Years later, her outlook shifted when she took a course on mobile development for social change as a pre-med student at Haverford College and realized technology’s assistive capabilities.
“I really enjoyed seeing how technology could benefit underrepresented and underserved communities. That’s what made me change over because I came to understand how technology can improve people’s lives,” said Griffin, who graduated with a computer science degree.
Coming full circle, Griffin is now a software engineering manager at HealthVerity, the Center City-based technology and real-world data solutions company for pharma manufacturers, insurance companies and government agencies.
Similar to her childhood dreams, Griffin said the HealthVerity mission of synchronizing transformational technologies with real-world data in a privacy-compliant manner to advance clinical research and drive improve patient outcomes inspired her to join the company in August 2022. She manages two bicoastal teams at HealthVerity: its contract platforms technology team and its consent team, which supports the HealthVerity consent management system for patient preferences and data use permissions. In total, Griffin manages eight direct reports.
Technical.ly sat down with Griffin to discuss her managerial outlook, and reflect on her time spent at HealthVerity and what’s to come.
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What stood out about HealthVerity while you were in your job search?
First and foremost, I wanted to be somewhere that made me proud of the work I was doing, and I aligned with HealthVerity’s mission. Plus, during my interview process, HealthVerity had me speak to my potential direct reports. It’s not something that I’ve seen before. I thought it was really great because that means that you really care about your people and you want to make sure that your people have a say in who’s going to be their manager.
Now that you’re in that managerial role, what is your leadership style?
I describe my management style as a partnership. I want to know who my direct reports are, what their working style is and how I can support them. I want to make sure that we’re working towards their career goals and that they feel valued. I want to make sure that I’m serving them.
In my career, I have seen the real value of having a great manager. Wanting to be a great advocate for people and their goals put me on the managerial path in previous roles and here at HealthVerity. It fulfills me to help others grow and watch them prosper.
On the topic of your team’s career goals, how does HealthVerity encourage professional development?
One thing that stood out to me about HealthVerity was the managerial training they offered. We have instructor-led courses that provide guidance on different scenarios, such as performance reviews, so we can be the best possible managers. I also have a weekly call with other engineering managers and the company’s VP of engineering so we can discuss what’s working for our team and learn from each other.
Continuing education is also available for engineers. HealthVerity just invested in a director of organizational learning, whose job is centered around making sure we have the resources employees need for upskilling. That allows me to connect my team with the best resources.
Looking back, what are some of your favorite memories at HealthVerity?
Just getting to know my fellow coworkers. There’s a concerted team-building effort at HealthVerity. The company regularly hosts random coffee sessions. You’re randomly paired with someone in the company, and you have 30 minutes for chatting and getting to know each other. I’ve really enjoyed that, as well as our HV Cafes.
Each week, for the HV Cafe, different people within the company select a type of music to play for 30 minutes, and there’s a DJ in the office. It’s a really great time to work with others and get to know different people through the type of music that they like to listen to. It’s great that it’s not just for the people in the office. We also allow for it to be done via Zoom so you can have that music play in the background while you’re doing your day-to-day work.
There’s a tight-knit community here where everyone knows everyone. There are no glass doors, and everyone is welcome to connect with each other. I’ve really enjoyed that.
This article is sponsored by HealthVerity and was reviewed before publication. HealthVerity is a Technical.ly Talent Builder client.
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