Title: Team Lead, People Science

Residence: Over the new year, I packed up my wife and dog, and drove from Chicago to San Francisco, where I currently reside. 

Hometown: I grew up in southeast Michigan, about 35 minutes outside of Detroit. 

Throughout his career, Mark Straetmans has served as a trusted advisor in numerous areas spanning the employee lifecycle, making him well positioned to help Glint customers adopt a holistic People Success approach. 

“People Science at Glint is what I always thought industrial organizational psychology was supposed to be,” he says. “I was met with a hard realization in my early career that maximizing individual happiness and success in the workplace was often a conciliatory outcome, at best.”

At Glint, Mark specializes in connecting the dots across the employee experience, particularly when it comes to performance management. (He’s also known for his terrible puns.) Mark applies this expertise to develop new solutions for customers, both within the product and in support of it. 

Learn more about Mark’s work and life:

Work

What’s your motivation for doing what you do? 

I take personal offense to the “meat grinder” mentality that too many organizations have about their people, and this career path is my opportunity to put happiness and humanity at the forefront. 

Any career goals you’re working toward?

I’ve never been one to say, “Here is where I want to be in 5 years, 10 years,” etc. Frankly, that feels limiting. For me, it has always been about putting myself in the best position to have the greatest positive impact possible. Developmentally speaking, I am working on fewer things done better. 

What has been a big learning moment in your career?

I was in graduate school and interning at a small consulting firm when, on one occasion, I did not print the correct number of debrief reports. The partner I was supporting screamed at me in front of the client, then kicked me out of the room. It was humiliating. I learned that day that I was going to spend my career preventing that experience for others. 

What’s your top tip?

Bet on you. If you aren’t willing to, why should anyone else?

Life

What was your first job?

First or worst? My first job out of undergrad and winner of worst job was working in a call center selling facelifts over the phone. Yup, you read that right. I applied to grad school immediately after that experience. 

How many cups of coffee do you drink per day?

You all are going to think I am an abomination, but I don’t drink coffee—or tea or soda.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Explore; eat; exercise so I can eat more; fix trivial things around the house that impress my wife; and fiddle with things that are working just fine, resulting in them being either improved or broken.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.