Back in 2011, I stumbled upon Rustici Software. I’d never heard of the company and knew very little about eLearning standards. But Mike and Tim got my attention with their expression of their approach to work that they shared in an open letter, much like this one. While we’ve grown up some and have seen changes in leaders over the years, the key things that spoke to me then are still very much true today.
At Rustici it’s as much (or more) about how we treat each other as it is about the work that we produce. The reason I look forward to Mondays is because of the people and the care taken to make sure we not only create great software, but we have fun, and challenge each other. It’s a place where we show up for each other and for our customers.
If you’ve landed here, then you’re likely exploring a job with us. I’ll let you in on what to expect, so you can decide if we resonate with you.
Give us your best 40
Time is precious and 40 hours a week is plenty to get great things done. We don’t count vacation days or track your hours. Understanding what your most important work is and how it impacts others makes this possible. We give you a lot of flexibility here and trust that you can manage your time to get things done and not let others down. We also find ways to play and reasons to laugh so that work doesn’t always feel like work.
Our vacation policy is, well, flexible. We simply ask everyone to get their work done. When you’re here, we expect a lot of you. When you’re gone, we expect you’ll have some great experiences. And we hope you’ll share them with us. – Tim Martin
Your contribution matters—a lot
We’re a small team of about 40 people and each person’s work shows up quickly. It means that you’ll see how your efforts impact others and our business as a whole. We celebrate successes and learn from failure, and both are encouraged. If you’re comfortable working within a large team where it’s possible to fly under the radar, then we’re not the right place for you.
Share your talents and teach us
We enjoy a good debate and incorporating the ideas and expertise of many only helps us all improve. Everyone is here because they bring knowledge and skills to the table. Having an opinion and the desire to educate others is critical to being successful here. A healthy argument can go a long way. Being open to sharing, and listening, helps us all find a path to the best result.
We empower people to form their own opinions and to argue for them based on their merit. We can hold intelligent debate and discourse unencumbered by interpersonal conflict and drama. – Mike Rustici
Come to us with a willingness to learn
While we expect you to be an expert in something, we want you to be curious and dive deeper. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand or say ‘I don’t know’. Whether it’s asking why we do something in a certain way or how your work fits into the bigger picture, nothing is sacred. We’re not perfect. Often we learn just as much from the questions people ask as they do from asking the question.
And finally, and most importantly…
Take care with others and yourself
We treat each other with compassion and strive to always assume positive intent. We are an empathetic group and support each other. We also want you to be you and share with us the things that make you unique. It’s common to find us choosing to spend lunches together. It’s not because you can’t take a lunch break from the office (or screen), but because we enjoy talking about things other than work and spending time together.
We all spend so much of our time with our coworkers that it’s essential the people we work with are pleasant to be around. This doesn’t mean we’ll all be best friends. What it does mean is that we want to work with people we look forward to seeing on Monday morning, who ask how we are when we’re down, and who we’re excited to share a lunchtime conversation with. – TJ Seabrooks
Still reading? Here’s the next step.
Check out our current jobs postings and tell us why you’re the right fit. We care just as much about who you are and what makes you unique as we do your skills and expertise. Both matter, but don’t be surprised if the conversation starts with asking about what you did last weekend before we talk about what you did in your last job. And if you don’t see something that’s a good fit, tell us what you do bring to the mix and why we should talk more.
— Tammy Rutherford, Managing Director at Rustici Software