At DiRAD, we think it’s important to highlight the people on our team that are doing a great job and learn a bit more about them. We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on one of our rising star employees, Emma! She’s only been here a short time, but she’s already become an invaluable asset to our team. In this month’s Company Spotlight we’ll dive into her journey and discover the person behind the professional.
How long have you been at DiRAD?
Since February of 2024 – just over five months in total thus far!
Tell us a little bit about yourself/life outside of work.
I currently live in New York City, but grew up in Metro-Detroit. Outside of work I belong to several book clubs, run one of them, sing folk songs, and play Dungeons and Dragons. I have two cats, a Bombay black cat named Rex who has extra toes, and Merle who joined the apartment by hanging out around our fire escape and breaking into the apartment on several occasions.
What inspired you to get into your chosen field?
It’s funny, I remember as a kid when web pages were a new thing, thinking that there must be people who have to go through and click every button and make sure everything works forward and backward as it’s supposed to. Then through a previous Coordinator role I naturally moved towards projects that involved testing and troubleshooting test data and practices. It’s a fun intellectual puzzle and was fulfilling in a way that some of my prior work experience lacked. It’s also pretty funny because my Mom had a similar role working at ATT for dozens of years back when that segment of the company was called Michigan Bell. It’s interesting how the present can have a way of sampling the past.
Apart from your phone, what is your favorite piece of technology?
Recently I’ve been very impressed with letterpresses for standing the test of time. I love when technology is built to last and is so efficient and useful that it’s used for dozens if not hundreds of years. It’s interesting to see software navigate from a very nascent place and see how engineers, developers, and teams across departments are working to build systems and software that endure (even if they need some updating and maintenance from time to time).
What is something about customer service that you think is 100% necessary to success?
Building relationships. Good customer service isn’t just providing a customer with what they say they want but building a relationship to see beyond what they ask for to what their needs are. And being honest about the timeframe and effort it takes to meet those requirements. Proving trust by action over the course of months, years, or decades.
If you could describe DiRAD in one word, what would it be?
Genuine. I’m constantly impressed by how every person within the company I’ve interacted with has been genuine. We can talk about hardworking and efficient people at a number of companies, but there’s something to be said for the distinct lack of pretense and how genuinely competent and kind folks at DiRAD are.
What’s your favorite quote?
“I want to believe that the dead are not lost to us. That they speak to us as part of something greater than us, greater than any alien force. And if you and I are powerless now, I want to believe that if we listen to what’s speaking, it can give us the power to save ourselves”
-Fox Mulder (The X-Files)