The Axonius Employee Spotlight is a Q&A series dedicated to shining a much-deserved light on the movers and shakers building the fastest growing cybersecurity company ever. You can read past Employee Spotlights here.
This month, we’re spotlighting People Manager Racheli Ben-Shabat. Based in our Israel office, Racheli joined Axonius in March 2020.
Kaite Rosa: Tell us a bit about your career path before Axonius. What did you do? What critical moments got you to where you are today?
Racheli Ben-Shabat: Prior to Axonius, I worked in the HR field. I started my career in a recruitment agency and after two years there I realized I wanted to work in the tech industry. I joined Sapiens, where I gained most of my professional experience.
After three wonderful years at Sapiens I wanted to be part of a startup. I joined WalkMe, and worked there for almost two challenging and exciting years.
Currently, I've been here at Axonius for over a year, and very happy to be part of this amazing company!
A critical moment that got me to where I’m today, was my last year at the university. I've been studying for a psychology degree and realized that I’m not interested in being a psychologist. But I do love people and wanted to look for a role that lets me engage with people. That was the moment when I started to think about HR positions.
Kaite: What about Axonius made you interested in working here?
Racheli: A friend of mine heard about an open position here at Axonius and told me good things about the company.
I came to the interview, the job offer was intriguing, and there was a good vibe in the office. The conversations I had with the people I met with were interesting, and the overall process was fast and professional. As a recruiter, this impressed me very much, especially the hiring process.
Kaite: What are some of the things that you and your team are responsible for?
Racheli: We’re in a very significant period of growth now, so the focus is on finding new members to join us. We’re always hiring new people and have a lot of great job opportunities here.
I’m responsible for the entire recruitment process: from creating the job description to ensuring a successful onboarding process for new hires.
Along with the ongoing recruitment activities, my team also makes sure to promote projects related to employee well-being and a lot more!
Kaite: What’s a favorite project you’ve worked on or career milestone you’ve achieved while working at Axonius?
Racheli: There are many. As we’re still growing, there are many processes and things that we need to create from scratch. Each such project is interesting and requires an in-depth understanding of our employees’ needs and what will be best for them and our company.
For example, the last project was giving our people the option to avail Employee Assistance Program services. The pandemic has been difficult for all of us and we wanted to give our employees the option to talk about it with professional experts.
In order to choose the best provider for us, we conducted a market survey and collected recommendations about existing suppliers in the market. Then we spoke with each of them to understand more about their services, while always thinking about what would be best for our employees. Finally, we negotiated with the supplier and signed a contract.
Kaite: What advice can you offer to someone looking to take on a role similar to yours?
Racheli : You can find a lot of fun and satisfaction in the HR field, but you also should be aware that this role can sometimes be demanding and stressful. So, you really need to be passionate about this.
I believe that employees are the ones who lead companies to success. As a recruiter, I see myself responsible for bringing the right people who will eventually contribute to the company’s success.
If you believe it too, you’re probably going to fall in love with this field.
Kaite: If someone reading was interested in joining Axonius, what should they know about working here?
Racheli: We are moving fast, and we aim high! Prepare yourself for a real adventure where you become the best version of yourself.
Rapid Fire Q&A
Kaite: Ok, now for some fun! I’m going to ask you a series of “rapid fire” questions about yourself, to help our readers get to know you a bit better.
First one! When you log on in the morning, what do you tackle first?
Racheli: Review my Greenhouse dashboard and emails.
Kaite: What helps you focus?
Racheli: Listening to relaxing or meditation music.
Kaite: How do you organize your day to stay productive?
Racheli: Writing my tasks for today, marking the important ones and starting with them. Also, determine time for each task.
Kaite: How do you deal with stress?
Racheli: I listen to music or go for a walk. Also eat chocolate!
Kaite: Any hobbies outside of work?
Racheli: Watch Netflix and go for a drink or coffee with a good friend.
Kaite: Favorite way to spend your weekends?
Racheli: Hanging out with friends or with my husband, chilling at the beach, and spending quality time with my family.
Kaite: Do you drink coffee? How do you take your coffee?
Racheli: Yes. Latte in the morning and espresso or black coffee in the afternoon.
Kaite: What’s the last podcast you listened to? Why did you enjoy it?
Racheli: My husband and I listen to podcasts before bedtime. We are interested in self growth and expanding our financial knowledge. I recommend two channels in Spotify: “Breakthrough Thinking” by Paz Oshran” and "Money and Investments” by Amit Eshet” (both are in Hebrew).
