Why Alation Is One of UK's Best Workplaces^™ in Tech 2022

Working at a data company doesn’t mean you expect to be treated like a number.

That’s certainly not the case at Alation. We’re a diverse, global, mostly remote workforce of 600 (and counting!) Alationauts. This year alone, we were named a 2022 UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Women, joined Inc. magazine’s annual list of the Best Workplaces for the third time, and rock a 4.6/5 rating on Glassdoor.

Joining this list of workplace accolades is the recent recognition as 2022 UK Best Workplace™ in Tech by Great Place to Work® UK. We’ve got a press release that breaks down the details of the award, but in this blog we want to share the stories of two of our UK-based employees so you can learn what makes Alation a great workplace for them.

It’s no longer just about the tech — or the role

Tom Codling is a senior manager of sales engineering who’s been with the Alation for four years. He’s been in tech for more than 15 years, however, and he’s seen an evolution in how jobseekers in his field approach a career.

“Early in my career, when I interviewed for a role, I had to really sell myself,” he says. “For employers in today’s market, things have slightly flipped. They have to sell the opportunity and the organization and the culture.

“And that’s what a lot of the younger people whom I’ve interviewed for my team — and I have two people as young as 24 — ask about: not just the tech behind our brand, but also the culture and how well co-workers get along.”

And at Alation, the feeling is mutual. “I tell candidates that the first thing we have to do is understand whether they’re a good cultural fit, because the way that we do things is different. At Alation, you’re not just selling a data catalog. If you truly believe in our culture and our values, you’re going to get customers just as excited about our products.”

Opportunities at the table

Jude Rothwell, a senior technical support manager, has been with Alation since May 2022. Jude was initially recruited to Alation by Daniel Rose, vice president of global customer support. “He contacted me and I loved how open and transparent he was — as well as his passion for customer support and customer success,” she said. “He sold me the dream. I then did my research. I looked at Glassdoor. I looked at LinkedIn.”

She also considered the diversity within the team. “That’s one of the things that I do look at when I’m looking at an organization and everything about that, that the culture was going to be the right culture for me. And I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to join and make a difference. And I feel that that’s the opportunity that I’ve been given.”

Autonomy within a larger organization

Both Tom and Jude laud the independence and voice they enjoy as members of an EMEA team that’s part of a tech company based in Silicon Valley. “It doesn’t feel like a stereotypical ‘American company,’ from an organizational perspective,” Tom says, while Jude adds, “I’ve got a diverse team that includes people in Bulgaria and Poland. Our diverse, multicultural viewpoints are all considered to help customers be successful.”

And even though there are times they have to manage work at an organization whose headquarters are in the Pacific time zone, the UK teams have flexibility and support so they can thrive and grow their careers.

“Alation has a people-focused way of dealing with our global workforce, which is refreshing,” Jude says.

Finally, Tom speaks for many Alationauts when he concludes, “When you consider our funding, our customers, our product development, and our growth, you realize you just don’t get that many opportunities in an IT career — you may get only one.

“Because at Alation, we know we’re building something special.”

Alation is hiring. Apply today.