Can innovation happen without curiosity? It takes curiosity to ask questions, to try something new and to imagine how to make it better.
It’s a characteristic that’s embraced at tech companies across Colorado, with endeavors including streamlining the hiring process for healthcare professionals, helping retailers reduce their environmental impact through the chemical analysis of consumer goods, and assisting clients in achieving their goals with creatively designed custom apps.
“When our curiosity is triggered, we think more deeply and rationally about decisions and come up with more-creative solutions,” wrote Behavioral Scientist Francesca Gino in an article published by Harvard Business Review. Gino suggested that cultivating curiosity among employees at all levels in a business can help the team adapt to uncertainties — an ability any tech company can benefit from.
In Colorado, Vivian Health, Smarter Sorting and InspiringApps are seeking curious candidates to join their teams, and Built In Colorado sat down with leaders from all three companies to learn about their plans for the future.
What they do: Vivian Health is redefining the way healthcare professionals find work at a critical juncture for America’s healthcare system. The company has developed a universal profile for healthcare professionals, visible to relevant employers, that showcases the candidate’s skills, certifications, references and licenses. Features like the one-click apply option, mobile-enabled chat, embedded document exchange and interview scheduling assistance create a more streamlined hiring process.
Where they’re headed: The company recently secured a $60 million equity investment led by Thoma Bravo. “The new capital will be used to accelerate our marketplace platform’s growth and scale among healthcare clinicians and employers, as well as to support future merger and acquisition initiatives,” said Head of People Shellie Weber. As the company innovates and scales its solutions, it is growing its product, engineering, design, marketing, sales, customer success and people teams. “Our marketplace platform and services are continually evolving because we are driven to empower every healthcare professional to find their perfect job opportunity faster and easier than before,” Weber said.
Our marketplace platform and services are continually evolving.”
Who they’re looking to hire: “A key characteristic we look for in a new team member is adaptability,” Weber explained. “Candidates should be able to learn new skills and behaviors in response to evolving circumstances.” Vivian Health also looks for people who are willing to experiment, unafraid of failure, resourceful, curious and have the ability to see the big picture. “Mission is our advantage,” Weber said. “We use it as a tool to help us innovate and deliver a better product, drive a stronger culture and construct a resilient company. We want to know what your why is — why do you want to join Vivian Health?”
What they do: Smarter Sorting leverages its product intelligence to help companies stay compliant and reduce their environmental impact. “One of Smarter Sorting’s superpowers is making chemistry computational, and we use algorithms to answer questions about the physical and chemical reality of consumer products,” explained Chief Talent Officer Nicole Adams Kraus.
“From a massive, growing database on the chemical and physical makeup of millions of consumer products to a deep and active feedback loop in the market, we have the foundation to scale and mature as a company.”
Where they’re headed: “We have shown that what’s good for the planet is good for business — not just our business, but our retail partners and brand manufacturers too,” Adams Kraus said. “The next period of growth at Smarter Sorting is about scale and impact.” The company is looking to add an additional 10 to 15 people in the months ahead, primarily on the product, regulatory and chemistry teams. “These new roles are going to continue to drive a deep market connection, preemptively understand customer needs and enhance our platform and data product to exceed expectations.”
The next period of growth at Smarter Sorting is about scale and impact.”
Who they’re looking to hire: “We look for deep curiosity, self-motivation and a growth mindset,” Adams Kraus said. These are characteristics that embody Smarter Sorting’s company values. The team is looking to add people who “ask the hard questions and actively pursue their own learning,” she said. While delivering value to existing customers is important, it’s also critical to continue to find value in the market. “We need people who want to actively find that knowledge, bring it back to the company and use it to advocate for customers,” Adams Kraus explained. “If our people are motivated, push the envelope, stay curious and have a growth mindset, we will be successful.”
What they do: Backed by exceptional talent, InspiringApps helps world-class brands design and develop Android and iOS web apps and custom software solutions. With a portfolio of more than 200 apps, the company is well-positioned to help other companies’ internal teams employ best practices. InspiringApps is also launching its IA Commits initiative to provide career opportunities for less experienced developers while serving nonprofit organizations.
Where they’re headed: The company has spent the last two years honing their skills for anticipated growth, and the team is now designing better quality products, quicker than before. “I am excited about the growth, not for growth’s sake, but because we’ve invested time and talent to prepare our people and processes to support it,” said President and CEO Brad Weber. This growth, especially in the fintech industry, has increased demand for talent in Flutter, JavaScript, Kotlin, React and Swift. “We are growing our development teams, and new team members will join a cohesive group of professionals who have served clients together for years,” said Weber.
I am excited about the growth, not for growth’s sake, but because we’ve invested time and talent to prepare our people and processes to support it.”
Who they’re looking to hire: The InspiringApps team is looking to find people who exemplify three characteristics: curiosity, humility and empathy. Designers, developers, project managers and testers “all benefit from being curious about what works, what doesn’t and why,” explained Weber. “In order to keep up with the latest advances across our disciplines, we have to be curious about new tools and techniques.” Humility relates to the ability to learn and grow from mistakes. “Confidence is valued, but there is no place for ego on our team,” he said. Finally, having empathy when working with customers is a gamechanger, Weber explained. “Team members who care about the people using the products we create will craft considerably better solutions than those who don’t.”
.jpeg)
