Working with My Childhood Friend, at Outbrain

Some of us make good friends at work. We join a business with values similar to our own, and we immediately discover synergies with our peers. That moment when you feel you belong is pretty cool – and addictive! Once you find a company that gives you that sense of belonging, it’s hard to imagine developing a professional career in a different environment. In fact, in the past three years at Outbrain, I’ve met many people whom I can happily call “friends” today.

So far, so good.  The next level is being able to bring your childhood friend to work! And that’s exactly what I did. Let me share my story with you.

The two boys in this photo are me (on the right) and Nativ Adler, my childhood best friend. We lived in the same area and grew up seeing each other at school every day. If you thought we’d seen enough of each other, well, you’d be wrong! After graduating high school, we attended university and both ended up becoming Software Engineers. Now it was time for us to hit the  job market. So I joined Outbrain three years ago as a Data Ops Engineer in the Netanya office. 

Very soon, I learned that referrals are at the heart of Outbrain’s recruitment culture. In fact, I am a referral myself. I found out about Outbrain’s product and mission thanks to a friend. Once joining as part of the team, I saw first hand just how unique the workplace culture really is. Teamwork, passion, trust, support … I could go on. I met many new friends, learned a lot, and feel secure in the knowledge I am making a positive impact.

When my team leader said to me “We’re recruiting a Data Ops for our team, do you know of someone?”, I immediately thought of Nativ. It didn’t take much to convince him! I shared with him what my day-to-day looks like, our cultural manifesto, the product we are continually improving, and how innovation is our big driver. What makes referrals so powerful from my own experience is that you want the best for your team, so you would never refer someone who is not a master of their craft. And at the same time, you would never suggest a workplace to your friends if you did not know for a fact they would fit right in! It’s truly a win-win situation.

Today, just as in our youth, Nativ and I are on the same team, as part of a group of six working for Outbrain in the Engineering department. It makes me feel great knowing I’ve helped one of my best friends find a meaningful job in a company where he feels he belongs. I am not the only one bringing their best friend to work. In fact, 17% of global new hires in 2021 at Outbrain came from referrals! But if you really want to know how cool the culture is at Outbrain, where professional growth and development are a daily reality, get this: 13% of global hires in 2021 were actually internal promotions.

At Outbrain, I’ve found a family, a place to develop, and I’ve been lucky enough to even work with a best friend on a daily basis. What more could I ask for? If you are also looking for a new challenge, I recommend you check out the latest open positions here. We’re always looking for talented people to join us. Referral or not, there’s a big group of Outbrainers worldwide, ready for you to make new connections and friends at work.