The Manual

This manual covers most of what you need to know to get started at StudyMode. And if there are other questions, you’re working next to someone who has been in your shoes before. Jump, shout, or wave them down – they’ll be more than willing to help in any way they can.

This manual will also cover the things we value in stellar employees, and how you can succeed here. We hired you because you have a lot to offer and contribute. Work with passion, try your best, be a good teammate and we’ll provide all the support you need to thrive and have an amazing career here.

Ready, launch!

We are passionate. We drive ourselves to the limit when needed. We work hard and smart because we want to outpace our competitors. Our team demands that we recruit the best people to help them create the best products possible. We don’t just embrace change, we drive it.

Our team demands that we recruit the best people to help them create the best products possible.

You are a part of that change. So don’t be afraid to be yourself and contribute, just dive right in.

What does StudyMode do? (What do I tell my family/friends when they ask?)

StudyMode is a platform for students to create, discover, and share study materials. We’re changing the way people learn together and serve more than 2 billion pageviews per year to students all around the world. Our team is continually challenged to develop the best technologies to curate, filter and deliver the best study materials to help students succeed in school.

Why do we exist?

We exist to help students achieve their dreams. Here are some examples:

Graduating from college
Securing a great job
Getting married
Buying a home
Having the ability to take care of family
raveling and seeing the world
Living in a safe neighborhood
Being able to help other people

Intro to Ed Tech

Ed Tech is a burgeoning space that’s full of opportunity and potential. Companies in the space provide diverse products like research materials, writing tools, flashcards, citations and more. Some have even successfully integrated themselves into classrooms, while others are rapidly gaining traction. As of today however, there is still no clear winner in the space.

We’re changing the way people learn together and serve more than 2 billion pageviews per year to students all around the world.

We are here because we believe we can win this. That means being number one. That means we need to possess the best products, the most market share and the most vocal and supportive user base. It’s a tall order, but you’re here to help us do it.

Take some time to get to know our competitors because this is how we’ll benchmark ourselves as a company.

International Presence

Our robust international presence is one of the things that make this company different. We have multiple domestic and international competitors, but most of them only operate in one market. Please feel free to provide any ideas that may help with our international expansion. The whole world wants to learn.

Our Culture

While every company knows what they do and why, our culture represents how we work and behave as individuals and as a team.

Think about it this way: there can be two box factories that have the exact same employees, products and prices. However, the company that possesses the better culture (attitude, efficiency, communication, teamwork, etc.) will out accelerate the other in the end. Over time, our culture and people are our most valuable advantages.

How do we behave?

We are humble.

We embrace change.

We are collaborative, yet self-directed.

How do we aspire to behave?

We have a sense of urgency.

We are a data-driven culture.

We'll hold you to these standards, but we'll expect you to do the same for us.

Customers are our core

A delighted customer is the end goal of everything we do. In fact, it’s so important that all new employees will do customer support training their first day. Our philosophy has always been to address user needs and add value above all else. Any other strategy is a setup up for future failure.

Your Expectations

We strive to be excellent, so here are some things you can expect from us.

Zero micromanagement

We believe you’re uniquely talented and an expert in your field, that’s why you’re a part of our team. We don’t have the time and we’re not interested in micromanaging you. We believe you’re committed to this job and that you’re going to achieve great things.

We believe you’re uniquely talented and an expert in your field, that’s why you’re a part of this team.

Regular feedback

We try to provide feedback as early and often as possible. You will have an initial 30-day review, followed by regular six-month recurring reviews. These meetings are a great way for us to have a conversation about what’s working for you and what’s not. Being honest helps this process greatly.

Of course, some things can’t wait six months or even six minutes. If you have anything you’d like to discuss immediately, grab your team lead (or anyone who can help) to discuss what’s on your mind.

Promoting a work-life balance

We work hard, but we also play hard. Being able to recognize when you need to take a break from the action is a sign of maturity. Burnout is real, don’t let it happen to you. Our formal vacation policy is three weeks for all employees and we want you to use it. Informally, however, we are fine with you requesting additional time off to relax when you need it.

How will we succeed?

Hire when it hurts

We can easily double our team size, but we choose not to. We prefer a small, agile team that works well together and communicates effectively. We only hire when it hurts. Each hire is an absolute necessity. This way, we can ensure we are growing in a smart way.

Our Expectations

We need you to excel at your position, as others are depending on you. As such, here are some of our expectations of you.

Ground rules

While we don’t have a lengthy set of corporate rules, we do have a basic set of standards we believe everyone should follow. Our mutual goal should be to create an environment where the business can operate in an effective, but fun way.

One team, one goal

Everyone here has goals, it’s how we measure performance and improvement. At the end of the day however, we are one team with one goal.

Your job doesn’t end with your part of a project or when it's handed off to another person or team. We are all responsible for driving a project through to the end, and doing everything we can to ensure our effort was an overwhelming success. It’s everyone’s job to question, improve and innovate on projects.

Your job doesn’t end with your part of a project or when it's handed off to another person or team.

We share equally in all successes and failures. We are one team with one goal.

Speak up

An error of commission (doing something wrong) is usually smaller and more recoverable than an error of omission (failing to do the right thing). We need everyone to speak up. Whether you have an idea, predict we’re making a mistake, spot a bug, etc., the worst thing you can do is to stay silent.

Speaking up and challenging things will either lead to clarification or improvement, so don’t be afraid to do it.

