Get to know Skedulo - Kim Buen, Office Manager, San Francisco

I’ve worked in office management for over 20 years. It’s simply a role that has always allowed me to be who I am: moving around, talking to people, and trying to take some of the burden off others so they can focus on the work they do.

Over the course of my career, I’ve generally chosen to work for larger companies. It’s not that I haven’t tried smaller ones or start ups. But anytime I did, they either got bought out or grew very fast – so just as everyone had found their voice and individuality, it all got lost.

Needless to say, I was a little hesitant when I heard about a job opening as an Office Manager in Skedulo’s San Francisco office in 2019.

Initially what sold it for me was that I had previously worked with Skedulo’s COO Jonathon Hodge, and I know he is a person with great integrity. So after doing my research, I took the leap…and that’s when I met Matt Fairhurst. As soon as I talked with Matt, I knew Skedulo was where I wanted to work – he was so respectful and engaged during our conversation, and I resonated with everything he told me Skedulo was working towards.

Taking the leap back into a smaller company

When I first started at Skedulo, it was a relatively small team in San Francisco. But from the very first day, everyone was incredibly welcoming.

Two years on, and the thing I feared most about stepping back into a small company has not happened at Skedulo. Even though we’ve grown rapidly (from around 50 staff to well over 200), the culture hasn’t changed at all. I know we’re growing, and I’m very excited to be part of it.

In my role as Office Manager, I support both the San Francisco and UK offices. Because of the pandemic it has morphed into a hybrid role, and I often find myself doing a lot of work in HR and finance.

My favourite part of the job is onboarding new hires; and we currently have many starting every week! As their first point of contact (often in a virtual setting), I want them to feel very welcome and comfortable while being able to launch straight into their role. I’ll often try to set up everything on a Sunday so they have complete access to all the apps they need and aren’t inundated with that stress when they come in on the Monday.

On their first day, I help them get familiar with our systems, learn how to submit expenses and do other admin tasks, and just generally make them feel welcome. I never want anyone to feel like they aren’t part of the Skedulo family, so I consider it my job as their first connection to really extend that Skedulo love.

Taking the next step in my career

I’ve recently gone back to school to further my education, because I want to make more of a difference at Skedulo.

After being mentored by our EVP, Jeanne Mariani, I feel confident in being able to take my career to the next level by studying Business Management with a legal emphasis so I can assist with contract management into the future.

That’s something that is truly special about working here. Even if you see a small part you can play, now or in the future, people will ask how they can help you achieve it. I think this is how Skedulo has grown so organically, because everyone is empowered to make the work we do their own. We’ve also been able to attract great talent, because our people talk to their networks and share how fun it is to work here.

What I love most about being part of Skedulo though is the values. For example, we live and breathe our values such as No shenanigans and Caring first. If I ever want to run a fundraising activity or get us involved with blood donations for the Red Cross, I always get a tick of approval from Matt.

Working as an Office Manager is my way of giving back to staff who spend their days helping our customers make their businesses better. I know people are away from their families when they’re at work, so I want the office to feel like a family and keep everyone smiling.

After two years, I can definitely say my mind is changed forever on joining a start up…if you’re lucky enough to join one like Skedulo.