Welcome to Inside Attivo, a multi-part series that follows the core values and practices that make Attivo Partners an exceptional place to work. In this series, we’ll explore important topics like flexibility, remote work, onboarding, professional development, and more. 

At Attivo, we are deeply committed to professional excellence, innovation, and fostering a supportive atmosphere for our team. Our values and policies have matured alongside our growth, forming the cornerstone of our success. Follow along as we share insights, testimonies, and stories that highlight how our culture enables our team members to thrive professionally and personally.

In our previous post detailing Attivo’s New Hire Learning Journey, we saw how onboarding is an opportunity to show new hires the best of what their employer has to offer. But onboarding is just the start– after finishing their first 180 days, team members step into Attivo’s Professional Development Journey.

Attivo is committed to building our team into exceptional finance and accounting experts who understand the unique needs of venture-backed startups. Our professional development approach is designed to support employees in growing their skills and confidently driving their own career paths, all with consistent guidance from colleagues, mentors, and senior leaders.

By leveraging operationalized learning opportunities (in the form of Lunch and Learns and timely developmental training), dedicated professional mentorship, and a culture that rewards employee initiative to self-select areas of learning, Attivo is able to offer a next-gen professional development experience that employees love. 

Transitioning to an Attivo Advisor

About three months into their role (usually after completing three monthly financial closes), employees shift from their Onboarding Mentor to an Attivo Advisor, their long-term mentor. The transition is thoughtfully planned, ensuring everyone involved, from the Onboarding Mentor to the Client Leads and the new hire, feels confident about the new hire's ownership of the close process.

As this handoff happens, the Onboarding Mentor will start to phase out, and the employee will be connected with their Attivo Advisor as a part of their long-term professional development. The Onboarding Mentor asks the employee for their preferred teaching and learning styles in order to pair them with the ideal Attivo Advisor to foster further professional growth. Once an Attivo Advisor is chosen, the Onboarding Mentor will share any relevant feedback on the individual's growth path.

Attivo Advisors are two levels senior to the employee they mentor and often share a client. This close collaboration means employees have someone knowledgeable to turn to, helping them tackle new challenges and opportunities unique to the startup ecosystem. 

Real-time Relevant Learning Opportunities 

 

Professional development at Attivo isn’t just about structured training sessions; it's about providing timely, real-world learning opportunities that align with employees’ evolving career interests. Our weekly Lunch and Learns and focused development trainings are perfect examples— sessions designed to keep everyone ahead of industry trends and equipped with the latest tools and knowledge in SaaS, Web3, and beyond. This often leads to deeper networking across the firm, and it’s not uncommon for organic mentorship relationships to form around a common interest. 

“The Lunch and Learns have been very helpful for staying up to date on technology and trends in both the SaaS and Web3 spaces,” shares Lauren Parker, an Assistant Controller with Attivo. “I’ve also learned a lot from our Web3 Technical Expert and other Web3 team members. As an original member of the Web3 team, our philosophy of collaboration has been key to building and expanding Attivo’s Web3 team. Our willingness to mentor new team members helps everyone get up to speed more quickly and fosters a supportive environment.” 

As Attivo builds out The Professional Development Journey, we will continue to develop role-specific trainings that help employees explore the different options available to them within our firm. 

The Role of an Attivo Advisor

 

The Attivo Advisor’s role is to ensure that their mentee is receiving the professional growth opportunities needed to achieve the career ambitions they have set for their journey at Attivo.  

If an employee seeks a promotion, then during meetings with their Attivo Advisor, the focus will be on reviewing the roles and responsibilities matrix to see where the employee needs to start working to achieve the next level.  

If an employee wants (for example) to be working in the Web3 space but does not currently work with any clients in that space, their Attivo Advisor can work with them to find opportunities to get on relevant projects or with Web3 clients to begin learning. 

“My mentor’s been very helpful,” says Lauren. “They’ve helped me learn how to better manage other people by delegating tasks and teaching those I lead.  The mentor/mentee relationship is best when I actively participate. Ultimately, I set the goals and trust my mentor to walk me through how to get to where I want to go.”

A Collaborative Professional Journey  

The Attivo Advisor facilitates the continuity of an employee's professional development. Employees work with their mentor on goal setting and use mid-year and annual reviews as checkpoints against those goals. This is a collaborative effort that the Advisor leads, and the employee drives with their professional ambition. 

“Lean into your interests,” Lauren urges prospective and new hires. “If there’s something you want to do, make that known because you can probably do it. With Attivo, the opportunity is there.”