Onboarding at Progress: An Interview with Brinda Ramaiya, Director of Product Management

Brinda Ramaiya is the Director of Product Management (PM), based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has been a PM for more than 12 years. Learn more about her onboarding experience at Progress.

Take us back to the moment you decided to apply for a position in our company. What motivated you to take that step?

Typically, I look at three things when deciding whether to apply for a role.

1. The role itself. Product management is often a gray area for some organizations, so I look to see if the company sees product management the way I do.
2. The company size and approach to business.
3. The culture and ability to make an impact.

I did some research on Progress when the role popped up and appreciated the smaller size, the breadth of the role in the job description and M&A. Overall the role aligned with my background.

How did the recruitment process set Progress apart from others you applied to?

Progress moved very quickly and decisively, which speaks a lot about culture and personality fit. I was also impressed that the General Manager of the business unit adjusted his schedule to make it work to meet with me on my recruiting timeframe. People were very approachable and down to earth. Recruiting was stellar, moving quickly and decisively. I always knew where I stood.

You were considering another job offer. What ultimately led you to choose our company?

I passed on a higher salary offer because I liked the people I met and the decisiveness in the interview process. Stacy Cataldo, the recruiter I worked with, was awesome. She was very responsive and kept me up to date every step of the way. Having a strong recruiter who is closely aligned with the hiring manager really makes a difference.

Can you please shine a light on your onboarding experience? What was the process like?

There was a lot of product history to go through that people were willing to help with. I was given an onboarding half day session, my leader came down to my office to spend a few days building a relationship and providing that history. Then I spent time holding meetings with many of the leaders over the next few months. I also had a peer onboarding buddy for any questions I had along the way. Once I had the information I needed, it was up to me to decide what direction to take the role. I appreciated that I could prioritize and drive initiatives that I knew would impact the business. At Progress, product managers oversee the roadmap, including features and functions. But we also work cross-functionally to drive product and business strategy. I like that I am able to do things such as review financials, gather data, gather leaders to meet regularly, present findings and challenge the status quo.

If you could share one piece of advice with someone about to embark on a similar recruitment journey, what would it be?

Evaluate more than just the opportunity itself. Research the company and the people who work there. Beyond what’s on paper, learn about whether the organization values their people, how decisions are made, how quickly they move, how much autonomy people have, whether people are happy working there and whether you’ll have interesting problems to solve. These things contribute to more long-term success. Also, remember the interview process is a two-way street; you are evaluating a company as much as they are assessing you. The interview process tells you a lot about people. Progress moved quickly. I met with cross-functional leaders, people made time to answer questions, people adjusted their schedules. All these things indicated a broad role, cross-functional collaboration and a team mentality.