What are DISTekians Saying about Working at DISTek?

Love is in the air…. Alright, so yes, I’m a little late for the Valentine’s Day cliches, but here at DISTek we pride ourselves on continuous improvement and growth, in order to keep up employee morale, maintain an employee-first culture, and retain the best and brightest in our industry. We truly value all employee voices and strive to maintain open communication and transparency at all levels throughout the organization, to continue to be a premier workplace where our ESOP continues to flourish and benefit our employee owners.

So, what are DISTekians saying they enjoy most about being a part of the DISTek team?  Check it out!

2021: A Year in Review

If 2020 was the year that COVID-19 hit us like a tsunami wave, 2021 seems like it was the year we all tried to figure out how to respond to it. In the news, companies would roll out back-to-office plans only to have them postponed or modified. In-person events would get scheduled and then change to virtual or be cancelled, or in some cases, held in person but with restrictions or mitigations. If nothing else, the COVID-19 pandemic has at least improved our knowledge of the Greek alphabet.

Happy Halloween from DISTek

If you’ve read any of our Halloween blogs from the past, you already know that Halloween is my favorite.  While this year’s annual parade of costumes was hosted as a virtual event again this year, we certainly didn’t let that discourage our fun!  Please enjoy a look at this year’s costumes!

ESOP: Owning vs. Renting

What does it mean to own a car versus renting a car? For me, there is a huge difference between the two. Admittedly, I am not the type of individual that returns a rental car clean and washed, as I know the rental company (who actually owns the car) will take care of that. However, with the car I own, I make it a priority to wash it at least once a week to keep the paint maintained and the car looking nice. I make sure when I fill up with gas to clean the interior a bit. I do monthly check-ins to make sure everything is operating efficiently. I also check my tires regularly for wear and tear. In other words, I am inclined to take more care of something I own versus something I am renting.

DISTek U 210: Part 2

In Part 1 of this two part series, we heard from DISTek Software Engineers Gerardo Zamora and Chad Stapes, who recently completed DISTek U 210 – a DISTek training course offered internally to engineers wanting to embark on a path of growth and prepare themselves for the next engineering tier level. Gerardo reviewed the book, Eat that Frog!, and Chad reviewed the book, You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader.

In this Part 2, Michael Barnhardt, a Software Engineer at DISTek for over 5 years, discusses, The Power of Positive Thinking in Business, and provides an overview of the final component of the DISTek U 210 course, the mentor-ship program.

Re-Entering the Workforce During a Pandemic

Maureen Family

The year 2020 has changed how work is done on a daily basis. In August, I was a stay-at-home mom of 2 boys, Christian (8) and Michael (6). I had just accepted a position at DISTek and was trying to navigate the very murky waters of transitioning to a full time employee and a mother. It was overwhelming to say the least. If you recall August 2020, no one could positively say if school was in person, hybrid, all virtual or even if the kids would go to school and be sent home a week later to do virtual school due to the pandemic!

DISTek U210: Part 1

Learn with DISTek U210

DISTek U210: E2 Track is a new DISTek course offered internally to engineers wanting to learn and prepare themselves for the next engineering tier level. We use a classification of E1-E5 here at DISTek with E1 being entry level. Although, it is mostly geared towards E2s looking to set themselves up for success in becoming an E3 or senior engineer, the track also welcomes E1s wanting to learn about E2. In this class, we went over three books, had a panel discussion with senior engineers, and a mentorship project managed by the students in the class. This course also offered the benefit of networking and interacting with other DISTekians who we may not normally get the chance to work with.

In this two part series, we will talk about each of the books and the mentorship program, with the first two books being discussed by Gerardo Zamora and Chad Stapes here in Part 1, and a final book and mentorshiop being discussed by Michael Barnhardt in Part 2.

2020 DISTek Way Awards

DISTek has a long tradition of staying true to our guiding principles that help define who we are – our core values – and our commitment to treating others how we would want to be treated.  Core values keep us focused and state the behaviors that we expect from each other, while also making our company unique. Yet words and ideas merely listed on paper are meaningless without the link to real action.

2020: A Year in Review

I just scrolled through old blog posts and realized I have been writing a Year in Review post since at least 2014. If I did not know better, I might think I was being typecast for this role. Either way, if 2020 is the last time I do a Year in Review, then it certainly is one that provided a lot of differences to highlight.

Holiday Greetings from DISTek

While the holiday celebrations may look very different this year, here at DISTek we’re not about to let that dull our holiday sparkle and are doing our best to remain festive and connected this holiday season!

Halloween Costume Contest: Virtual Edition

Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday and DISTek’s Annual Halloween Costume Contest never disappoints. However, in true 2020 fashion, things looked a bit different this year. We knew in the months heading into the fall season that we would probably not be assembling together in our training room for the traditional parade of costumes, so we set out to come up with a virtual event to stand in its place.