Employee Story - Elaine Johns

For some people, a job is just a job. For Elaine Johns, Yorb's Support Centre Operations Team Leader, it’s so much more.

"I have not had a single bad day since I've been here," she says, six months into her role. "It's been hard work, but I love it. It's awesome."

Elaine's story with Yorb didn't start six months ago, though. It began two years earlier, when she first stumbled upon a job ad for the company. She was living near Wellington at the time, and a video in the ad caught her eye.

"My feeling was, 'Wow, that's a really cool place to work'," she recalls. The role was for a people manager in a tech environment, a rare find in New Zealand. But the commute was just a bit too far.

Yorb became ‘the one that got away’.

Fast forward two years, Elaine had moved closer to Palmerston North. She wasn't actively looking for a new job when the perfect role at Yorb popped up again. It played on her mind until a notification warned her the role was closing. "I just thought, no, I just have to send a CV through," she says.

The rest, as they say, was history. "The next couple of days, it all just happened like it was meant to be."

An inclusive, vibrant, and engaging culture

When asked to describe Yorb's culture in three words, Elaine doesn't hesitate: "Inclusive, vibrant, and engaging."

The feeling of inclusivity started from her very first day. "From the moment I arrived at the front door... I have never been made to feel more welcome," she explains.

This warmth isn't just a first-day formality - it's woven into the fabric of the company. It's a place where everyone is in it together, supporting each other to achieve common goals. This aligns perfectly with one of Yorb's core values: 'We is bigger than me'.

One of the most unique aspects of Yorb for Elaine is its flat structure. "There's no real hierarchy here... we would call it an open-door policy, but there are no doors," she laughs.

This openness and transparency set Yorb apart. Everyone knows the company's goals and the plan to achieve them. This transparency filters down from the top, with leadership fostering an environment where it's ‘very easy to work’.

Professionalism, growth, and a bit of fun

At Yorb, the team works hard for their clients, but they’ve also found a way to balance professionalism with fun. This balance is maintained because the company does a great job of finding the right people who align with its core values. "We are so aligned, and we're all high-performing in one way or another," Elaine notes.

The fun side of Yorb is driven by its active social club. There are go-kart racing days, dinners, shows, and evenings with hot chocolate and mulled wine. The office is often filled with goodies, from mince pies at Christmas to bags of treats for Halloween. Elaine recently discovered that the social club team even ‘turned into elves at Christmas’.

But it's not all fun and games. Professional growth is a huge focus, starting from day one. Elaine, who has worked in technology for many years, passed her ITIL 4 examination within three months of joining Yorb.

"Learning and development is celebrated, it's encouraged, and we have goals around it," she says. This commitment to 'have a passion for your craft' is evident across the team, with some members sitting multiple professional exams a year.

Successes, big and small, are always celebrated. Yorb has monthly awards, staff merits (which come with a gift card, not just a name in lights), and MVP nominations. Even great client feedback is a reason to celebrate. "If there's an excuse to celebrate, we're celebrating," says Elaine.

Connection and team wins

As a self-proclaimed ‘people person’, the most rewarding part of her job is watching her team succeed. "I thrive on that client interaction, so we celebrate things like great client feedback," she says.

So, what's her advice for someone thinking of joining Yorb? "Be your authentic self. Be who you are. Because if you're the right person, you'll fit in tremendously anyway," she advises.

Elaine's story is a testament to the culture Yorb has built - a place where people are passionate, supported, and genuinely happy to come to work. It’s a place that was worth waiting for.