Winning isn’t just found in the casino games that DoubleDown Interactive creates; it’s a common reason for celebrations on a weekly basis — at least, according to Senior Growth Marketing Manager Shelby Nakamoto.
After working across various departments at the gaming company, Nakamoto has received everything from shoutouts to awards, followed by companywide applause.
“Receiving these recognitions made me feel truly seen and appreciated for the effort and passion I bring to my work,” Nakamoto said. “It’s incredibly motivating to know that contributions — both big and small — are valued.”
The culture of recognition at DoubleDown is rare. According to a recent Nectar HR study, only 31.5 percent of employees surveyed reported receiving weekly recognition at work.
Built In spoke with Nakamoto about what the rare culture of recognition means to her and fellow employees.
DoubleDown Interactive LLC is a gaming company in the social casino space and is expanding to create multiple, all-new casual and mid-core franchises.
Why did your company recognize you as a top performer? How has your work impacted the company?
I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work across multiple teams at DoubleDown — including customer support, marketing engagement and growth marketing. Throughout these roles, I’ve been recognized as a top performer for consistently delivering high-quality work, proactively supporting initiatives beyond my core responsibilities and making a lasting impact. In addition to contributing to the company’s goals, I like to believe that my work has also helped foster a fun, collaborative and positive team environment.
How did your company celebrate your achievements?
DoubleDown truly offers a fantastic range of opportunities to celebrate achievements at all levels. While on the customer support team, positive player feedback was regularly shared via Slack, and seeing comments from players I had helped — alongside those supported by teammates — always put a smile on my face.
During my time on the marketing engagement team, I collaborated closely with engineering to conceptualize and test a new tool that streamlined the production of promotional offers. This project was a true labor of love, and it was incredibly rewarding to have efforts publicly recognized with a ‘Big Win’ award at a companywide meeting.
On the growth marketing team, I’ve been honored with ‘Game Changer’ awards — more private recognitions where managers and peers highlighted my impact on user acquisition and retention strategies, team support and my contributions to cross-functional collaboration. Each award included a personal message from the nominator, which made the recognition especially meaningful.
In addition, the company’s ‘High Five’ Slack channel provides a fun and supportive space for colleagues to give each other shoutouts and express appreciation in real time.
How has this recognition made you feel more connected to your work or the company as a whole?
Receiving these recognitions made me feel truly seen and appreciated for the effort and passion I bring to my work. It’s incredibly motivating to know that contributions — both big and small — are valued. I also love having the opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary work of my colleagues. I’m especially grateful to our HR and experience teams for fostering a culture where employees can uplift one another and where wins of all sizes are acknowledged and celebrated.
