Here at The Muse, we know that there's no better way to understand how to ace your own employer brand than by seeing some best practices in action.
Well, you're in luck—because that's exactly what our Employer Spotlight Series does. We feature all sorts of helpful advice and insights from companies that are totally crushing their employer brands, so that you can learn from their success.
This month, we chatted with Terra Vicario, Chief Marketing Officer at Viventium, to find out more about what makes the company special—and how they share that story with talent.
How did you find your current role? Does it align with your background (college degree or previous work experience)?
A recruiter called me about my current role. He knew my background in sales and my passion for marketing, and while this role would be different from my previous positions, it would be a great fit. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA in marketing. I think these two disciplines definitely helped to prepare me for my role as CMO. As we all know, learning begins with real world experience. My sales and sales management background has allowed me to view marketing through a sales lens. As a result, our sales and marketing departments are closely aligned, which unifies our message.
What is one tool or piece of advice you wish you'd known about when you first started working at Viventium?
Create long term sustainable processes as often as possible—fewer band aids help avoid the need for rework down the line. When you join a growth-oriented, mid-sized company, you have to be thinking not only of the present, but of the future. In many ways, you are continually starting fresh. Consider not only the experiences you have had in your career, but the experiences others have had. Then, think about what works best with the people, tools, and resources you have today, and will have in the future.
When you join a growth-oriented, mid-sized company, you have to be thinking not only of the present, but of the future.
Viventium is committed to unlocking human potential by providing companies with the tools to create great things. How does that mission translate to your company culture and the employee experience?
Our product relies on two things: software and people. In our company, the culture reflects our passion for remarkable service. Our tagline is “in it with you,” which means that we are working together with our clients every step of the way. It also means that we are working with each other every step of the way. We solicit feedback, invest in tools to help clients solve problems, and hire people who are always willing to go the extra mile to deliver remarkable service no matter what.
How does The Muse play into your current recruitment marketing content strategy?
The Muse allows us to showcase our company culture to a larger audience. Candidates can learn a lot about our products, services, and overall culture from our website, but having employee testimonials and a glimpse into the employee experience helps us attract the talent we are looking for.
Having employee testimonials and a glimpse into the employee experience helps us attract the talent we are looking for.
How do you partner with your talent acquisition team to share your company story with your target talent audience?
We partner with our talent acquisition team in three ways: by sharing job openings and culture activities on social media, interacting with candidates and encouraging them to visit our Muse profile, and by dedicating a portion of our website to careers. When a candidate begins their journey, they may find their way to Viventium in a few different ways—but it is less about how they find us, and more about ensuring they understand who we are. From our Muse profile, to our website, and ultimately to working at Viventium, the experience with our brand should be a positive, enlightening, and consistent one.
We love your story about how attending a big industry conference inspired your team to give back to local charities instead of spending money on an extravagant booth. Can you tell us more about how that initiative came about?
I simply love sharing how this happened. I attended an industry conference and decided to debrief with my team on all the booth experiences. We began talking about how much it costs to build a booth that inevitably is torn down in three days’ time. One of my associates said, “What a waste.” We started talking about real world problems and how, yes, building something and then tearing it down felt wasteful. It was from that conversation that the idea of building a “non-booth,” and spending the resulting savings on local community charities, was born. Since then we have approached all initiatives and tradeshows with this mindset.
What are the most rewarding parts of your job?
There are so many rewarding experiences, but if I had to narrow it down to a few it would be learning, experiences, and people. So often, people seem to be on autopilot—doing the same type of work day in and day out. In my role, I get to learn often—sometimes the hard way! I like being able to try new programs and quickly determine whether we are on the right track or need to change direction. I’ve also had the opportunity to do more writing which I love. Whether I’m writing about employee engagement or being a working mom, I truly enjoy the variety of work that I do. I don’t think of Viventium as only a company with products and services, but as a living, breathing, entity. The people are everything to me. The thing that breathes life into Viventium are the employees that come to build with us every day—they are the source of ideas and execution. I love watching our employees grow and develop.
The thing that breathes life into Viventium are the employees that come to build with us every day—they are the source of ideas and execution.
What's something you're currently reading or listening to that you love?
I just finished a book called Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. While it isn’t a “business book,” this book challenges the way you think in ways you cannot imagine. You get to think about your life, and what you would do if you started experiencing the inexplicable medical journey that this young woman experienced early on in her career. It also makes you think about your employees. There isn’t one person who isn’t struggling with something in life—some have bigger challenges than others—and you should never make assumptions. Sometimes life is about enduring until it all makes sense.
