Humans of Tech- Selin Jessani

Meet Selin Jessani, Senior Director of Client Experience at FigBytes

We chat about starting a new role during the pandemic, all things sustainability, and practical advice for starting a career in Client Experience!

Can you tell us about what you do?

I’m the Senior Director of Customer Experience at FigBytes, which offers the industry’s leading ESG platform. I own the post-sales experience including implementation, customer success, and customer support.

What motivated you to join FigBytes, an early-stage company during the middle of a pandemic?

When I learned about FigBytes and their mission to create positive change for their clients, really save the world, I couldn’t walk away. The platform is truly that powerful, helping organizations take control of their ESG data and sustainability journey, every step of the way. I saw a gem of a business. Then I later met with Ted Dhillon and Sonam Devgan, the Founders of FigBytes, and there was such a passion to do good that I had to be a part of it. So it was a no-brainer.

Being an early-stage start-up, the opportunity is to build something from the ground up and create a foundation for future company success. Maybe in a past role you've thought “I wish they had done this or that differently, but it's too late now because this tool was already purchased, or this process has already been designed.” When you work in a startup, you have an opportunity to shape those things from scratch. You don't have to wish that things could be different. I wanted to be part of growing something.

Sure, the middle of a pandemic may have been a strange time to start a new role! I’m a pretty dedicated, loyal person and had turned down headhunters in the past. But there was something different about the call I received from Artemis. It was a conversational approach that really engaged me and caught my attention. And there was the FigByte’s story and mission. I think that is something that really resonated and caught my attention. My advice is to be open to these types of opportunities because you never know what direction it could take you down and you never know what kind of a job you will find.

You came up through VelocityEHS then moved to FigBytes, can you tell me the difference between Environment Health and Safety (EHS) and Environmental Social Governance (ESG).

I think the biggest difference is you're looking outwards versus inwards.

With EHS, you're focused on what's going on inside your business. What is the impact on your people? How are they performing? Are they safe in the workplace? How is your business performing?

When you look at sustainability and ESG, it's more integrated and comprehensive. What is your footprint on the world? What is the legacy? It's not just about the environment. It's not just about sustainability. It's also about social issues and disparities that need improving. Things like how many women leaders are in the workforce, how much diversity and inclusion do we actually have? You can set goals or make statements, but what are you doing to support those goals or values? That’s ESG. You need sustainable action for positive change.

Looking outward really connects us even more. It’s exploring the connection between you and your surroundings, your community, your peer network, even your competitors. And I think that's the evolution that we need. The world is only getting smaller. And we have to start looking outside of our companies because that’s where the impact is.

If you were giving advice/mentorship to those starting out in Customer Success/Customer Experience, what would you say?

I have three pieces of advice for those in CX:

1. Communication is key. There is absolutely no substitute for excellent communication skills. No matter how advanced the Customer Experience (CX) world gets, we're always going to need to communicate really well with our clients. Remember, great communication is more about listening than it is about speaking!

2. Be innovative. 20 years ago, the CX world looked very different from where we are today.Now we can use data and technology to be innovative in how we work with clients. That could be in the form of giving them advice, adding value and providing them with insight that can take them one step further, or help them grow and succeed.

3. Always refer back to the Customer Journey Map. When you're in the CX world and a client comes to you post-sale, they already have experience with your organization. It would be a disservice to the client to just disregard that history and work and try to start from scratch.Capture their entire customer journey and learn from your sales and marketing teams. Understand what that customer went through, and use that context to give them an even better experience throughout their whole journey.