3 Reasons Why I Work at Ohmyhome

Contributor: Benjienen Toledo

There’s no such thing as a slow day in Ohmyhome.

In just three short years, Ohmyhome has grown to be the fast-growing startup providing efficient and seamless housing transaction solutions, from agent services to legal conveyancing, not only in Singapore and Malaysia but soon across the entirety of Southeast Asia.

From its infancy days in our first office to the current 11,000-square-foot regional headquarters which is six times bigger, I have witnessed how the company grew aggressively from 22 to 71 headcounts.

At Ohmyhome, the employee retention rate is 86%, this is exceptional compared to a 54% expected retention rate in Singapore according to a survey. Aside from having a team that supports and empathises with one another, the management seizes every opportunity to celebrate with our families since we are in the office for most of our waking hours through monthly birthday celebrations or bubble tea and pizza parties on random days.

I know all of these are just nice to have, but why do I really work at Ohmyhome and what is making me stay?

Here are 3 Reasons Why I Work at Ohmyhome:

1. Unstoppable People

There’s no denying that startup life is a daily hustle. Like a warrior who marches on the battlefield, Ohmyhome is a rubicon. I assure you, no one puts their guard down! It doesn’t matter if one of us is at the furthest reaches of the earth – once we get the call, you can count on us to get the job done.

Regardless if one is chilling under the vast coconut trees while stargazing in an island of Siquijor in Southern Philippines with a rotational brownout and no wifi, he will kayak to the next island to be remotely connected. Fortunately, we are a tech company, hence, we don’t need to build wings to be there.

But why hustle? Simply put, Ohmyhome is composed of unstoppable people who removed the word ‘quit’ in their dictionaries. It takes a strong will, dedication, and relentless execution to revolutionise the property industry and produce a game-changing product that we can be proud of.

2. Purposeful Work

Now that you know what it takes, the next question is, “What for?”

We transform the property landscape globally, to help more families buy, sell and rent their properties seamlessly. A home is the foundation of our society, nothing should go wrong when transacting it. The unnecessary stress will impact the family, possibly for the rest of their life.

We don’t just help build homes, we help build happy homes that foster lasting, positive relationships. By making information accessible, empowering those who lack the confidence and experience in doing it on their own, or by providing a complete end-to-end property ecosystem.

During the Technology for Marketing Asia 2019 where Benjienen was one of the Speakers together with Ohmyhome CPO and Co-founder, Race Wong.

3. Community Culture

I believe you shouldn’t have familial ties with your colleagues, otherwise, the famous adage will apply; “Familiarity breeds contempt.”

The term “community” is just right; it doesn’t run the risk of being too intimate yet not too cold and distant. And I love it! I can excel with pressure, keeping enough dose of fear for my superiors, a dread of failing and fright for underdelivering.

Whenever I feel like I am nearing the end of my rope, my genuinely supportive colleagues will extend me theirs. They keep me grounded. We enjoy pantry talks, bus or train ride chit chats, house warming visitations, baby shower surprises, watching fireworks together on National Day or playing mahjong during Chinese New Year.

Aside from the workplace culture, I truly believe that being with the right people makes all the difference in any company or business. Not only does your team become eight times more productive, but it also contributes to your overall well-being.

In a recent interview that I had with one of the candidates for our current hiring needs, the candidate posed an interesting question; “I understand the level of stress in a startup, it’s manageable for the short-term. But in the long-term, how do you handle it?”

In short, he was asking about work-life balance at Ohmyhome. This did not surprise me since according to a study, work-life balance is the ultimate job aspiration for people in APAC – especially Singapore.

Ohmyhome embraces family-friendly initiatives, one of which is making our meeting rooms double as playrooms for kids. This empowers parents, especially new moms like me who may need to look after their infants while still being present in the workplace.

For us, this defines work-life balance – parents are not forced to compartmentalise their lives due to workplace expectations of leaving parenting at home and being an employee during office hours. It’s the recognition that being a parent and employee are not two competing roles.

Benjienen sharing about Pro-family Initiatives at Ohmyhome in an event at the Enabling Village organised by the Families for Life Council.

In my sharing during the Families for Life’s Event on Pro-family Strategies at Work, employers looking to help staff integrate work and family demands will benefit from hiring those with a good work attitude who can integrate with their team culture.

Never have I felt the need to choose between my family and career because my company values family just as I do. Hence, the common struggle of “you need to prioritise your family than your work” is non-existent in Ohmyhome.

Are you passionate about creating real value for people and revolutionising the future of the property industry? We want to hear from you. Check out our open positions now!

About the contributor:

Known for her performance-led digital expertise, Benjienen brings together creativity and technology, coupled with data strategies, to create effective digital marketing programmes for Ohmyhome. A vital member of the marketing team, Benjienen is the key person integrating marketing with the engineering and data team.