“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Being an office coordinator or executive assistant in tech is a life hack.” That’s a direct quote from the comment section on a recent viral TikTok about a day in the life of an office coordinator. Ashley Oerter, the creator, ended her teaching contract a year ago to seek refuge in a role with better work-life balance, that was easier on her mental health, and aligned with her unique skill set, which included proficiency in planning, organization, and bringing people together. Office coordination fit the bill.
Office coordinators, if you aren’t familiar with the job, play a crucial role in ensuring the efficient functioning of an office. They provide administrative support, manage office operations, and facilitate effective communication and coordination within the workplace. Office coordinators handle tasks such as managing correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing meetings, maintaining office records, managing office supplies, and overseeing facilities.
Monique Perry is an office coordinator for Chainalysis, a blockchain data company with offices in Washington, DC, New York City, and London. She describes the day-to-day work of her DC-based role this way:
“One could say that my role wears multiple hats. First and foremost, my ultimate responsibility is to manage the office. This includes being the immediate, or rather the first point of contact for any varying circumstance, as it relates to our office. Secondly, my role focuses on office engagement. What I mean by this is that I often find myself thinking about ways that I can improve the experience of our employees, as it relates to their time in the office. One way to do this is by coordinating onsite and offsite events such as happy hours, holiday parties, birthdays, special occasions, and team-building activities. The hope is that the events and activities will increase the engagement and experience by promoting a sense of community.”
Naturally, this means she acts as a pillar of company culture in the office—just as her two counterparts in the company’s New York and London offices do. And at a time when more and more people are heading back to work in person, such intentional culture-building is key to driving happiness at work.
We asked all three of Chainalysis’s office coordinators to weigh in on how they uphold the company’s values and culture through their work, and how that’s impacting office life at the company. Turns out, office coordinators in tech aren’t just a life hack—but a work hack, too.
Meet the office coordinators
As an office coordinator, a major part of your role is creating a physical space for Chainalysis’ culture to thrive. Give us one example of how you achieve that.
Monique Perry: “Being an office coordinator means that I set the tone for our office. I’m positioned at the front desk in the lobby, so I am typically the first person that our employees and visitors see when they walk in. I make it a point to greet everyone with a warm hello and smile on my face. As basic and simple as that appears, it makes a difference.”
Rachel McDonald: “My main project over the course of the past few months has been moving our London team into a brand new office space. With the company growing, we required a new space where our team could collaborate, host events, client meetings, and ultimately enjoy coming into the office. It’s been a real labor of love to be able to help find the right office space, make sure it has everything the team needs and requires, and also a place to help build upon an already amazing company culture.”
Jessica Pearce: “In March 2022, we opened the doors to Chainalysis HQ in New York. It was the first time that many Chainalysis folks would return to the office since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fostering an environment that was welcoming, inclusive, and fun was important to me. Now I am on the People and Office Experience Team, which, lately, has been focused on an upcoming renovation of said office. We’re already starting with a beautiful space and stunning views of the New York City skyline, so with a few thoughtful upgrades, we’re excited to unveil a fresh space that will be specifically tailored to the needs of Chainalysis.
Beyond curating a company’s physical space, office coordinators also oversee company events and initiatives. What types of programs have you overseen?
Monique: “I work on projects that highlight and bring awareness to the diversity that is represented within Chainalysis and beyond. For instance, our company launched a company-wide volunteer initiative called Beyond the Blockchain that enables our employees to plan ways to give back to the community. The office coordinators were tasked with planning our very first team volunteer event, which was themed around education and International Women’s Day this past March. For our DC office, I reached out to the student resource center at Howard University to provide 50 care packages to students in need. We boxed up body lotion, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, swab tips, and, for a personal touch, a ‘Dear Student’ letter. We also held a school supply drive.”
Jessica: “In New York for Women’s History Month and Beyond the Blockchain, we curated care packages for organizations providing shelter, health care, and counseling services to women and survivors of domestic violence in the local community.
I’ve also worked on in-office programming for many events to honor and celebrate historically marginalized groups. We hosted a Drag Queen Bingo event during Pride Month, and during Black History Month, we highlighted New York-based Black-owned restaurants in our rotation of daily catered lunches, and we shared resources for our colleagues to read and educate ourselves about the historic and ongoing oppression of Black people.”
Rachel: “Our London office is new, but I’m especially excited to leverage Beyond the Blockchain to work with our local community, volunteering on a local city farm and in our local parks in Manchester and donating clothes to local charity shops. Later in the year, we’ll also be looking to help educate a new generation on coding and our industry. All of this, in my opinion, is amazing not just for employees, but also for the wider community, and it really enhances our company culture.”
Mission-driven Chainalysis aims to make the world a safer place by tracking and preventing crimes like human trafficking, money laundering, ransomeware, terrorism, and more. Their top metrics—Ability to Telecommute, The People You Work With, and Flexible Work Hours—all score 4.5 and above, and employees enjoy perks such as fertility assistance and 20, count ‘em, 20 vacation days. Click to explore Chainalysis' profile, benefits, and open positions now!
You do a lot of important work to drive company culture. As an employee, which company benefits do you think reinforce those efforts?
Monique: “I would say all of the benefits drive the company’s culture. I’m very fortunate to have an employer that values on-the-surface aspects as well as below-the-surface aspects. I define on the surface as fair compensation, work-life balance, and a safe work environment. And then I categorize all other factors as below the surface. Those factors include mental health, vacation, medical, retirement, career growth, and professional development. I know that I am in a position of privilege, in the sense that it's not always easy nor is it possible to secure a job that checks off all or the majority of your boxes, and I acknowledge that.”
Jessica: “As a first-generation college graduate and educational studies major, one of the values that I hold near and dear to my heart is the desire to continuously learn and further my education. The culture of continuous learning is evident through the company’s dedication to professional development. Chainalysis offers every single employee a generous annual professional development stipend. I’ve also been incredibly lucky to have a manager that supports my professional growth and challenges me to take on more responsibilities that align with my goals and where I want to see myself in the future, while offering advice and mentorship. To me, the best benefit is having leaders who genuinely want to see you thrive and believe in your capacity for professional success.”
Rachel: “Chainalysis is a great company to work for and the benefits reflect this. They really put a focus on staff’s wellbeing, regular all-hands company events, providing staff mental health days, hosting company reflection days, great benefit packages, and a real focus on continued growth and learning within our roles. One of the company's core values is Team First, and this is shown clearly within the company culture, which also builds trust, and that really is the best benefit of them all.”
