Credit Karma calls for employees to return to downtown Oakland office in September – Silicon Valley

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OAKLAND – Credit Karma is telling employees it expects its employees to return to the office in September, a move that solidifies the tech company’s presence in downtown Oakland.

The financial services technology firm has also decided to completely pull out of San Francisco and says its only Bay Area operation will be at its Oakland headquarters.

“We have been very clear to our employees that after Labor Day is the time we intend to go back to the office,” said Colleen McCreary, Credit Karma’s head of people, places and advertising. “We don’t want a permanent remote workforce.”

Credit Karma has rented 166,700 square feet in The Key at 12th complex at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland. The lease includes eight floors, 11 to 18, as well as the basement and roof.

The Key at 12th project, which includes a new office tower and the historic Key System Building at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland, concept. //

That amount of office space could potentially house nearly 1,000 workers. Ellis Partners is the developer of the eye-catching new office tower, a project that has preserved the historic Key System Building.

Going back to the office makes sense for a tech company that, like any tech company, values ​​its culture of innovation.

“We think we create better, we innovate better, when people are together,” McCreary said. “Working from your garage is very different from walking into an office with people dedicated to a mission. We are very excited to be back in the office. “

Credit Karma offices on The Key in the 12th office tower at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland, showing employee work areas. //

Credit Karma, based in Oakland, has conducted what the company calls a “soft opening” in which about 100 people per day walk into downtown offices.

“We had about 600 people who signed up for the soft opening,” McCreary said.

Credit Karma offices on The Key at the 12th office tower at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland, with conference and common areas. //

Wendy Blakeman, compensation director at Credit Karma and a three-year employee of the company, said being in the downtown Oakland office offers a welcome contrast to her plight during the sad months of the coronavirus-related business and facility closures. .

“I returned to work in May for the grand opening of our new Oakland office,” said Blakeman. “I live in confined spaces in San Francisco and wanted a separation between work and personal life. Going back to the office gave me a sense of normality that I lacked since before the pandemic.

Blakeman also said she enjoyed being back in the office with the workers she was separated from during the COVID-related closures.

“Seeing my team members and being in this brand new office strengthened my decision to start joining before the entire company returns in the fall,” said Blakeman. “The Oakland community has welcomed Credit Karma employees with open arms.”

Credit Karma says his decision to move out of San Francisco and offer all of its offices under sublease was “a COVID-related decision,” McCreary said. Credit Karma has subleased 162,000 square feet of 760 Market St. in San Francisco, he added.

It was during 2019 that Credit Karma launched in-depth search across the Bay Area for an Oakland office that first became the company’s East Bay hub and eventually its new headquarters.

“The possibility of having a brand new building is unusual in a downtown market and in an urban market,” McCreary said. “Oakland made sense because we saw how many people in the tech industry moved from the East Bay to San Francisco and the Peninsula.”

Another big draw: Credit Karma’s new headquarters sits atop the 12th Street BART station in downtown Oakland.

“We have a brand new building, top-of-the-line ventilation, we have great desk spacing, we have over 100 conference rooms,” McCreary said. “We also have a roof terrace with a barbecue.”

Rooftop terrace atop The Key at 12th, an office tower in downtown Oakland where technology company Credit Karma is headquartered at 1100 Broadway, concept. //

The roof is one of the most popular meeting places inside the new headquarters tower.

Overall, The Key at 12th headquarter offers offices of the kind companies might look for in the coronavirus era.

“We have the luxury of space in downtown Oakland that we wouldn’t have had in San Francisco,” McCreary said. “In San Francisco, people would have been sitting on top of each other.”

Credit Karma looks forward to having a physical presence in downtown Oakland, which conforms to the company’s overall philosophy for its technology products and services.

“Our job is to help people make financial progress,” McCreary said. “By being here, we can help small businesses, restaurants, shops, theaters in downtown Oakland. In this way we can contribute to the community. The local community is so happy to have us here ”.

Credit Karma signs at the tech company headquarters at 1100 Broadway in downtown Oakland. //

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