Most job seekers in Denver and Boulder are already familiar with the ‘big name’ employers in our area, but there are some real gems to be discovered in smaller companies as well. One of those is FlexJobs—whether you decide to work for them or use their service to find a flexible employment arrangement that works for you, they’re definitely worth considering. I asked FlexJobs founder and staff to tell the story of the company and why it’s a great place to work. Here’s what they had to say:
When was FlexJobs founded and why?
FlexJobs was founded in 2007 by Sara Sutton Fell. Sara was already a successful entrepreneur, having co-founded a job search website called JobDirect as a 21-year-old college student, growing it into a team of 100 professionals in four short years, and selling it in 2001 to Korn|Ferry International.
“When I was starting my family and pregnant with my first child”, Sara shared, “I tried searching for a job that would allow me to pursue my career while offering flexibility and the option to work from home. I quickly become frustrated at the overwhelming number of scams in the work-from-home niche and, knowing that legitimate jobs existed amid the junk, I decided to found FlexJobs. My goal was, and continues to be, to offer job seekers an easier, safer, and faster way to find professional-level jobs that allow telecommuting and flexible work options.”
What is FlexJob’s mission statement and what service does it provide?
Our mission statement is, “To make your search for a telecommuting, part-time, freelance, or flextime job better, easier, faster, and safer.” We have a team of job researchers who spend 50+ combined hours every day searching online job boards, company websites, and other sources for jobs that fit these categories. The researchers screen every job and company to ensure they’re legitimate jobs. Then, we provide those jobs to our job seeking members on FlexJobs.com, an easy-to-use, ad-free website. Our job listings fit into over 50 professional categories and are checked every week to make sure they are still active and available. Most of our job seekers come from the United States, with Colorado being our top state!
What sets FlexJobs apart from your competition?
Our commitment to our job seekers for sure. Unlike other job boards whose primary clients are their advertisers and employers (or scammers, in far too many cases), our primary clients are job seekers who pay a nominal membership fee to access all of our job listings and services. This way, at FlexJobs you know where we stand: we 100% serve job seekers. And with so many free sites out there, we absolutely have to make sure that we’re providing a much better value to our users in order to succeed.
How many employees does FlexJobs have right now and do you have any plans to hire in 2012?
Right now, we are a small but growing team. We have 19 staffers, including full-time, part-time, and freelance professionals. Everyone on our team works from their home offices and we have six teammates in the Denver/Boulder metro area, including Sara Sutton Fell, who works out of an office above her garage in Boulder. We are in the process of hiring a new freelance writer, and have plans to hire more researchers, writers, and client service reps this year.
As a telecommuting team, we definitely need teammates who enjoy working independently and are self-motivated, but who also want to be a part of the team by proactively communicating over phone, email, instant messenger, and message boards. And tobe able to spot scams, we need people who are research- and investigation-oriented for sure.
What makes FlexJobs.com a ‘best place to work’?
Simply put, FlexJobs is the best place to work because it lives up to its name! We essentially work in a ROWE (results-oriented work environment) where we set our own schedules. As long as we are productive, engaged, and helping the company progress by doing the best work we can do, we are free to create our own schedules and/or make changes if need be—talk about work-life balance!
Says Jeremy Anderson, FlexJobs Director of Client Services who works from his home office in Highlands Ranch, “I have the opportunity to contribute to a great company and team and I have the freedom to be available for my teenage kids, go for a mid-morning run and still contribute to a fantastic company—either from my home office or the local coffee shop! Plus, every day is bring-your-dog-to-work day!”
Adrian Reynolds, FlexJobs Online Job Researcher and Writer, shares, “FlexJobs offered me an opportunity that I could not find in my current city, and it’s a flexible job. We work in a stress-free environment with a team ofhelpful, fun, and friendly individuals. Plus, I am proud to say I work for a company that wants the best for their employees and their clients.”
Do you consider FlexJobs.com a ‘best place’ for women to work, particularly women returning to the workforce after taking time off for mothering? How about new college grads, transitioning military servicemen/women, or part-timers?
Yes, for sure. In fact, the majority of our team is women—most have children and several returned to the workforce after some time off. Two of our staff members have had babies in the last few months and have been completely in control of their schedule coming back to work! Also, one of our staffers is a military spouse who is able to work while stationed overseas with her husband. We all work flexible schedules and telecommute so we’re definitely a best workplace for women, mothers, military spouses, and digital nomads.
Is there anything else you’d like people to know about FlexJobs.com?
That there are truly flexible companies out there, and in fact, our CEO, Sara Sutton Fell won a “Gamechanger” award this past year from Workforce Management magazine for helping to progress the idea of flexible work so far.
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More information:
Flex jobs make for happy workers?
How to pitch your boss on telecommuting
How to pitch your boss on flexible work arrangements
Telecommuting tips from Microsoft
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About this Examiner: Kathryn Marion is the award-winning author of GRADS: TAKE CHARGE of Your First Year After College!, the most comprehensive resource for navigating the world of work and independent living after graduation, as well as host of the book’s companion resource site, www.GradsTakeCharge.com. The print edition of GRADS: TAKE CHARGE is available through Amazon and other online booksellers. The e-book edition is available through e-junkie.
Kathryn also coaches students, graduates, and career changers as well as consults with small businesses and aspiring authors.
Follow her other Examiner columns: College to Career and Life After College. And even more articles on SelfGrowth.com.
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