Yellowfin CEO, Glen Rabie, Interview and Insights

Having worked with Yellowfin for only a quarter of a year, I vividly remember the Seek advertisement and application process for my current position with the company. It was clear from the beginning that Yellowfin was different and had a culture that I wanted to be part of. “At Yellowfin individuals can be just that, themselves, it’s a place where Friday beers are nearly mandatory.” “Seeking a think-for-yourselfer and someone who plays well with others.” “If you are still feeling warm and fuzzy, and you want to see why this job is so much better than every other cubicle dwelling job…then apply!” This advert stuck out like an oasis in a desert of mundane monotonous job ads only declaring desired skills. I thought, This company has personality, humor, culture and is hiring for an attitude!

“Basically when we’re doing a job ad, we’re advertising our company. We’re saying to people, ‘This is who we are, this is what you’re going to get, and we want this type of person,’” says Glen Rabie in his interview titled Destroy the Assumptions with Steven Pell from Management. Disrupted. – a collection on better management, leadership and strategy in knowledge (video and transcript below). Rabie, Yellowfin’s cofounder and CEO since 2003, explains that much of Yellowfin’s success is attributed to hiring. “Get people who get what you do and who want to be part of [your organization] and who are excited about the kind of company that you are. Skills – people can learn anything, in essence.”

Yellowfin’s philosophy of hiring attitude over accomplishments becomes increasingly evident as I engage with more of my colleagues on a personal level. The range of backgrounds in education and work experience amongst my coworkers is incredibly diverse, contributing to a dynamic and exciting work environment. And as the unique history of each of its people serves to promote creative problem solving and a culture supportive of outside-the-box thinking benefiting the company as a whole, Yellowfin’s commitment to core values enables its people to clearly see the ways in which their strengths and passions contribute to the bigger picture.

“You’ve got to define within your branding/culture what it is that you are as a company. You want to hire into that. You don’t want to have everyone exactly the same, but it’s got to be within the sense of who Yellowfin is because that’s what your customer is going to know about. Your customer is going to sense that.”
There is power in a group of people with a common purpose.
“It drives everything. It drives product strategy. It drives the way we interact with companies, our partner strategy.”

Watch the interview here:

See the transcript here: http://managementdisrupted.com/destroy-the-assumptions-glen-rabie-ceo-at-yellowfin/

More about Glen Rabie:
Linkedin: au.linkedin.com/in/glenrabie
Twitter: @glenrabie

More about Management Disturbed and Steve Pell: http://managementdisrupted.com/weekly-newsletter-22-june/