The people of Greenhouse: Meet Henry

3 mins, 38 secs read time

Belonging isn’t just a buzzword at Greenhouse – it’s a value that we strive to promote through our approach to hiring, our everyday actions and even our product itself. Whether it’s giving candidates the ability to share their name pronunciation or preferred pronouns, nudging interviewers to mitigate bias in the hiring process or empowering employees to have meaningful DE&I conversations in the workplace, we’re constantly looking for ways to build belonging. And because belonging is an integral part of our company culture and Greenhouse product, we recognize the importance of having a product leader who wants to bring these ideas to life for our employees and customers alike.

That’s why in this installment of “The people of Greenhouse,” we’re thrilled to introduce you to Henry Tsai, our new VP of Product and Design. Learn what caught Henry’s attention about Greenhouse during the interview process, how he’s planning to elevate the Product and Design practices at the company and what belonging means to him.

Greenhouse: Tell us a little about your background. What drew you to the field of product and design?

Henry: I actually started my career in corporate finance, working in procurement and FP&A, which taught me two useful business skills: how companies buy products and how decisions are made between departments. I eventually found my way into technology through professional services implementing analytics software.

What drew me to the field of product and design started with my time at Hotwire.com. It was the first time I had directly worked on creating something for customers to use. I immediately fell in love with the creativity, intellectual and interpersonal challenges and the teamwork necessary to build a successful product.

Greenhouse: What about Greenhouse caught your attention and led to you accepting the role here?

Henry: The people, culture and challenge. The detailed interview process at Greenhouse is a two-way street. Through the process, you spend so much time with so many people, it’s impossible not to come away with a consistent feeling of belonging. It validates the culture when you see people constantly lifting other people up in conversation and being humble with their own contributions. Yet, no one shied away from explaining the challenges and opportunities for the product and business.

Greenhouse: What does Greenhouse’s mission to “make every company great at hiring” mean to you?

Henry: I’ve had the privilege of working with a few different types of companies in my career and can tell you that though each one professed the importance of human capital, they weren’t all equally ready for the task. I feel that Greenhouse, with its dedication to structured hiring, DE&I and the creation of the Hiring Maturity Curve, is uniquely positioned to change the perception of DE&I hiring by providing a guide to the possibility of a fair and equitable hiring system for all companies.

Greenhouse: How do you see that coming to life in your role?

Henry: I’m excited to enable and empower the product and design teams to continue creating and iterating on our amazing products. I hope to advocate and invest in their success as well as elevate and solidify our relationships with both internal stakeholders and our customers.

Greenhouse: What is something about your life outside of work that defines who you are?

Henry: Community. I was blessed to grow up with a caring and supportive family, uncles and aunties both related and unrelated, church groups, Chinese school and public school friends. Even though I had immigrant parents, I was always lucky enough to have a refuge in multiple communities of faith and culture to help me find belonging and hope to build that sense of community for others who weren’t as privileged as me.

Greenhouse: The Greenhouse interview process is notoriously thorough. Was there anything you didn’t get to share about yourself that you’d like to reveal now?

Henry: I’m a Harry Potter fan (books>movies). I self-identify with Gryffindor, but my wife says I’m a Hufflepuff. And, I’m a Harry + Hermione shipper. Fight me.

We’re dedicated to being an inclusive company at Greenhouse – and we know that when people are heard, their voices make a difference. Learn more about the Greenhouse mission at greenhouse.io/mission.