Event Report: Smartsheet Recruiting Event at Daniel's Broiler

Last week (8/22/17), Smartsheet hosted a low-key recruiting event upstairs from our office at Daniel’s Broiler. The event was well-attended by around 52 engineers of varied backgrounds and expertise. Guests had an opportunity to mingle and socialize with Smartsheet employees while enjoying food and drinks from the restaurant.

Attendees heard brief presentations from a wide range of Smartsheet staff, after which, a panel answered questions from the audience. Some of the speakers: 

• Mark Mader (CEO)
• Andy Lientz (SVP of R&D)
• Jeily Brady (UX Researcher)
• Michael Villasenor (Software Systems Engineer)
• Terence Maarschalkerweerd (Lead Sustaining Engineer)

Ted Neward, Director of Developer Relations, threw caution (and accurate job titles for the panelists) to the wind while serving as MC for the evening. Ted’s good-natured humor helped create a relaxed, upbeat atmosphere that put everyone at ease and kept the QA session flowing smoothly. Questions ranged from company culture and growing pains to work-life balance and challenges facing the engineering team. Attendees were then unleashed on the buffet and given the remainder of the evening to socialize.

The engineers I spoke with had a background in Java, the C family, mobile development, and basically every programming language I had ever heard of (as well as several that I had not). That sort of diverse technical expertise is great for Smartsheet and will also come in handy while fiddling with their new Raspberry Pi. Each guest received a “swag bag” full of goodies such as a hoodie, fidget cube, and Raspberry Pi. Although I had to defer to my peers for some engineering questions, I was delighted to speak with guests about my experience with Smartsheet so far.

In just one month as an employee, I can confidently say that Smartsheet is a wonderful place to work (voted the best in Washington according to the Puget Sound Business Journal) and a big reason for that is the people who work here. Part of what made the event so successful was offering our guests some exposure to the people at Smartsheet. Guests also heard directly from Smartsheet leadership as well as a variety of perspectives and insights from different teams within the company. Overall, I felt that the event was a resounding success.

Are you interested in working at Smartsheet? Check out our careers page for open positions. Have questions about what it’s like to work here? Reach out to the Developer Relations team! DevRel@Smartsheet.com