Testimonials

As a writer and editor of educational materials for dozens of publishers and developers over more than three decades, I have never worked for a more professional company than Sikana. Their management and editors have always provided me with maximum support from project initiation to completion, including clear orientation and evaluation of my work. And they do this humanely and with respect for my experience and skills. The quality of Sikana’s team is a testament to the company’s expertise; not only are the writers and editors extremely good at what they do, they are also fun people to work with. I am privileged to be associated with Sikana.

Sikana projects are a pleasure to work on! I can always count on receiving clear guidelines and well-organized information from the outset of a project. Hilary goes out of her way to make sure her writers are treated and paid fairly. She has created a community of top-notch writers and editors who produce excellent work. I am proud to be one of them.

I have been a freelance editor for over 15 years and have worked for dozens of clients. Sikana stands out for its dedication to both quality and inventiveness. The atmosphere is caring, collegial, and creative and project colleagues are top-notch. Hilary and Val are very responsive, so you’re never left wondering what the client really wants and you always feel encouraged to do what’s needed to make the work shine. Sikana has created a unique niche in the world where having fun and doing good work go together. It has been my delight to be part of the Sikana team.

I am grateful to be working for Sikana. Hilary and Val bring together experienced team members who enjoy their work, and they keep me well informed during every phase of a project. My responsibilities are manageable and clear. More than that, they entrust me to take ownership of my part of the project, to let me give my best.

I have had the good fortune to work with Sikana rather steadily for the past three years. It has been a true pleasure working with Val, Hilary, and the Sikana teams that they assemble. I have been freelancing in the education field for almost 20 years, and can say without hesitation that Sikana stands out as one of the best companies I have ever worked with.

I truly appreciate how organized and communicative Sikana is. There are regular emails and conference calls, both to track progress within a project and to lay out goals and plans for coming months and upcoming projects. Sikana doesn’t spring unrealistic last-minute requests; there is always ample notice about deadlines and trainings, etc. There is ongoing support during projects to ensure that all team members have what they need to get the job done well and on time. I have also found Sikana to be very responsive and accessible, getting back to me quickly after any communication I’ve initiated. Sikana is flexible too, checking in to see if my workload is doable, whether I need to take on less or want to do more than I’d been assigned. Sikana treats freelancers as professionals deserving of respect. There is an efficient system for invoicing, and I am always paid in a timely manner.

Expectations are clear and communicated at the outset of a project. And good work is appreciated. Positive feedback from clients is shared with the team, and gratitude is expressed for the team’s efforts, reliability, and quality of work. I’ve also received several tangible expressions of appreciation, like gift cards, to say “job well done.”

The bottom line is that whenever I work with Sikana I always feel valued and appreciated as a professional, and empowered to do my best work.

It was clear from my very first project with Sikana in 2012 that client satisfaction was the top priority. Kick-off meetings are often held to get everyone on board, and extensive documentation and sample materials are provided. Client feedback is always communicated in a timely manner to correct any minor missteps along the way. Because Sikana is such a great company to work for, many of the same writers and editors choose to work on project after project. Solid group dynamics are already in place at the start of each development effort, so everyone can fully focus on the task at hand. The scope of some of the projects I’ve worked on has been extremely large, sometimes consisting of thousands of items and hundreds of passages. Over the past four years, I’ve seen the same clients return again and again, which is perhaps the best indication of just how committed Sikana is to developing unique assessment content that is in line with the client’s vision.

I’ve worked with Sikana Publishing for almost four years as an independent contractor. Sikana is by far one of my favorite companies to work with because of their quality editors and leaders, ones who provide personal feedback and training if needed – something rarely seen in the freelance world. As a writer I realize how important a good relationship with an editing team is, and Sikana hires some of the best, which improves my writing and work output.

Working for Sikana is a joy! All of the team members from content leads to other writers are very responsive and supportive. I never once felt that I was on my own if I had a question or a concern. I had never worked in a virtual environment before, it was all very new to me, but from day one everyone made me feel part of a close knit team.

The managers at Sikana represent the brightest, most talented and distinguished professionals in the field. They have a passion for education and understand that their clients represent a community of educators, administrators, students, and families. They are consistently organized and team-centered, efficient, and deliberate in all facets of the organization. Through company communication, they demonstrate that they are approachable, responsive, and dedicated. They are a rare combination of imaginative and also detail-oriented. As a contractor for the company, I do not just get paid to do a job: I am mentored and taught, and I come away from each project wiser and better equipped for work in the industry than I was before.

Projects at Sikana are extremely well run. Writers and editors have what they need from the beginning, and the high quality work Sikana produces seems to result from a unique blend of talented, resilient writers and editors; careful, clear communication; and flexible, adaptive management. Adept at using technology to provide background and other information, Sikana also never abandons that fundamental human touch: the humor, the sympathy, the thanks. After 35 years in ed publishing, there aren’t many developers I recommend heartily to freelancers and clients alike, but Sikana is clearly a cut above.

First of all, I have nothing but good things to say about my experience working with Sikana. As a writer working from home, it’s easy to feel “in the dark,” but Hilary and the editors she works with, are so communicative. There is no confusion. I always feel confident that I completely understand the assignments, time-frame, deadlines, and priorities. If there are any questions at the start of a project, Sikana is there to clear it up for you. Emails are answered quickly and phone calls are scheduled promptly if you need any extra clarification. Sikana does an excellent job of introducing each project with phone calls, videos, and detailed documents – I can’t emphasize enough how organized everything is. They really make it easy for a writer to do his/her job. Sikana creates folders on a shared drive that has everything a writer needs and these are easy to use and super organized. Submitting drafts is simple and writers can see their assignments and track progress by looking at spreadsheets. It couldn’t be clearer.

Sikana also sets an incredibly friendly tone and positive work environment. It may seem strange with people working from home all over the country, but there is a down-to-earth, family-based vibe that you can’t help but feel. Hilary keeps it light with her great sense of humor while keeping everyone in the loop and on track. Vacations and family time is taken seriously at Sikana and that is so refreshing. Since I started working with Sikana, there has been a lot of work and some tight deadlines, but Hilary is always quick to remind people to take their days off and spend time with their family – what company does that? Sikana is unique with its excellent balanced tone: hard work, family, respect, and professionalism.

Working for Sikana, I never feel like an interchangeable part in a machine. I feel like a valued team member. Many of us, though remote contract employees, have been working together for years now, and there is a warmth and an esprit de corps among us. We take pride not only in the quality of our work but in each other’s professional accomplishments. The company is genuinely committed to work-life balance and to fair treatment of its workers. Sikana is a company that has a sense of humor, a sense of fair play, and a commitment to educational quality. I feel fortunate to be a part of it.

We appreciate Sikana’s ability to deliver consistently high quality and engaging content. Despite working on a new project that neither side had tackled before, the team at Sikana was spot on with delivering what we wanted. The team is knowledgeable, responsive, and thorough, and we look forward to continuing to work together.