What is your role and background with Walker Advertising?
I work in Financial Planning and Analysis, and I have been with Walker Advertising as a Senior Financial Analyst for a year. I basically oversee the operations side of things. I mainly focus on production expenses, payroll needs, and all other items in between forecasting and budgeting. I also make sure our documentation is in order and work to help predict what we need as we prepare budgets.
What kind of personality traits thrive the most in your department?
Someone who takes initiative and brings their own ideas to the table. Just being an individual and not being afraid to show case their ideas and present ithe team. Those ideas and analysis really help push us to do better and be better and collaborating/organization is key within my department. It really will better prepare you within the company. Especially with all the moving parts that we handle.
How do you feel the commitment to professional development is going?
Overall, its going really well. My intro to Walker advertising was sort of unexpected on my part. I never at my time of hire expected to pivot from an auditing standpoint to now be able to succeed in a FP& A role. I really feel like I have learned so much in my new role and the team has really supported me overall to allow me to grow and really allow other members of Walker to take on other tasks. I have my own personal growth check list and I am able to check new items off periodically, and it’s been great.
As you know, Walker Advertising offers free Headspace Apps, regular mediations, and an EAP. Were you able to use any of these services, and, if so, how have they helped you?
I was super excited that we had this opportunity to provided. I always wanted access to an app similar to this and now that Walker offers it, I use it all the time. It really helps me to meditate and help manage stress throughout the day. I was so excited to use the meditation portion and over time it’s really helping me ease into a wind down state and just learn to enjoy my time off more because I am learning tools to help manage stress within that app.
How has this work-from-anywhere policy affected your ability to foster work-life balance?
We all have our own personal lives and just having that trust and flexibility has made the environment and the pandemic just that much easier. It’s made it more manageable and with everything happening and going on to have that trust from your team, and even from Walker, has really been fantastic. Collaborating with my team and other departments and just having the flexibility to have a meeting and walk to the beach then come back to work is fantastic. Just having the overall trust is fantastic. It makes the work more enjoyable and makes working with your team more enjoyable. You can get your work done from 1000.00 miles away or 100 and to have that chance to have your dishes done and or that chore that you have been needing to do on the fly is great.
“Before being remote it was sort of like starting your second shift after work and we don’t have that now. My boss is so flexible and understanding and knows that everyone has needs outside of work. I know that if something comes up that I have the flexibility.”
Overall, I have never experienced that since working out of college and it’s a breath of fresh air.
The difference from coming from a large corporate company that was outcome driven and numbers driven to go into a company that truly cares about us as employees and not just numbers is really a breath of fresh air. It’s been easier to maintain a healthy work life balance. And everyone is genuinely so nice within walker and makes it easier to communicate and express what is going on without being worried about back lash. The company and employees are so gracious and amazing. When you have a work life balance it naturally makes everyone happier and friendlier because they aren’t working 14–15-hour days.
How would you characterize Walker’s culture?
Inclusiveness. We are all different in every aspect, but despite how different we are, every interaction I have had within Walker Advertising wither in person or virtual has been fantastic. I have really gotten the opportunity to get to know people from all walks of life. Not having judgement and criticism within the company has been so amazing. Walker has been such an open and welcoming group of individuals. Walker is so inclusive. We are hiring talent from all walks of life. Weather it be different cultures or just different states and its cool to see it all come together.
