boomi needed to execute new Data Transfer Agreements with all applicable Boomi customers. This meant that thousands of contracts would need to be sent out for signature and tracked quickly and efficiently. The legal department turned to our Solutions Team and I found myself designing my first build to utilize a webhook listener with a third-party application.
The resulting solution not only streamlined the process for requesting and collecting signatures but also included a dashboard for tracking the progress of the signature process in 4 steps:
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Sending of the request
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Reassignment of the task to another authorized individual if necessary
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Viewing of the document
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Completion of the signature
The architecture of this solution was also repurposed for the execution of our non-disclosure agreements, this time integrating with Adobe Sign.
CHALLENGES
FIRST JOB IN TECH
Transitioning into a different industry is always hard, but this transition not only put me in the tech industry but it also placed me on a technical team. Luckily, the culture of Boomi is one of collaboration and the assistance I received from my teammates during training was immensely helpful. I quickly learned when to embrace the struggle and also when to ask for help. Around the 6-week mark, the CEO of Tribaja (a talent marketplace and community for undersupported tech talent) asked me to participate in a LinkedIn Live session on the topic of career switching. It was energizing to share my experience with others seeking to follow a similar path. Every day I continue to learn and grow, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to utilize the problem-solving and communication skills I've acquired through previous work in new and exciting ways.
COMMUNITY
Pride ERG
Allyship Panel
I was honored to be asked to participate as a panelist for an event on the topic of allyship for Pride month. In the prep sessions leading up to the event, I was able to get to know a few colleagues outside of my team on a more personal level, conversing candidly about our experiences serving as allies and benefiting from the allyship of others. I am proud to work in such a diverse and inclusive organization where all are encouraged to always be authentic.
Womxn ERG
The Art of Saying No
Last fall I presented a keynote to our employee resource group for womxn on the topic of boundaries. We all need to practice a balance of saying Yes and No to various opportunities depending on a variety of factors such as professional goals, projected timeline, and availability of resources. I look forward to sharing what I've learned throughout my career with others and hope to create a community of accountability to practice what I preach.
RVA Happy Hour
Working remotely can feel isolating, so when I discovered there are other Boomi employees working nearby I reached out to organize an informal local happy hour. A small but mighty group of 5 met for three hours of conversation and laughter. Working for Boomi in various departments and for various lengths of time, we learned a great deal about the company and also about one another. We hope to make this a quarterly gathering that grows in attendance.
