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Hooking up with mainframes WRQ is a leader in Web-based information access and management tools for e-business. The company was founded in 1981 by Doug Walker and Craig McKibben; their innovative products helped them to launch a full-fledged software company. Experienced in host access, networking, and software solutions management, WRQ is perhaps best known as the software company with a heart. Kinder and gentler Both founders are nature enthusiasts as well as Internet kings. The company's logo is a green, blue, and gray triangle, designed to evoke the green hills, blue water, and mountains of the Pacific Northwest (Seattle) where WRQ makes its home. WRQ contributes to The Nature Conservancy (the company's donation bought land for a bald eagle sanctuary) and to Childhaven, an organization which aids abused children. Employees area lso encouraged to volunteer elsewhere in the community. Bread and butter WRQ has several standout products that have boosted its profile and income. Lost in the hubbub over portable PCs and Internet-based operating systems ala Oracle and Sun is the fact that most major corporations still store their precious data on mainframes. WRQ's Reflection host access products allow secure desktop access to a variety of terminals. WRQ also produces Apptrieve, designed to to integrate legacy and web systems, as well as Holistic Web Manager. A Fortune-ate ranking WRQ has been widely recognized as a high-quality workplace. The company made the Fortune's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for the third consecutive year in 2000, coming in at No. 28. Heavy hitters Sun Microsystems tabbed WRQ to provide its clients with solutions and support for its networking software. This agreement will extend the reach of WRQ's mainframe retrieval and integration software. The company has also acquired SuperNova Enterprises in an effort to move away from simply selling software to partnering with companies that will allow it to integrate and implement their software for their clients.
WRQ, while it may possess an easy-going corporate philosophy, doesn't go soft on its job candidates. Insiders say the interview process at WRQ is "in-depth." Candidates "meet with several members of the staff in a session, with several sessions in a day." This can involve speaking with six to eight WRQ employees - not counting the HR manager. (Don't complain - we hear "it used to be 20 or more!") WRQ is mostly concerned, say our contacts, with "fit," flexibility and technical expertise. "Referrals are highly regarded in any group," though some say that basic classified ads can be the conduit into WRQ as well. In sum, say our sources, the interview process is "intense, but done with respect."
A regular lovefest WRQ insiders overwhelmingly concur with Fortune magazine's positive assessment of their workplace. "I have been in the industry 16 years," says one of our contacts, "and all other places pale in comparison." "I haven't touched my resume in four years," says another contact. Yet another WRQ insider claims that any future job growth will have to happen within WRQ. It's no wonder the company has "extremely low turnover." Special perks Insiders praise special perks like "our own office - not a cube." Other generous perks include zero premiums for health insurance, a 100 percent 401(k) match up to 6 percent of pay, and 100 percent tuition reimbursement for job-related coursework. Micromanagers go home Above all, WRQ insider cherish the ability to be a self-starter - to "avoid micromanagement." "It's not a sweatshop," comments one of our contacts, "but the focus is on self-starters who work a task to completion and are great at follow-up." Others identify the "ability to get things right the first time" to be crucial to happiness at WRQ. "There are few 'bosses' at WRQ, and most of us don't want to go back to a traditional approach," advises one contact. The firm has no dress code for non-client contact positions, meaning sandals to sweats, depending on the season. Hours are what you make of them Hours are relatively flexible - "you need to do what you need to accomplish your job." (Of course, in high tech companies, this is no guarantee of a 9-5 position!) Employees receive two weeks of vacation and 10 sick days; additionally, "if you need time off for family situations or personal things, there's usually no problem."
Human Resources (206) 217-7411
Enterprise Application Integration;Web management;Data mining
Ariba;Bitria;Neon More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
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