Behind the scenes: a week with Dovetail’s workplace experience wizards

Ever wondered what truly makes a workplace tick? Beyond the code and the customer insights, it’s the vibrant energy, the seamless support, and the thoughtful touches that transform an office into a thriving community. At Dovetail, we believe in creating an exceptional environment that fosters connection, collaboration, and well-being, whether you’re in our stunning Sydney hub located in leafy Surry Hills or our laid-back San Francisco oasis in the bustling Financial District.

Join us behind the scenes for a glimpse into a typical, yet always dynamic, week with two of our unsung heroes: Tom Belica in Sydney and Selin Toprak in San Francisco. They’re the wizards of Workplace Experience, ensuring our offices are not just productive, but genuinely enjoyable places to be. From stocking kitchens with everyone’s favorite snacks to planning major celebrations, their days are filled with diverse tasks and a whole lot of fun.

Monday: A fresh start, global welcomes

Tommy (Sydney): My week kicks off early, receiving all our fresh snacks —fruit, salad ingredients, pop corn, the ever popular sparkling water—to ensure our kitchen is perfectly stocked. A quick walkthrough of both floors of the office confirms everything is looking pristine. Today’s a big day with new hires in Engineering and Design starting, so I’m busy setting up their desks. At 10 AM, I welcome them, giving them the full tour of our Sydney office. This afternoon, I’m diving into plans for our upcoming “Make It” event, and I’m already looking forward to connecting with Selin when her week begins in San Francisco.

Selin (San Francisco): I arrive at the office after my pilates session—balancing wedding planning and office planning is quite the feat! We have a new hire in Sales starting today, bringing the total SF team to forty people. I get them all set up, and we order a welcome lunch to enjoy on the patio. I’m a hybrid workplace experience manager and People Partner, so my afternoon is focused on conversations with the team members I support and pushing forward some key People Operations projects.

Tuesday: Tackling challenges and building community

Tommy (Sydney): My great meeting with Selin about “Make It” planning is quickly followed by ten messages about a broken light in the Lucky Pickle conference room. A quick call to the technician gets that sorted. This week, #runclub is on Tuesday and I am excited to go for a jog around Moore Park in the sun with the crew. I’ve really gotten into running since training for the Dovetail marathon we hosted, and we’ve got twenty people prepping for City2Surf in August! Finally, I get back to my desk to tackle expense reports for finance and put on the Coles playlist on Sonos—everyone loves it!

Selin (San Francisco): Today’s snack and drink delivery from Office Libations is a hit! People have been begging for the Fairlife protein shakes, and I finally managed to get some in stock. I also make sure the women’s bathroom is fully stocked with toiletries, including the good hair ties. It’s another beautiful day, and Jaz our Product Support Lead, Jaycie Customer Success Manager, and I make sandwiches from the fresh stock and enjoy lunch on the patio. This afternoon, I have a call with our broker and our Head of Operations, Sascha, to discuss our lease renewal.

Wednesday: Quiet focus and mid-week connections

Tommy (Sydney): It’s a quieter day in Sydney as most people work from home, which is great for getting things done without distractions. The new LED lights are arriving today, and the air conditioning guy is changing out the filters. At lunch, I squeeze in a game of pool with Jack—one of our software engineers, who’s also in the office. Later, Corbs—executive assistant—and I walk to Coles to pick up ice cream treats for the afternoon, chatting about the October launch and “Make It.”

Selin (San Francisco): It’s Pastry Club day! Kelsey, from the CS team, is bringing pastries from B Patisserie, and I can’t wait to try the pain suisse—everyone’s happy. Tonight, we have a Whiskey Club event. It’s a busy day, and I spend most of it deep in my People Operations projects.

Thursday: Celebrations and friendly competition

Tommy (Sydney): Today is our welcome lunch, where we play “two truths and a lie” with the new hires. I give an office update on upcoming events, including who’s on the leaderboard for the pool tourney tomorrow—I still can’t believe I’m in the final eight! Lunch is from City Edge, everyone’s favourite egg sandwich. Games Club is heading to Fortress tonight, and I need to make sure Bryan, from the engineering team, knows how much money he has for entry and snacks.

Selin (San Francisco): I step out at lunch to grab some champagne and non-alcoholic beverages with AM, our customer success team lead, for the CS Toast tonight. We’re celebrating the team completing the pricing migration! It’s also our monthly birthday celebration, and we got delicious cakes from Paris Baguette. We have some demos, and the toast is fantastic—the team is really happy. It looks like a few people will be working from home tomorrow.

Friday: Wrapping Up & Winding Down

Tommy (Sydney): Friday starts with Demos—our weekly ritual where three different teams dive deep into what they are working on, plus open mic demos where anyone can give us a sample of what they have been up to. We kick off with shoutouts which always makes it a feel-good Friday—it’s so nice to hear everyone acknowledging each other and cheering them on. My favorite part is Bingo Bongo, where we randomly select four employees in Sydney and two in SF to grab lunch on Dovetail. We head out for a pub lunch, and then wrap up the day with pizzas for the pool tourney finals. Jack wins the pool tourney! After all that, I’m exhausted and ready for my Friday tradition—unwinding with Sudoku and infrared sauna.

Selin (San Francisco): I’m working from home today, but I do a roll call and order breakfast burritos—our special Friday tradition for anyone in the office, as it’s usually a quieter day. The Sydney team has signed off for the week, which means fewer meetings and more time for my projects. Later, I’ll cuddle with my cats and catch up on some reality TV.

Just a regular fun-filled week in Dovetail land. Want to experience working at Dovetail difference for yourself? Explore our open roles and join our vibrant team!