Some stories don’t just describe a culture; they reveal the heartbeat behind it.
On a recent episode of our Culture & Career Corner podcast, I had the chance to sit down with two incredible colleagues from our People & Culture group: Vishal from India and Aileen from the Philippines. Both are shaping IT By Design’s people-first culture in meaningful ways, and their journeys reflect the growth, support, and opportunity that define life here at ITBD.
Two Journeys, One Destination
For Vishal, a Senior Executive – HR Ops now, the ITBD journey began right after his MBA, fresh out of college, with no corporate experience. He joined as an intern three years ago, and the first thing he was struck by was the passion among people. “It was one of the best decisions of my life,” he said on recalling the rapid pace at which success, learning, and growth became the core of his career here. Now he is building both his career and mentoring others through the HR team in India.
Aileen’s story started just a year ago when she joined as a Sourcing Specialist. During her interview, she was asked where she saw herself a year later. “Perhaps I’ll be recruiting myself,” she said, hardly believing her own words. Today, she is at the level of Recruitment Specialist, due to the encouragement and support of her crew. “I learned more than I could have ever envisioned: both on a personal and on a professional basis, within a year’s time,” she said.
Both stories, though different in timing, reflect the same theme: growth happens fast in the right culture.
Culture That Uplifts
When asked to describe ITBD’s culture, Vishal and Aileen didn’t hesitate. For Vishal, it’s supportive, collaborative, and empowering. He emphasized how people are always willing to help when someone is having a hard time and how open communication fosters trust. He remarked, “We support one another and celebrate success together.”
The word was straightforward yet effective for Aileen: growth-oriented. “I’ve never been around people who are so focused on their professional development before,” she said. She has been inspired to continue learning and helping others on their journeys by this intentionality.
When pressed for a single word to capture ITBD’s culture, Vishal landed on growth-oriented while Aileen chose supportive. Together, those two words perfectly sum up the essence of our workplace.
Lessons That Last
Both Vishal and Aileen shared personal life lessons that shape how they approach work and life:
- From Aileen:
- Accept you don’t know everything: growth comes from asking questions.
- Treat feedback as a tool for self-improvement.
- Stay endlessly curious: keep learning, even in small ways, every day.
- From Vishal:
- Keep yourself open to continuous learning, especially as trends like AI reshape our world.
- Track your progress: set milestones and measure growth.
- Balance career with the 4 wheels: family, health, relationships, and legacy to build an even more fulfilling journey.
What’s striking is how both emphasized one shared truth: learning never stops.
Living Our Core Values
When the conversation turned to ITBD’s “HAPPY” values, Aileen immediately responded: “Positivity”, sharing how it reshaped her own outlook. “Positivity reminds me that I can do more, learn more, and be more confident.”
For the unversed, we not only live by ‘HAPPY’ values; we embody them. This stands for Humility, Accountability, Passion, Positivity, and Your Community. We strive to create an empowering culture for the employees, and I’m beyond happy that it resonates with everyone!
For Vishal, it’s Passion that fuels him: “I don’t just do work to complete it. I ask how I can create impact in whatever I do”, he said.
Their reflections reminded me that at ITBD, values aren’t posters on a wall—they’re lived every day, in every role.
A Borderless Culture
As the podcast wrapped up, both Vishal and Aileen reflected on why ITBD is a place worth building a career:
If you want to be thoughtful about growing, this is the place,” Aileen said.
“This is a culture where people do not only grow as professionals, but as individuals in all aspects of their lives,” Vishal remarked.
They even learned each other’s cultural greetings to inject some humor, with Vishal teaching “Kaise ho aap?” in Hindi and Aileen teaching “Mabuhay!” in the Philippines. A brief but impactful reminder that borders don’t define us at ITBD; rather, they unite us.
The ITBD Difference
What I took away from this conversation is clear: growth here isn’t accidental; it’s intentional. Support here isn’t surface level; it’s ingrained in everything we do.
Vishal and Aileen are a testament that if you build an environment of honesty, enthusiasm, and optimism, individuals will succeed. Whether they’re just beginning their professional lives or embarking on ambitious new directions in them.
And that’s the ITBD difference.
IT By Design is the place to be if you’re seeking a profession where values are lived every day, growth is deliberate, and the culture is encouraging.
Because here, growth isn’t just encouraged. It’s designed.
