Senior Project Manager on the Continuous Improvement Team

“We’ll get this right”

I joined Strategic Projects in early 2020, making a jump from consulting for better work-life balance. I have two young children and greeting them at the end of their day with dinner and a smile is important to me. During my interview process, the panel really listened to my experience, matching me to a project well-suited to my expertise and setting me up for success within the organization. The management team understands many skills are highly transferrable, and with the variety of projects our team works on, there’s absolutely a good fit somewhere.

Shortly after joining, the corporate office closed and I found myself learning a new company, new colleagues, and a new project all from a remote environment. That’s an intimidating proposition, especially during a pandemic, but my team and my manager really supported me, while also allowing me the flexibility to structure my time and project in a way that worked best for me and the teams I support. While in-office meetings and strategy sessions have moved to Microsoft Teams for a time, my project is moving forward and nearing completion.

After less than a year within the organization, I’ve been able to present to senior leadership to showcase project successes – which is a huge sign of confidence in my abilities and the work being done by Strategic Projects. I feel like I’m surrounded by a high caliber of professionalism and excellence. I value working with my colleagues – a group of talented, smart and resilient people who are always looking to build and improve on relationships. I’m excited to collaborate with them back in the office soon. There are a lot of perks! The food is fantastic in the café, and between the workspaces, the layout, and details like the huddle rooms, it’s clear Compass put a lot of thought into making the corporate offices comfortable, collaborative working spaces.

The Compass culture is people centered, which I see reflected in my project and career every day. A lot of effort is put into making sure people feel heard - something rare in traditional corporate culture. Even on days where things aren’t going according to plan, the approach is: “We’ll get this right.” We learn, we adapt, we evolve. We do what we must to continuously improve, while other organizations might say: “This is the way it is, fall in line or get out.” I feel confident that I can bring feedback to leadership and it will be both heard and valued.

At my new associate orientation, someone in HR said: “We want this to be the last place you ever work.” And it’s not because she wanted me to have the same job for my entire career, it’s because she wanted to be clear that as I grow or my interests shift, the organization will find a place for me. That’s the benefit of working for Compass Group, and Strategic Projects in particular. There’s always an opportunity for evolution and progression.

Project Manager on the Continuous Improvement Team

“People are excited to see what’s new and what’s next”

I’m relatively new to Compass Group and the experience I’ve had with the company has been tremendous so far. I’ve been able to jump right in and everyone has been so supportive along the way. There has been a great balance of knowing and trusting that I’m an experienced professional, while also providing the support needed to be successful.

When I was applying for this role and going through the interview process, the job itself was interesting, but what made it feel like the right fit was the people. You just get a feeling sometimes and it felt right. It felt like these are the people I’m going to be able to grow with, learn from, and level up with, if you will. I got that feeling the whole time.

As I continue my career with Compass Group, I’m so excited to continue to grow and learn new things from the people around me. This team is a true representation of "iron sharpens iron". I feel like everyone on this team is intelligent, but they're friendly and they truly want each other to succeed. I look forward to seeing how much I can learn and better myself knowing that I also have a team of people around me wanting to do those things too.

I think it can be scary sometimes to want to make a career move, especially if you may be comfortable where you are, but coming to Compass Group was the best move I could have made. It brought me into an upbeat culture where people are excited to see what's new and what's next. It still feels like a growing company, while also being a market leader. The growth mindset and constant opportunity to do new things, learn more, and connect with new people make me so excited for what’s to come!

Senior Project Manager on the Innovation & Integrations Team

“A culture of trust, flexibility, and support”

When I came to Strategic Projects, leadership plugged me into the Operational Support team where I was able to leverage my background in sales and operations. This fit allowed me to acclimate to the Strategic Projects team while positioning me to grow in my professional career. The role was a blend of traditional project management and client-facing support, but I initially felt a little like a deer in headlights transitioning from a place where I was the subject matter expert to a very large and complex organization where I was relying on others to provide me with the information needed to make my projects successful. I immediately realized two things: how important Strategic Projects is to Compass as a whole, and how helpful the coaching from my leadership and peers was to me making a smooth transition into my new role and finding success there. Two key mentors for me have already moved on to leadership positions elsewhere within the organization.

