Top midsize employer: Datto thrives by inspiring its people to do well

Datto is a data protection company with tens of thousands of customers worldwide. It also has 1,400 other customers, including 200 in Rochester, called by a different name: employees.

“We treat our employees like they’re our customers,” said Michael Fass, Datto’s chief people officer. “Then they will treat our customers in a similar way.”

That mindset, said Fass, starts from the time a person applies for a job through the hiring and work-start process, and after. It’s one reason why the company earned the top spot among midsize companies on the Democrat and Chronicle’s Top Workplaces list.

Datto’s people-centered mission means providing the technical tools to do their jobs well, such as multiple computer monitors of all shapes and sizes (many employees have as many as six). But it also means offering the extras, including a place to take a break and have a cup of coffee or even play a video game in the game room.

“The goal is to create an employee experience that inspires people to deliver the kind of customer experience we’re looking for,” Fass said.

It also means giving staff the authority and knowledge to perform at their best.

More coverage: Rochester Top Workplaces

“Empowerment is part of our culture, and that emanates through the organization from the top down,” Fass added. “We want people to go out of the way in favor of the customer. We want them to feel connected to the company and understand why we are doing things.”

That requires information. Joseph Hutt, Datto’s support team director in Rochester, said Datto’s commitment to open communication creates trust among employees.

He noted the monthly town hall meetings, hosted by founder and CEO Austin McChord to share the latest news on what and how the organization is doing.

“Austin is so incredibly transparent,” said Hutt. “He’ll tell us anything and everything about the company and trusts us with the information. That trickles down and makes me feel like I can be transparent with my team.”

More: Who is Austin McChord?

Hutt was one of the first five employees of Datto in Rochester and is part of the office’s leadership team. He knew there was something special about Datto from the start. Actually, it was before the start. During the interview process, he was asked to name his favorite Disney princess.

“I saw the slushies, the waffle maker … it seemed too good to be true,” said Hutt. “It’s such an employee-first company, and it’s really refreshing.”

That’s exactly the impression Datto wants to make.

“We try to create environments that help people be as productive as they can be but also make them happy, so they are willing to go the extra mile for our customers,” said Fass.

Datto uses technology to safeguard its customers’ business-critical data from threats such as natural disasters, malicious hackers and human errors. Its Rochester office is concentrated on software engineering, technical support and quality assurance.

The company’s benefits are numerous and generous. Datto pays 100 percent of its employees’ health care premiums. New parents can take up to 16 weeks of paid family leave. Employees are eligible for tuition reimbursement and referral bonuses. At the end of each week, they enjoy “Free Lunch Fridays,” paid for by the company.

Datto’s office space in The Metropolitan on South Clinton Avenue downtown is the embodiment of a work-hard, play-hard mentality.

There’s a lab filled with servers to give workers hands-on experience with Datto products. But when people need a break from work, there’s a Lite-Brite wall, a ball pit and a gaming area — and this is serious gaming, including the virtual reality variety. The space is adorned with artwork, and the kitchen is stocked with free snacks.

One of the newest features is a fish tank, but not for what you’d think. A piece of Datto equipment (called an appliance) was placed in a tank filled with mineral oil, which Hutt explained is commonly used to cool down PCs. The team added rocks and LED lights to create what they call Datto Atlantis.

Someone even designed a mascot of sorts, named Datto Man, part-appliance, part-person.

Employees participate in friendly competitions, from Nerf gun battles to a pinball championship and Halloween costume contest.

“There are a lot of people who work really hard and at the end of the day, it’s a priority of ours to also have a little fun,” said Hutt.

They even have a “director of fun” — an unofficial title given to senior software engineer Elvis Montero. He’s responsible for making sure everyone has a good time at company events. CEO Austin McChord even gave him a second business card with the title.

Datto is Montero’s seventh employer. He said he has finally found a place he wants to stay.

“One of Austin’s tenets is, ‘It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission,’ ” said Montero. “We’re very action-driven, and I love that flexibility and freedom to do what I need to do to complete my goals.”

And the company has succeeded in developing employees who are not only customer-focused but also community-minded.

Locally, the team has supported Foodlink, Habitat for Humanity and the Rochester City School District’s Families in Transition program. Several Datto employees are mentors to students at Edison Tech High School. They’ve participated in charity events to raise money for Golisano Children’s Hospital, Special Olympics, AutismUp, and the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester.

McChord himself made news recently when he donated $50 million to the Rochester Institute of Technology, his alma mater, and the place where the idea for Datto was born.

That idea is now thriving, based on the philosophy that if you treat employees like they’re customers, both will be happy.

Krista Gleason is a local freelance writer.