Meet our Summer Intern: Yugvir Parhar

This summer at ServiceMaster Brands®, we had the opportunity of three graduate students from the Georgia Institute of Technology join our team as interns. Working as part of the Transformation Team, these graduate students have been vital in producing innovative tools and resources to help our franchisees grow their businesses.

One of those students is Yugvir Parhar – read below to learn more about Yugvir as he shares his experience with ServiceMaster Brands®!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am Yugvir, a grad student at the Human Computer Interaction (MSHCI) program at Georgia Tech. Professionally, I am a User Experience (UX) Researcher specializing in qualitative research methods. I have a degree in Computer Science and worked as a product designer and application developer for a year before embarking on my journey to grad school. Other than work, I spend my time painting – usually watercolor and oils – hiking, or listening to indie acoustic pop music (and yes, also attending concerts).

What is it about ServiceMaster Brands® that made you want to work here?

In the past, I have worked with small businesses and even managed my own business, The May Circle. Hence, I have experience in the space that ServiceMaster works in. On the Transformation Team, I listened to franchisees, uncovered problems, and tackled them to help the franchisees grow! This excited me because I know from my own business how much impact the smallest boost in revenue makes – especially for all the team members of any franchise and for all the hard work they put in. More than that, I could also focus on improving employees’ experiences while practicing and learning UX Research techniques for real-world problems with real impact on people’s lives. 

Where do you see your career in five years?

I hope to be a Senior UX Researcher in the tech industry, although the industry remains to be decided since UX is such a versatile practice. I have come to find myself more interested in research even though my background is more in development and design. 

What’s a project you’re working on that you’re excited about?

I worked on a pilot with Merry Maids to introduce a new feature on their website for lead acquisition. This was a really exciting project because I got to design the new feature and test it with thousands of users, which resulted in evaluation of the feature itself with the sales staff within Merry Maids franchises. The success of the feature was unanimous – everyone who piloted it wanted to keep the feature! That was a very rewarding experience.

Another project that was really exciting – which I am sad to leave behind as I finish my internship – is the Talent Unlock resource. This is a company-wide document that highlights all the recruiting and retention best-practices that we saw and advice that we thought would be very helpful and impactful for all franchisees within the ServiceMaster family of brands. It also introduced projects that ServiceMaster was working on (one of which I was working on as well) that would help the entire network and their team members with alternative medical benefits and pay benefits. I’m excited for it to finally be released to the network, but feeling bittersweet because I won’t be here to see the launch.

Who’s your everyday hero?

My parents and my brother are definitely my everyday heroes. I have seen them work so hard to provide a great life for me, and I couldn’t be where I am right now without them. I am also very proud of all of my friends. They, too, are my heroes because they continue to inspire me every day in many ways, professionally, emotionally, and artistically. 

How would you describe the culture at ServiceMaster Brands®?

“To not overpromise and underdeliver”. It is so easy to sometimes overestimate yourself and not deliver. I believe that any work I do should be quality work that’s based on research and that will definitively make a difference in one way or another. This commitment from the Partnership Promise makes sure that trust is valued and seen as sacred, which is very important for any small business, or even human! 

How would you describe the ServiceMaster Brands® atmosphere to someone interested in working here?

I was working with the Transformation Team headed by Jill Niland. Everyone on that team is a superstar, and I would love to work with them again. They made me feel very welcomed, and it was very easy to work in such a supportive environment! The atmosphere at ServiceMaster is amicable and everyone is ready to help you at the drop of a hat!