Here at Automattic, we have been doing this work-from-home thing for a long time now. This was actually how I found out about the Happiness Engineer position. My family is kind of spread out across three different continents, and I felt like working from home would help me spend more time with them, see my nieces grow up, and also explore the world. That said, … Continue reading 5 Surprising Facts I’ve Learned About Working Remotely
Howdy! My name is Stewart, and let me first start by saying how much I have enjoyed this career change! The first three months were a breeze and went by so quickly. However, I would like to give you a peek behind the curtain to show you what you can expect during your first three months at Automattic. I think you are going to like … Continue reading What to Expect During Your First Three Months as a Happiness Engineer
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Over the years, we’ve gathered insights and experience in how to handle these situations well. Continue reading Supporting your users when things go wrong
As Engineers, one of the most common questions we receive is about one’s domain name and how it affects their website. Domain names can look daunting, but you don’t have to worry about it! Grab your favorite cookies and cup of tea or coffee or chocolate (or any beverages you prefer,) and let’s learn more about domain names and why they are similar to a cookie jar. Continue reading Domains: A Cookie Jar Analogy
Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace. The Foo Fighters album’s name defines my cat, Hunter, and the ways she has helped me to become a better Happiness Engineer. I adopted Hunter in March of 2011. She was pretty small, full of fleas, and very sick. Her former owner had traumatized her. She was and still is a terrified cat. But she is healthy and happy, grumpy … Continue reading 5 Lessons I’ve Learned from My Cat
Working remotely can seem ideal for many people. What could be better than working from home, not having to worry about commuting, or even sticking to your pajamas the whole day? When I started working for Automattic almost five years ago, I was quite new to the concept of working remotely. I thought that bringing my laptop to bed to continue working on pending items … Continue reading Self-Care when you work remotely
The Happiness Engineer trial is not easy, particularly if you’re already employed full-time or have other responsibilities to balance. The trial is intense, and there will almost certainly come a time when you’ll feel that it’s just too much. It’s been more than two years since my trial, but I still vividly remember sitting in front of my computer giving myself a pep talk before … Continue reading 3 Tips to make the most of your Happiness Engineer Trial
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates At Automattic, we aim to offer world-class support. We want to be known for offering the best experience to our customers. Internally, Happiness Engineers encourage each other to “engineer the happiness” of our customers. This isn’t always easy — sometimes people reach out to us when they’re struggling with their site, their … Continue reading Learning from unhappy customers
Happiness Engineers love helping people use Automattic’s products like WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, and more. While the desire to help others is important, Happiness Engineers must have other skills to successfully help customers in live chat and by email. With that in mind, here are my recommendations for those wanting to improve their skills as new or aspiring Happiness Engineers. These tips are from my personal … Continue reading Five standout skills to be a successful Happiness Engineer
Every Happiness Engineer has a different type of day, schedule, tasks, etc. That’s one benefit I love so much about my position… I work when it is best for me and my family! The flexibility is very important to me, as it is lots of people. Personally I choose to work most weekends and take weekdays off. We are homeschooling our kids this year, so … Continue reading My Schedule as a Happiness Engineer
Happiness Everywhere 