Get to Know: Bryce Penta
Name: Bryce Penta
Role: Senior Data Scientist
How long have you been at Enova: December 2021
Why did you decide to join the Business Forecasting team?
I chose to join Enova during the interview process because I could tell how much the interviewers believed in the organization and admired how they represented the company. This has been reflected by everyone at Enova during my time here. The people of Enova embody the company values, create a welcoming environment and support each other. Coming from a Ph.D. in a biological field, I felt like they valued my unique experience and what I could bring to the company. Many people in the Analytics department came to Enova after following a non-traditional path and that made me feel like I could belong. Along with this, Enova’s commitment to using emerging technology to provide the best customer experience convinced me that this company was the right fit for me.
What was your favorite part about your onboarding program at Enova?
My favorite part about my onboarding program was that the whole experience was smooth and well-prepared. For the Analytics department, the onboarding program consists of a set of modules designed to walk a new hire through every process that could be a vital component of your job. The modules contain everything from setting up specific software to walkthroughs of some of the key business concepts for the company. These modules are all contained in an easily navigable repository where you can follow the preassigned path or work your way through the modules that are more or less familiar. With this flexibility, the entire onboarding process felt manageable and alleviated much of the stress associated with onboarding for a new position!
What is your favorite Enova Value and why?
Top Talent and Teamwork is my favorite Enova Value because it highlights the amazing people that work at Enova and how we come together to share our strengths to accomplish a goal. One of the underlying tenets of this Value is to encourage diversity of thought, which is key to problem solving and understanding the situation from multiple viewpoints. Coming together as a team to approach a problem often leads to a more developed solution in a faster turnaround time, too.
How do you see your coworkers living out our Enova Values?
We are highly collaborative and teamwork is integral to our day-to-day processes. Given this, my teammates live out Enova’s Values on a daily basis, especially in regards to Top Talent and Teamwork and Operate as an Owner. Everyone in Analytics independently handles their own projects but we rely on each other for testing, idea development and general conversation about our work. We all get to drive our projects forward while knowing that we can rely on our coworkers to provide key insight and support when needed. An internal program, called Spotlight, allows us to highlight and share each others’ successes specifically in regard to the five Values of Enova!
What do you enjoy about the work you do at Enova?
I enjoy the variety of the work I do and the diversity of people I get to collaborate with each day. Working on the Business Forecasting team has provided me with opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, ranging from contact center analytics to Fair Value reporting for the company. My day-to-day work shifts between long-term modeling projects to ad hoc analysis, so every day looks different than the last. This keeps me on my toes and ready to dive into solving a new problem when it comes my way.
What is different about the people at Enova?
The main difference about the people here is how much everyone supports each other and cares about the work. The people strive to create an environment where everyone feels included and celebrated. We achieve this by hosting events that bring us together as a community and by providing internal channels for specific affinity groups and general support on an individual basis. From day one, the people at Enova care about making this company a great place to work!
What is your favorite perk and why?
There are many great perks, but my favorite perk is Summer Hours on Fridays! If all work for the week is wrapped up by 2:00 PM on Fridays during the summer we get to sign off early to enjoy the summer sun. The extra weekend time during the summer is great for exploring, spending time outside or taking a weekend trip. A close second for perks would have to be the paid month-long sabbatical after four years of work here at Enova! This is such a unique perk, and I think it allows people to take time for themselves, whether it be an extended vacation, time to recharge and relax, or even to learn a new skill.