Employee story: Tarek, Director of Customer Success

Tarek, I am glad you have time for this call. I appreciate that you want to participate in one of our employee stories.

No problem, my friend.

Have you read the other ones I wrote?

No, I haven’t.

So you don’t know what that they are about?

What do you mean?

Nothing.

No, what?

The idea is to do these ironic interviews where we admit that it is propaganda designed to make people want to work in Contractbook. Wow. This is getting seriously meta now. Can we get started?

Sure.

Since you are the Director of Customer Success, I wanted to talk a bit about hierarchies and management in Contractbook. How would you describe it?

It is really flat, and it feels really flat. I have the opportunity to talk with the founders every day. It is easy and fun to talk with them, and their door is always open to me. The atmosphere is very informal and down to earth, but there is mutual respect. We respect each other professionally, and then we can be friends outside work. We often go for beers, hang out and play basketball in the park during weekends.

How do you approach being a leader yourself?

I don’t have a specific approach. I am just trying to make everyone on the team happy. If they don’t seem happy, then I confront them about it, so we can see if there is something we can do. If there is a specific task that people don’t like, then let’s see if we can find something else they can do. People perform better if they are happy at their work and in their lives. We talk a lot about ambitions and how to reach personal goals as well, because it motivates people, gives them a direction and keep the morale high. Besides that, I highly value making sure that everyone is aligned on our team goals and that our efforts support the company direction.

Speaking of which, Tarek, you sound a bit sceptical. Is something wrong?

It is just a bit weird that you haven’t turned on your camera? I am looking at myself while talking, it’s a bit impersonal.

Oh. Is it not turned on?

No?

Oh. Ok, here I am. Sorry.

Haha. Seriously, dude, you are working in a tech company.

I know, it is embarrassing. But it’s good to see you. I miss going to concerts with you. Damn, those were the days...

Yes, me too. I hate this pandemic.

Yeah. But despite this pandemic, how would you describe the culture on the team?

To be honest, culture was the main reason I joined Contractbook. The job can be exciting, but if the culture isn’t good, then it just destroys my motivation. I really think the culture here is the most important reason we are growing and developing so much because it makes people ambitious and hard-working. You run the extra mile and give it all you got: for the founders, the company and the team.

So what defines the culture here?

You get a lot of freedom, and you get a lot of responsibility. You can express your personality, and nobody sets boundaries for it. You are coached well, can focus on your own professional development, and you are trusted to give a go. Socially, you are surrounded by some really nice people. And then there is definitely an element of a startup culture. We are always pushing the limits and believing we can achieve the impossible with dedication and hard work. I have been here since we were just a tiny Danish company and now we have huge American investors backing us. It’s really an adventure. You have the feeling you are part of something rare, it’s something all startups dream of, and now we are here growing so fast and taking over the world.

Yeah! You are way more inspired now, Tarek. I know this question is a bit of a cliché, but what would you say is the best reason for joining Contractbook right now?

You will be part of a real adventure. We are still in a phase where you can have a big impact on the journey, while Contractbook is also becoming a real household name now. I honestly think it will look really good on your CV if you have been a part of such a growth process.

That is brilliant.

Yes, you know I have studied marketing right? No, but I mean it. We need some really talented people who can take responsibility, who is willing to learn and who can help us in this adventure.

Perfect. I will it end here. That last sentence was like a motivational speech in a Hollywood-movie. You sounded like Gladiator for a moment, and you even used a rhetoric figure. I think everyone is convinced now.

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Do you feel like being part of a culture like Tarek describes here? Then check out our Careers page for open positions: https://contractbook.com/careers