Golden Hippo Career Growth & Development

Can you describe your company’s approach to career development, including any unique programs or initiatives that set you apart from other employers?

At Golden Hippo, we take a proactive and personalized approach to career development. Our mentorship program pairs seasoned team members with those looking to grow specific skills, fostering meaningful one-on-one learning experiences. New hires are also matched with a “Hippo Buddy,” a peer recommended by their manager, who helps them navigate company culture and feel supported during their first few months. We also host “GH 101” trainings to build business acumen and strategic understanding among newer team members. To further support growth, we introduced a Career Enrichment Guide that outlines career pathways and resources to help employees confidently navigate their development journey. Additionally, our internship program runs in the fall, spring, and summer, offering hands-on experience and opportunities for long-term growth.

How do you identify and nurture high-potential talent within your organization, and what success stories can you share?

We identify high-potential talent by observing initiative, adaptability, and a growth mindset across all levels of the organization. We prioritize internal mobility, giving employees opportunities to explore new roles and take on greater responsibilities as they grow. Our internship program has been a strong pipeline for talent, with multiple interns converting to full-time roles and thriving in long-term careers here. Through regular check-ins, manager support, and mentorship, we ensure high-potential team members are recognized and given space to succeed. These efforts reflect our belief that investing in our people is key to our continued success.

What makes promotion criteria feel fair and clear — and what evidence supports that?

Promotion criteria can be hard to put down on paper. What we do that makes it fair and clear is that we follow our values of being results-oriented and data-driven. First and foremost, if you can achieve measurable results, you have a great chance. We also make sure that the criteria involves being a person who can work across departments with external stakeholders. Being the best or meeting your goals are great, but when it comes to promotions, the next level involves more coordination and collaboration with others.

I feel that the way we highlight wins and great results in our company meetings is a great support of that. In addition, those great results highlight all the people directly and indirectly involved in those achievements. Over the last few years, there have been promotions that happened to be individuals mentioned regularly in those win presentations.

Which program changed your capability — with what measurable result?

Our mentorship program has tremendously helped in socializing our collective capabilities. It pairs senior leaders with those who are interested in career progression. This is not just people who are looking to be promoted but also those who just want to improve on their skills and background. Since it has been established, there have been various mentees who have then gone on to be promoted, two of whom I know personally from either being on my team or being my mentees. The measurable part is the amount of people who were promoted, but there are many other great benefits that are harder to measure in cross-functional collaboration and skill enhancement that will undoubtedly help all the participants in their careers going forward.

What coaching habit consistently moves careers forward?

For me, the ability to attain buy-in is the key to moving careers forward. I use it as well but preach buy-in as a key factor to getting results from teams and on projects. As your career progresses and you are in charge of bigger teams, your direct impact on projects and results is diminished. Your influence on projects and teams is what needs to increase. The best way I have found to do that is to make sure that my teams buy into the goals or projects. This is a process in itself. It comes with thorough explanation, sometimes hearing valid counter points and emotional resistance to change. This is where positive results are established. If a leader can take the time to take those points in and show that they are taken into account, buy-in usually follows. If the team has bought into the goal, your role as a coach is made much easier, because you are not trying to convince or create the momentum. The team rightfully takes that role. You can now be the one who removes obstacles and uses their experience to help the team along.