Our Values

When Yodle employees walk in on their first day, they’ll find a bunch of Yodle SWAG on their desks :  Yodle t-shirt, mug, water bottle, squishy ball…..

Nested in the middle of all that SWAG is a card that lists our Yodle Values.

We get chills reading through them.  Do you?

Yodle Spotlight: Huanlei

Coming up on his 3 year Yodle-versary, Huanlei, Director of Product Management, sat down to tell us his Yodle story.“We are all putting our best forward, to do what we can to put the company forward… to make Yodle a better place.” Because of his determination and strong work ethic, Huanlei has had the chance to do just that.

When he first joined in October of 2008, he was a team lead for our Optimization group, making the natural transition from an algorithm-finance world to an algorithm-media world. Within a year, he worked his way up to manager and together with his team, was able to bring our media optimization to a level that was significantly better than before.  Transferring his skills across teams, he moved on to also manage our product performance and marketing operations team before making the transition to product management. 

“The opportunity to become a manager at my tenure and seniority level gave me the opportunity to mentor and develop an already talented group of people. It has made me a better media optimizer, better product manager, better manager, better person in general. I’ve improved my own skill set and experience in order to become a better professional. I learn something new every day from both my peers and my direct reports. Sometimes [I learn] too much.”

Huanlei has been fortunate enough to work within several different environments from financial services & investment banks to non-profit organizations. There were positives to each of those experiences, but having an impact at a large organization can feel difficult to make and the type of work is not necessarily tangible from a personal satisfaction level. Yet at Yodle, Huanlei feels he has found the best of both worlds. 

“We’re not your typical start-up. We are building something unique and innovative and becoming an industry leader, but still remaining what feels like a small and flat enough organization, where on a day to day basis, you can feel the impact you have on your team, the company, and the thousands of local businesses that are our customers. To hear about the success stories from these business owners and see them experience the impact of change from a new product release is very fulfilling and makes me happy.”

Helping local business ‘Yodle’ is just one of the reasons Huanlei enjoys working here. “There are exceptionally talented, intelligent people, working towards one goal to make this a successful organization. Not to say everyone is always in agreement, [but it’s the] intense, challenging, and difficult conversations that get us in the right direction. At the end of the day, if you see something you’re not happy with, or something you don’t think is the right thing to do, if you’re willing to make a difference, there is absolutely that opportunity here.”

———

Huanlei joined the Yodle family in October of 2008. On his spare time, he is a fan of freestyle hip-hop and enjoys both watching artists, as well as participating in freestyle battles.  Yodle Recruiting wants to wish him a Happy 3-year Yodle-versary!

The goal of Yodle Spotlight is to share personal development & professional success of Yodle employees.

The Anatomy of a Yodle Employee

We take hiring seriously at Yodle. Two years ago we had 250 employees, and today we have 700+.  So far in 2011, we have interviewed 2000+ candidates and we hire 1-2 people every business day! 

Sure, our products are best in class, but that’s because of the people behind them.  If you were to meet our employees, you’d most likely agree that there’s just “something” that they’ve all got. But it’s a lot of things that come together to make up the anatomy of a Yodle employee.

What is it about the people who make it through the interview process that sets them apart? 

Passion: Passion is important at Yodle. We are all passionate about helping small businesses grow and the work we get to do every day. And we show our passion by having lots of energy.

Drive:  Meeting expectations isn’t enough; we want to crush them. We’re driven to exceed goals, to rapidly develop our careers. We want it all and we’re not afraid to work for it.

Confidence: We believe in what we can bring to our clients and our company. We’re also confident enough to admit when we’re wrong and learn from our mistakes. Employees at Yodle aren’t afraid of taking risks because there will be a learning opportunity. We hire people who are not afraid to speak up, voice their opinions, and stand behind those opinions when they have the data to support it.

Hunger: We’re hungry at Yodle, and not just for the yummy snacks we keep stocked in our kitchens. All of us here have an innate urge to be successful, and that drives us to take action without waiting for direction. A true member of the Yodle team goes above and beyond without being asked.  

Entrepreneurial Spirit: We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves; it’s what drew us to work for one of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. We want to be a part of an organization that changes online marketing as we know it. We’re okay with ambiguity because we can figure things out on our own.   We’ll dig and keep digging until we find the right answers.  In fact, we embrace challenges and strongly believe that nothing is impossible.

Diverse:  A typical Yodle employee has a lot of interests. In our spare time, we’re artists, performers, avid runners, hikers, ping pong experts, and pop culture enthusiasts, to name a few. At Yodle, we’re creative and curious by nature, and no one works in a silo—we like to know what our fellow team members are up to.

Positive Attitude:  The Yodle “can do” spirit is palpable from the moment you walk through our doors.   We act with our customers in mind; continually asking for feedback as a means for improvement.  As “glass half full” kind of people, we’re able to inspire each other to succeed.  We communicate openly and don’t skimp on encouragement, even when faced with obstacles. Employees at Yodle aren’t afraid to help each other out even if it’s “not their job”.  And we love the fact that when we come in each day and say “good morning,” we most certainly mean it. 

Sound like you? Then reach out to one of our recruiters and let’s discuss a career opportunity for you.

Why Would Someone in Finance Want to Work for Yodle as Opposed to a Big Investment Firm?

“We get to wear Sperry’s and open-toed shoes instead of pumps.”

— Jodi, Financial Business Analyst, Yodle