My career arc has been an interesting one. I started by leveraging existing skill sets, I added to those skill sets with the help of a wide array of colleagues (both in our team and throughout Compass), and then I moved to a whole new world. Last winter, I was offered an opportunity to work on the Compass Master Data Management project (MDM): a large and complex project involving data management, matching algorithms, system integrations, and a diverse stakeholder base. I was excited for the opportunity to work on something that would make a significant impact across Compass, but I had to figure out what it all meant. This new project was like nothing I had ever worked on before. I considered myself analytical, but I didn’t have a background in data or, more broadly, in tech. But that’s one thing I love about this team: If you want to be challenged, if you want to grow, if you want to work outside of your comfort zone, you have an opportunity to do that on a daily basis. Sometimes I feel like I’m building the plane while flying it, and every time I learn something new, I find myself with a new list of questions to answer. But this also highlights my most valued part of our role: there is always someone to help guide us on the path to an answer. Teamwork and collaboration are standard operating procedure, and reaching out to people is encouraged.

A key part of being successful within Compass is being humble enough to raise your hand and ask a question when you don’t understand something. I really appreciate that. We place a high value on connecting with other people and working collaboratively to find the best solution. One of the most valuable assets anyone on our team can have is their communication skills. Being a strong communicator will help to highlight risks, align stakeholders, and allocate resources in the best way possible. Whether you are in a breakout session, a regular weekly touchpoint, sending an email, or presenting to an executive team, being able to take a complex project and communicate the key components to each individual audience – the risks, the hurdles, the successes, and where you may need support –is critical.

Within Strategic Projects in particular, the culture is the best of any company I’ve ever worked for; it’s the most valuable aspect of the team. There’s a level of flexibility and trust: trust that all members of the team will get the job done, do it well, and ask for support where needed. It’s humbling, and it drives us all to get better every day. This is a place where you can make an impact, where you’re challenged to work outside of your comfort zone but with a broad-based group of coworkers who have experience in a number of different areas and are willing to provide support. It’s an incredibly unique place.

Pricing Manager on the Value Pricing & Analytics Team

“I’m constantly kept on my toes here – in the best way”

When I was looking for a role that was the right fit for me, the opportunity to join the Pricing Team at Compass jumped out as a great fit. My background and experience aligned, but I knew there was still a lot of room for growth and opportunities to learn more in the role. Then, once I started the interview process, the consistent theme of “the people of Compass” stuck out to me and got me really excited.

That theme has stayed true throughout my time here so far. Everyone has been so helpful and willing to take the time to include me and really get to know me. I joined during a time where we were in a remote world and was pleasantly surprised with how smooth things have gone and the ability of the team to make connections even under those circumstances.

I feel like I’m constantly kept on my toes here – in the best way. I am learning something new every day and have been able to challenge myself which is invigorating. I’m excited to see what the future holds!

If you’re thinking about joining Compass Group, my only advice for you is to go for it! You won’t regret it.

Director of Business Performance Standards

“Teamwork will get us across the finish line”

I’ve been with Compass Group for around four years. I started as a Project Manager, moved to a Senior Project Manager, then moved to overseeing the Healthcare Vertical on our Operational Support team on the greater Strategic Projects team.

The experience I’ve had with Compass Group has been nothing short of awesome. Throughout the roles I’ve held, each project has been very different, while all remaining in the same realm of the new business space. Each team in the company and the clients I’ve worked with all have different priorities and personalities which keeps things fresh and interesting! I’ve also learned a lot about the sides of the business that I had never been exposed to – the opportunities to learn more and challenge yourself are endless.

As for the team I work with, they never cease to impress me. Everyone has a can-do attitude and teamwork is at the core of what we do. There is always the sense of “we’re going to get this done…together” which makes meeting deadlines and completing projects possible. We all have a common goal and know that teamwork will get us across the finish line.

Looking to the future, the opportunity to continue to grow at Compass excites me. Compass is a massive organization that allows for so many opportunities based on your skills and abilities. There is a place for everyone here. You can really find a team or department that will meet your needs and allows you to grow within the company. Internal growth is always encouraged, and it’s been a wonderful thing to watch that continue to happen around me.