Where to start? My first week at Zscaler happened to coincide with the start of new hire training for the company. I hadn’t planned it this way, but it worked out brilliantly for me. The training itinerary was well planned and included introducing us to many members of the senior management team. The trainers took the time to develop our understanding of Zscaler services, company processes, and culture, and they also engaged us personally.
For instance, we participated in an open forum with Jay, the Zscaler CEO, which only heightened our excitement about the opportunities ahead. The time he invested in us was a true indicator of the culture and values of the company. We were able to speak openly and ask questions that covered everything from our specific roles to what the future holds for Zscaler. The session lasted until all our questions were answered.
New hire training on my very first day at Zscaler
A highlight of the first week was our visit to the food bank on Wednesday night. First, we all went around Target with three carts, filling them to the top with non perishable foods. Together, we paid and headed down to the food bank. Our personal donations from the exercise were able to fill three barrels full of food for people in need.
Afterward, we split into teams to label cans that couldn’t be sold in supermarkets. I was on a team with four regional sales managers and one sales engineer, and for two hours we got to know each other, sharing experiences and talking about sports, work, and home life. Before we knew it, 9,000 cans were labeled and our two hours were up. It wasn’t billed as a team-building exercise, but there’s no doubt that we all came away from the shared experience with newly formed bonds and with a lot of pride in what we accomplished together.
The whole week was a lot of fun, interactive, and very informative. Zscaler is by far the most welcoming company I’ve ever joined and seems to be as forward thinking in its culture as its technology. I’m excited to see what next week brings!
