William McKinnon is a trusted, go-to professional who has worked with the company since April 2022. During that time, he’s helped to manage everything related to computer management, whether that’s the latest network connectivity issue, a password that’s locked out, or even troubleshooting issues remotely.
He takes pride in being the first line of support for his team. His dedication is what makes him a valuable member of the company.
How William Made His Way to Tideworks
William was living in Anchorage, Alaska, and working in IT in a hospital setting. His wife took a role in Washington, bringing the family to the Tacoma and Seattle area. The work he does at Tideworks is the same type of IT work he did in Anchorage but in a different environment.
He shares the interview process, stating, “My current manager, Michael Eaton is awesome, and I have never in my life had such a fun interviewing process, even though I was nervous. We did role-playing with situational questions. We talked through how I would handle different IT situations with users. It allowed me to show my method of thinking and make an impression.”
William States Tideworks Has a Positive and Motivating Environment
When asked to describe Tideworks and his experiences with the company’s culture, he says, “I absolutely love Tideworks as a company.” The company offers numerous ways to help people, whether that is helping them over the phone or actually working with people in person and having face-to-face conversations; it is a positive and motivating environment. He says, “I take a lot of satisfaction in having the ability to help people – speaking to them to reassure them that I will overcome the issue with them.”
There are many examples of the excellent work he does to support the needs of his team. Noted for his patience and willingness to teach and support team members, William is a valued member of the company.
He noted that Tideworks is the type of place where there is always someone that is willing to help find solutions to problems. It is inclusive and diverse, too. “You don’t feel left out in your own corner,” he shares.
He also notes that it is easy to connect with people on Microsoft Teams and work collaboratively to solve issues. That helps to streamline and efficiently improve operations. The team works well together to address specific needs. They work together to suggest new approaches or different ways to potentially solve the problem. “It’s never been a negative response because you’re wrong.”
An Environment That Is Committed to Teamwork
One of the most critical factors in any work environment is how well people work together. William shares that the focus at Tideworks is very different from that of other places he’s worked. “In previous environments I’ve worked in, you get the feeling that it’s every man for himself. You can ping your peers, but your peers have to be available.”
Tideworks is different because there is always someone available, and there is a much more dedicated atmosphere here. Everyone is willing to support and work together, and people don’t mind helping each other out, something that he did not experience in his previous position. He also says, “It’s a safe place to learn, and it’s okay to make mistakes.”
The People That Supported Success Along the Way
Tideworks employees are the core of its success. Yet, one of the most important aspects of the success of each employee is the access they have to mentors who are willing to support and guide each other. The ability to ask questions – and to feel as though you will be supported when you ask those questions – is a big part of any employee’s success.
When asked who has helped him the most, William is quick to say, “Michael Eaton, my manager. He has a “no door” policy that means it is easy to access him to ask quick questions.” This transfers into effective communication, a valuable component of any workplace. Good communication can help any new employee to thrive, but it also helps to ensure the best long-term outcome for talent.
Helpful and informative team members that support each other often seem like a rare quality in many of today’s workplaces. Tideworks has technical support that is always available. That is unique for many organizations, and William shares that this is one of the best parts of the job and that it makes Tideworks’ technical support team unique. “My awesome team consists of Lindsey Imbier, Brendan George, Mike Jordan, Isaac Hatt, Scott Anderson, Jess Spaulding, Kyle Frey, Chan Saechao, Jason Rundle, Anthony Oellrich, and Scott Lutes. Samir Avdic and Howard Berry assisted as well before moving on to another department. I’m always thankful and appreciative for my TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves Magnificence)!”
William’s Role in Tideworks Continues to Flourish
William provides a wide range of insight into the work he has done and the success he has had. One of his key success stories was a problem with a partner in the rail management division. He notes that the task was to install email on phones that were not working for team members at the company. He shares, “One employee was very frustrated with the tech not working properly, but eventually got him up and running. There was a lot of troubleshooting to get to the root cause of the problem, which I enjoy.”
That is one of his best memories of his time with Tideworks. He also shares that he loves that there are no cookie-cutter situations. That can be challenging, and it could push some people, but he finds that thinking outside of the box is one of the benefits of working with the company.
The Best Part of the Job Is the Work He’s Doing
William says that his favorite part of the work he does is being able to help people.
“What brings me the most satisfaction is being able to end the call on a positive note that what they called about has been fixed. There may be another issue that was underlying that has also been fixed or looked into being able to help the person that calls. Some people are really hesitant to call. And they beat themselves up. And I don’t let them beat themselves up. They say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m not a computer savvy person.’ I stop them in their tracks.”
William’s job entails spending a lot of time focused on supporting others. He is also proud of the quality of work he does, sharing, “Every company has computers in this day and age. In a society where you’re always on the internet, you’re dealing with social media. Even if you’re in a business for yourself, if you are the only employee you have, you still need the computer to check the orders and audit anything that needs to be sold. I have a particular understanding that can help almost any company.”
When Looking Forward, There’s a Lot to See
William has a lot of plans for the future, such as learning different areas of IT to further his skills, including networking, end-user computing, and cybersecurity. “It’s a never-ending field. I just want to learn as much as I can.”