Play together

Personal relationships are important. It’s just the way it is. While we would never force you to interact with anyone, this company was founded with the ideal that everyone would enjoy coming to work in a comfortable environment with people they like. There are a lot of interesting people here, and you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them, so why not make some new friends? We promise you won’t regret making the effort.

Don’t get comfortable

The final bit of advice we can share is to never let yourself get comfortable. That’s how companies die. Don’t stand still; always look for new ways to learn, grow and challenge yourself. We are big supporters of any new ideas and initiatives, but those only happen when you make them happen.

SEO is Vital

Many people think you can launch a business on the web without knowing SEO, but for the most part it's not true. You can spend a lot of money on advertising to build a brand, but if you have no traffic outside of paid search, your site and earnings will evaporate when you run out of money. SEO is extremely powerful and having a general knowledge of it will be beneficial as another weapon in your arsenal.

Check out Moz.com, a site for professional SEOs and anyone interested in the topic. They’ve got a nice beginner’s guide.

Books We Love

Continual learning is one of the most important and easy things you can do to grow. If there’s a book you’ve been dying to read, let us know and we can order it and add it to our in-house library. Of course there are good and bad books, so if you’re looking for a starting point, check our reading list for recommendations.

Here's our recommended reading list to get you started:

FAQ Cheatsheet

You're going to be overloaded with information initially, which is why we put together this handy cheatsheet to help you access most of what you'll need to get up and running your first few days.

However, don't hestitate to let us know if you have questions or need help.

Trinet (HRPassport.com)

We use a 3rd party HR provider called Trinet. You will be sent an invite to register with them at HRPassport.com via email. Once you’ve signed up, this will be your command center for things like PTO, 401(k), health insurance registration, etc.

Our address

Taft Building - 1680 Vine St., Suite 1200, Hollywood, CA 90028

Parking

Employees park at the underground lot on Hollywood and Argyle. You will receive a parking keycard good for 24-hour parking. Notify attendants if you plan to park overnight or on weekends.

Building access/keycard

The Taft Building requires an access card for entry if you are arriving before 9:00 am, after 5:30 pm or on weekends. We'll give you a keycard on your first day.

Keypad Entry

We protect our office with a keypad lock system. You will be asked to provide a 4-digit access number that you can easily remember. This will be programmed into the system your first day, and is unique to you. You will need to enter this number each time you enter or exit our office.

Restrooms

All building restrooms are shared and require a key. The keys are located in designated areas and can open restrooms on other floors in case one is occupied.

Email

You are provided with an official email address the first day. Please add an email signature and you’re ready to go!

AIM/Chat/Contact List

We connect daily via various chat clients. You can find a full list here. Make sure you add in contact numbers as well in case you need after hours help.

Benefits

We strive to provide the best benefits possible for our employees so check them out and take advantage.

Gettin' paid

As we hope you’ve noticed, we pay pretty well here.

You will get paid on the 22nd for the first pay period of the month and the 7th for the second pay period of the month. Add your bank account to TriNet’s system and you’ll automatically be paid by direct deposit (it may take up to 2 billing cycles). Login to HR Passport and go to Myself > My Payroll > Direct Deposit to setup direct deposit.

Health insurance

Employees are provided with full health care coverage on day one. You will be able to register immediately via the homepage of HRPassport after logging in.

Vision

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Dental

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Retirement

We provide 401(k) benefits after 6 months of employment. StudyMode matches 4% of contributions with an immediate vest.

Catered lunches

The company caters lunch for employees every Wednesday and Friday. You will be sent a link to an online ordering form the day before. For other days, the team generally breaks off in separate groups so feel free to join an outing or propose your own.

Work station allowances

You’ve got a great budget to customize your desk. This of course includes your computer, monitor(s), and other hardware equipment. Additionally, it includes any other tools that’ll make you more comfortable and/or productive. Please let us know if there’s anything you need.

Monthly re-location bonus

Your time is valuable. We’re not just talking about your time at the office – we’re talking about your time with family, friends, or even just personal time. That’s why we offer a $300 per month re-location bonus that you can apply toward your rent or mortgage. To receive the bonus you must move to the area east and south of the 101 and on this side of the hill (not in the valley), north of the 10, and east of the 405.

PTO

Our formal vacation policy is three weeks for all employees. Informally, however, we are fine with you requesting additional time off. In general, as long as you’re contributing to the company and meeting the expectations of the team, you can take time off. Use your best judgment and don’t leave the team behind during busy times.

When you’re ready to take some days off or if you’re not feeling well, put in a leave request by logging in to HRPassport and going to Myself > My Time > Leave Requests. You can also download TriNet’s HR Passport app in the Apple App Store or Google Play to input leave requests from your mobile device.

Flexible work hours

Los Angeles is known for its terrible traffic and we know that many of you drive long distances to be here, so we happily accommodate an arrival time between 8am and 11:00am. That being said, no one has time to manage your hours so it’s your responsibility to put in a full and effective day.

We do not believe in working from home, or half days. We believe the team is most effective when everyone is together and collaborating. If you are not physically present in the office, you must request a day off. You may continue to work on your own time off if you make that choice.

For many years, we outsourced a lot of positions. In 2011, we decided to hire a great, in-house team. This was one of our best decisions because of the increased communication and collaboration that happens around the office. We value you being here day-to-day, so when you’re working, we’d like you to do it here alongside us.