Laura-Jane Booker, Product Analyst at Joyous

Laura-Jane helps design questions that create important changes within the workplace. She is a rare breed that is working in a space that aligns perfectly with what she studied and could not be more happy about it. Laura-Jane's passion for what she does is evident and she believes that the work culture at Joyous is unmatched. Thanks for sharing your story Laura-Jane.

Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?

I create questions that allow working people to have conversations with their leaders. These conversations help to create important changes to their work lives.

And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to the day-to-day of your job?

I create question sets with topics that relate to the different experiences employees have at work. These questions are typically asked on a weekly basis and allow working people to have ongoing and open conversations with their manager about topics that are important to them.

What are some of the common misconceptions about working as a Product Analyst?

I imagine people perceive Product Analysts to have specialist knowledge in particular products (e.g. surveys). In reality, Product Analysts are master researchers and can apply their research skills to solve many different business problems.

Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, and if not, what was?

No, definitely not but I’m so glad I landed in tech. Growing up, I never had a consistent idea of what I wanted to be and I guess nothing has changed. In saying that, I’m so happy to be working where I am. I just know this is where I’m meant to be.

Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Joyous?

I spent a lot of years studying (seven and half to be exact), so my career started with typical student jobs. Waitressing, sandwich making at Subway, selling tickets to events, nannying etc. At one point, I was working five concurrent jobs and studying full-time. The struggle was real.

Upon completing my Masters, I was approached by a family friend who thought my background fit well with a role she was advertising for. Thus. so began my work as the Operations Co-ordinator at Play - a company that specialises in contemporary leadership and diversity and inclusion research.

It was working at Play that allowed me to connect to Joyous. Sandy Burgham (Founder of Play) put me in touch with Mike Carden (Co-founder of Joyous) as she knew I wanted to work in the realm of employee experience and Mike was doing great things in this space. Mike was particularly interested in the research I had done during my Masters which involved analysing a workplace well-being survey. It so happens that Joyous was developing survey and question content with similar topics.

I was offered a short-term contract with Joyous and began eight intensive but glorious weeks developing and refining Joyous’ initial employee experience question set. Fast forward a year, Joyous reached out and offered me a full-time position as an Analyst. My role has since evolved into Product Analyst and I couldn’t be happier.

Can you share some more insight into what that transition was like?

Prior to Joyous, I was working for a Marketing Agency which was intense to say the least. It was interesting to work in marketing as it was so different from anything I had previously done but, I knew it wasn’t an industry that I wanted to be in long-term. It was also a far cry from what I had spent so long studying at university which didn’t sit well with me.

When I got the call from Joyous, I was admittedly a bit hesitant at first. I had only worked in the marketing role for 10 months and thought it would be a mistake to jump ship so soon. I knew what a great culture Joyous had from my previous experience with them and I knew that I’d be able to work in a space that I was really interested in and could add value to. A month later, I began my new role as an Analyst. It was an easy transition for me as I knew a lot of the team already and was well supported during the onboarding process.

Now I spend my days learning and creating in a space that I feel I’m meant to be and that aligns perfectly with what I studied at university - how many people can say that!

What is it specifically that you like about working at Joyous relative to your past jobs?

There are lots of things but I would have to say my top two are the culture and collaboration.

In my humble opinion, our culture is unmatched. We’re quirky in the best way possible and our culture is embedded into everything that we do. You really see it in the way we get things done and the way we treat each other.

We also collaborate. A lot. It is very rare that something is produced without the input of other team members. As a result, there is a lot of teaching and learning from each other.

Do you have any advice for people considering tech as a career path and how they might get there quicker?

As my story demonstrates, it’s all about who you know. Talk to people that are well connected. Don’t be shy to ask them to connect you to others. Through my position at Play, I was offered two short-term contracts and a full-time role because I was given the opportunity to connect with the right people.

Lastly, Joyous continues to evolve. What kind of candidates do you think Joyous is looking for in terms of experience, attitude and character?

Not one size fits all when it comes to the experiences people have so it’s crucial that we hire people that have unique backgrounds. Above all, we need people that are driven to make working (wherever that may be) a great experience for all.