Meet the Glassdoor Office Dog

As a dog who cares a lot about working, I regularly read the Glassdoor blog. It has such great advice for people looking for a job or those currently employed. When I found out that Glassdoor had an office dog, I couldn’t help but get in touch. The best news is that Rhubarb Victoria, the French Bulldog who works at Glassdoor, was willing to speak with me. I’m so excited to introduce you to an office dog who really knows her stuff about the workforce!

Napa: What breed are you?

Rhubarb Victoria: I am a French Bulldog, purebred. Some people think I’m part English because I have one floppy ear, but that was the result of a bad ear infection, not inter-breeding. Nothing against English bulldogs … it’s just that they’re fat. I didn’t say that! Don’t write that!

Napa: Tell me more about being the Glassdoor office dog.

Rhubarb Victoria: Glassdoor changed everything for me. People care about it because it’s this awesome place to look for jobs and recruit talent — you can read reviews about what companies are really like before you even apply.

To me, it’s the company that took me from the couch to the corporate office! Instead of being stuck in some apartment all day by myself, I get to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and waltz into the office every day with my head held high, and my giraffe toy by my side.

Napa: What is a typical day like as the Glassdoor office dog?

Rhubarb Victoria: When I sashay into the office, the first thing I do is visit the Glassdoor Dog Haven – a section of the office specifically set up to meet the needs of me and the rest of my canine counterparts. The haven has extra beds, toys, treats, and materials to clean up impolite moments. 

Once at my desk, my day begins with a morning nap while the rest of the PR team answers emails, makes calls, and generally disturbs my slumber. At lunchtime we head out to the deck for the Glassdoor catered lunch of the day. The people always load up on the damn salad but I wait patiently for one of them to drop something scrumptious like a bit of salmon. I have to be careful here. If they drop too much, I may spend the afternoon tooting.

At some point during my afternoon nap I get shushed for snoring or woken up by one of my visiting fans. Before I know it, we’re back in the car, taking in the view of the sun setting over San Francisco as we cross the Golden Gate Bridge to head home.

Napa: Whose desk do you sit under most often?

Rhubarb Victoria: Well, Lisa, Glassdoor’s employer engagement manager, is my Mom, so I spend most days either in her chair or under her desk. But, when she’s busy in meetings I often get abducted by members of other departments. When I hear the dreaded words, “Ruby, Mommy and her friends are very stressed right now,” I give a deep sigh of resignation because I know the day will likely end at the local outdoor patio bar, where I’ll have to make nice with a steady stream of strangers wanting to pet me, hold me, and find out how old I am. (I’m 8 years old people, that’s hardly geriatric! Cool it with the “How much time does she have left?” nonsense.)

Napa: When you get bored around the office (in between important tasks), how do you keep busy?

Rhubarb Victoria: There’s nothing like a nice busy bone from the fine folks at Purina. They sent me a box of them once, and it may have been my busiest week here at Glassdoor. If I’m not chewing on one of those, I keep myself busy by taking a nap on the PR couch, or I’ll visit with my friend Vinny – he’s a half Frenchie and half Pug, and when I say “friend” I really mean somewhat look-alike that I tolerate from time to time. Whenever my Mom gives him a busy bone I literally lose my mind, but other than that, we’re cool.

Napa: What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten around the office (even if you weren’t supposed to)?

Rhubarb Victoria: Oh my God: salmon. I LOVE SALMON! Once, on sushi day at Glassdoor, they had leftovers, and my Mom made me a little plate of salmon sashimi. When she put it in front of me I thought: This is living. 

Napa: What’s your favorite funny dog video? Please share the link!

Rhubarb Victoria: This chubster making a fool of herself gets me every time:

Napa: Where are you from? What’s your favorite trait about the area you live in?

Rhubarb Victoria: I live in the beautiful city by the bay, San Francisco. Not only is this place downright giddy about French bulldogs, but it has a collection of some of the best restaurants in the world. My favorite fact about this city is that here, on most Friday nights, you can find me underneath the outdoor seating of a five-star restaurant getting fed crumbs of international cheeses. I’m never leaving.

Napa: If you could tell your human co-workers anything, what would it be?

Rhubarb Victoria: Liza Minnelli is my spirit animal. Someone please communicate this to her.

Napa:  With all of your HR experience, can you share any advice for other office dogs?

Rhubarb Victoria: I am so glad you asked. The position of office dog is a coveted one – one that more dogs should have. If I were in charge (which, to be clear, I ought be) I would let all the dogs come to work in all the offices. But alas, we office dogs have a major responsibility ahead of us. You guys, listen up, we have to make this look SO GOOD. If you’re an office dog, don’t screw it up. Make it seem like the best decision anyone ever made was letting us come to work. I’m not kidding around here. Lick every hand, roll over, play dead, carry their laptops, WHATEVER! Just make this look like anyone who doesn’t have dogs at the office is insane. It’s up to us office dogs. Don’t disappoint me.

Napa: If you could change any company policy, what would it be?

Rhubarb Victoria: If I were in charge of all the companies, the first rule would be dogs allowed. At my company specifically, that’s already the case, so my work here is done.

Napa: What’s your best interview advice for all humans (and dogs) who are applying for new positions?

Rhubarb Victoria: I basically get through life relying on my looks so I really don’t know what to tell you here.

My uncle Scottie however, is Glassdoor’s career and workplace analyst, and I’ve memorized his advice because it’s all I hear on the phones all day. My mom’s insisting I put his full title here so, here goes, uncle Scottie, aka Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor career and workplace analyst, explains, “Do your research, make sure you know as much as you can about the company before you head into the interview. Once there, don’t be afraid to ask questions to find out what the company is really like. If a company isn’t dog friendly for example, ask if they have any plans to change that policy in the future.”

Are you an office dog? Is your co-worker a canine? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch via email or leave a note in the comments section below!

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Side note: Do you run a business in the pet industry? Would you like to drive more traffic and sales to your site through a search-optimized pet blog? Get in touch with my office-mates at Lantern Content Marketing!

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