Piquing Your Interest: How AccumTech Fosters Community and Belonging

Remember the days of organized clubs when you would get together with people and talk about shared interests? It can be difficult to find a community like that after high school or college, and many companies are trying to fill the void. 

At AccumTech, a software company in Ann Arbor, six employee interest groups are helping create community and camaraderie. 

Unlike ad hoc clubs that might appear (and just as quickly disappear) at a company, these six groups are backed by the AccumTech Talent Community Team to make sure they have support and remain steady. 

The groups started during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to keep employees connected while working remotely. Four years later, they’re still going strong. 

Nicki Kaplan, a project manager on the PMO team, was newer to the company when the pandemic hit. She decided to join some interest groups as a way to connect with people. 

“It was a good way to establish bonds with teammates,” she says. “I was looking for community, and I felt a lot of camaraderie with the team.”

Nicki herself is a part of all six groups. She says that they fit well into your daily life at the company, and participation can ebb and flow. While each group has a leader, activities can vary depending on the time of year. Each has its own Slack channel that anyone can join, and each hosts events sponsored by the company that are open to everyone. Nicki says it’s easy to pick and choose your level of involvement. 

The Groups

Here are the six groups established and backed by the AccumTech talent team and what they’re all about:

• Accumfit: We firmly believe that a healthy body fosters a healthy mind. Participating in activities that push us beyond our comfort zones can be incredibly rewarding, especially when done alongside supportive team members. Our offerings include yoga sessions, pickleball games, dance fitness classes, and more, ensuring there’s something for everyone, regardless of fitness level or schedule. Currently, we’re spearheading a step challenge to inspire everyone to stay active and keep moving.
  
  
• Culinary Connoisseurs: Love cooking? Love eating? This is a group that comes together in the office for events like making mocktails or grilled cheese sandwiches. They’ll get together at lunch to discuss gardens, breweries, or cooking classes they’ve taken. 
  
  
• The Epilogues: Book club in the office. Every two to three months, this group picks a book for the club to read, meeting at least once to discuss the book. Everyone in the company is invited to participate, but of course it’s not required. If there’s a film adaptation of the chosen book, the group might meet up after core hours to watch it.

• Gaming Grotto: Though this group doesn’t meet up in the office as frequently, many of its members play games online, often multiple times a week. They’ll host occasional events for playing board games, too, which many people in the company enjoy.
  
  
• Screen Junkies: Whether it’s through their active pop-culture Slack chat or attending a movie event, the Screen Junkies offer a place for people to talk about movies, TV shows, or even YouTube videos. You can post in the chat about the movie you saw over the weekend, or attend a screening at a theater or in the office.
  
  
• Seeders and Weeders: This gardening club meets seasonally to go on nature walks (AccumTech has one of the coolest offices, located on the campus of Domino’s Farms) and to discuss all things plants. The group is home to foragers, a former professional and award-winning mead brewer, nursery owners, people who grew up on farms, and more. They love to share knowledge and help answer any questions. 
  
  

With all these different options, Nicki says it’s interesting to see what people are passionate about. 

“There’s the gamer with a green thumb, or the reader who also runs half marathons. It’s very fun to learn about each other,” Nicki says. 

The Community

Back when the groups initially started, the company was a fourth of its current size and working remotely. Now as a larger, hybrid team, interest groups have become an important way for people to meet each other, especially those on other teams. It also helps their unique culture persist as the company continues to grow.

“AccumTech has a unique culture with its own whimsy,” Nicki says. “All the interest groups foster the ability for people to be themselves. You don’t have to hide, and you can come as you are and feel valued as a person.”

As AccumTech has grown, the company uses its four core values as its north star to help maintain its strong culture. One of those values is evident in the enthusiasm people have for AccumTech’s interest groups:

“Esprit de Corps is our cornerstone. If your fundamentals don't start with fun, what's the point?”

AccumTech is all about making sure the team knows each other well, builds meaningful relationships, and trusts each other. These interest groups help create the camaraderie that fuels the team’s day-to-day interactions. They make AccumTech a place where everyone belongs and works together. 

Interested in learning more about AccumTech and their open roles? Read more about a day in the life at AccumTech and check out their open jobs.