A Look Inside Fast Track

It can be hard to define company culture without getting tangled in buzzwords and clichés. Fast Track certainly attracts talented, ambitious people, but it is also a warm and friendly environment where people really care about their work and each other. I’ve defined some key areas of focus that I think help create Fast Track’s unique culture:

1. Attitudes and competence

We hire people who display competences that we believe will make them successful in their positions. A positive attitude and the ability to move fast and work smart are really important.

We expect our team to :

Care about what they do and the role they play in the business.
Never settle and always look at how they can do things better.
Question the status quo and not be afraid to try new things.

2. Care and energy

Our team has high levels of drive, energy and care; we all want to reach our individual and company goals. We encourage every individual to take ownership and be accountable so they can grow in their roles and stay motivated. Every member of our team has a commitment to providing a great service and caring about our partners’ businesses as much as our own.

3. Clear direction and focus

You hear the word “focus” a lot at Fast Track. We know what we are aiming for and we make sure that everything we do is a purposeful step towards those goals. We regularly align across teams and the whole business to make sure everyone is on the same page.

4. Infrastructure

It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that as a tech company we believe that the right tools are key to unlocking potential. We constantly look at where processes can be more efficient and where technology can help us with this.

5. Leadership

The leaders within our organisation are unique and have their own leadership styles. However, they share the practice of enabling their teams to do their best work rather than dictating how work should be done. We want every member of the team to feel trusted and valued and it is important that the people in our organisation have space to excel.

In my role I would usually get the chance to speak to different members of the team at our office. However, with everyone working from home we have had to find new ways to get together.

Last month I had a virtual coffee with individuals from across our organisation and had the opportunity to ask some questions about their experience of working at Fast Track.

I wanted to know how they would describe the company culture in their own words, where they see Fast Track heading in the future, and what advice they would give to someone thinking about working here.

When asked, team members nearly always say the best thing about working at Fast Track is the people. Not only do they form strong relationships, but they appreciate each other’s talents and the opportunity to learn from one another. As Rebecka (Training Specialist) says;

“It’s really inspiring to work with talented people.”

A close second is the opportunity to learn and grow within the organisation. Nicky (Data and Insights Manager) commented that, “at Fast Track you keep growing...working here broadens your mind and you start to think differently.” This also seems to be one of the reasons that people choose to work for Fast Track with Miguel (Product Designer), one of our newest team members, saying he was attracted to the “very fertile environment in terms of learning and developing.”

One of the other reasons people choose to work at Fast Track is their experience through the recruitment process. Through my own process of joining the company, I got the sense that the people I came into contact with were very genuine and very real. Overall it seemed like people really care about the company, the people and the products they co-create.

My first impression seems to be an accurate reflection of how other team members feel, as they frequently mention how emotionally invested they are in their work, their team and the success of the business. There is a culture of care and a sense that everybody feels they are part of something bigger than themselves. Now that I have been in the team for a few months, I have a feeling people take their work seriously but they don’t take themselves too seriously. There isn’t anyone with a big ego and the culture is team-oriented.

“I have a feeling people take their work seriously but they don’t take themselves too seriously.”

One of the things our current employees really appreciate is the feeling that “you are valued and trusted not only as an employee but as a professional” as Jonathan (Software Engineer) puts it.

As long as you perform and deliver what you are expected to, there is no one watching over your shoulder checking everything you do or counting the minutes you work.

This is especially important to him as one of the parents on our team; “I was honest from the beginning that I have kids and sometimes I’ll need to take time off if they are sick or something happens. I have always been told that it’s ok and sometimes you have to look after your family.”

“You are valued and trusted not only as an employee but as a professional.”

Our team feel that they are valued not just as employees but as people. There is a general agreement that while there is an expectation to deliver, as long as you communicate, “it’s respected that you have a private life and you need to be able to balance both.”

The team has very positive feelings about where the company is heading. There is a sense that everyone is working together towards a common goal and that this joint ambition will yield big results. In my own mind I have thought of Fast Track as like a waterfall; we will find our way forward because there is so much power behind us.

"We will find our way forward because there is so much power behind us."

Other members of the team have also referred to the unstoppable force of the talent and work ethic of the organisation: “I see the sky as the limit”; “We will conquer everything”; “We will probably go to the moon and be huge.”

When I asked what they thought would be important to think about in terms of maintaining company culture in the future, the team agreed that the most important thing is that we continue to hire awesome people who share our mindset of always improving.

Whether you are thinking of applying for a new role, or you already have an offer to consider, it’s important to take into account the environment you will be working in and if it will suit the way you like to work.

The most important piece of advice that our team has for someone thinking about a role at Fast Track is that they will need to be adaptable: “It’s a very forward-thinking, progressive organisation and if you are not able to adapt and move along with changes you will probably struggle.”

While this might seem daunting for some, it goes hand in hand with our constant search for better ways to do things.

Working in a fast-changing environment with a high-performing team can create some challenges, but Jonathan says the best thing at Fast Track is that “you know you have a great team that will back you up and help you.”

The culture of support and care within the team not only relieves stress but helps to build everyone’s collective knowledge. It is important for everyone to share what they know and be willing to ask questions about the things they don’t. Nicky noted that you need to have the right mindset to get the most out of working at Fast Track:

“You will learn, you have to, but you will also have space to share your own ideas.”

The most exciting thing about joining our team is that “there are a lot of very interesting things to do.” Miguel commented that as a new starter he can see that our product delivers a lot of value to our partners “but there is still so much that can be done to make it even better.”

If you join Fast Track you don’t just join a high-performing team but you have space to do your best work and make your own mark.