It's Here, #OnlyAtLinkedIn

I know I post about my company A LOT. I’ve spent the last six years of my life here. That’s a significant amount for anyone, regardless of your age. In that time, I’ve had a lot of milestones. Some good, some not so good, but they’ve made me the person that I am today. Having said that, with our InDay theme of Culture this month, we’ve been asked what happens #OnlyAtLinkedIn that makes this place so remarkable. For me, there are so many things about our culture that are unique to LinkedIn, but here are a few to give you some insight.

Opportunity

It’s clearly right there in our vision statement: “To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.” We have been very transparent with this not only to be open to the public with our goal, but also to be held accountable. What type of company would we be if we didn’t hold true to our vision for our own employees? During my time at LinkedIn, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to wear many hats, some outside of my day-to-day duties in providing a top notch member experience. I’ve facilitated our Day 1 Orientation for our new hires, I’ve played an important role in the location of our new office (which, by the time it’s built and staffed will be our 3rd largest in North America), I’ve been responsible for upholding our company's values as a Culture Champion and attended our very first Culture Camp. I’ve had so many opportunities to experiment in different ventures, some local and some not. The list is ongoing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

People

This has easily been one of the most transformative parts of my time here at LinkedIn. The people here have changed me so much (for the better), that I would be remiss not to talk about them. My co-workers have been here for some of the most impactful moments of my life, from turning 40 to the passage of my mother, and have shown nothing but love and support every step of the way. It’s more than just that, however. I’ve learned so much about people that has allowed me to grow more than I ever thought possible. Growing up as a shy kid from a small town, I wasn’t exposed to a lot diversity. Through our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) such as the Black Inclusion Group and Women at LinkedIn, I’ve learned because they’ve allowed me to feel safe in asking the truly uncomfortable questions. Never once assuming any ill intent on my part, but knew I was simply seeking to understand. A former co-worker always referred to LinkedIn employees as “purple unicorns”, as they are the rarest of the rare, in that they are equal parts open professionally and personally.

Values

At the core of everything we are at LinkedIn, our values are who we are. It’s what we wake up to do every day.

• Members first – This is doing the right thing for our members, even when no one is looking. It's vital to the stability of our ecosystem.
• Relationships matter – Through building trust with our colleagues and partners, we all win. 
• Be open, honest, and constructive – Feedback is a gift, as long as it comes with the intent of growth.
• Inspire excellence – Look to solve the big problems by setting measurable and actionable goals to continuously learn and improve ourselves and our products.
• Take intelligent risks – No matter how big we get as a company, we always maintain that aggressive start-up mentality.
• Act like an owner – Taking responsibility for every decision we make, no matter how big or how small.

These are just a few of the things that make the culture at LinkedIn special to myself and so many others. There’s a lot more that I could go through, but I also want to hear from my other LinkedIn compatriots! What about our culture stands out to you?