Every person to have been employed by MyWork over the years has taught me something invaluable about our company and how to make it better. I have learnt important lessons about our business from those who are pretty much ‘rusted on’, having been with us from the early days and those who were only employed by us for a short time, in equal measure.
Each employee has, in their own way, helped to mould the company culture and defined what it means to work amongst like-minded people on the MyWork team.
A visiting client one once said to me:
“I know nothing about what you people actually do…but how can I get a job here?”
That’s certainly a testament to our amazing bunch of people, both past and present, that have helped to build a kick-ass culture which is now major part of our recruitment strategy.
Expensive perks like gym memberships, flexible work hours, free lunches, one-on-one catchup coffees, gaming consoles and company funded social events are certainly all effective ways to help nurture a kick-ass working culture. However, its often the less lavish ideas that come directly from staff themselves that become highly anticipated office traditions – casual team lunch on Fridays, guest DJ playlists, Wall of Same, Halloween dress ups and weekly basketball games, just to name a few. It’s the individuals who really invest in and drive these concepts that make MyWork a great place to work.
In my opinion, a kick-ass people oriented organizational culture is based around great people with the similar attitude who honestly enjoy each other’s company. You can’t force people to like each other, but ensuring candidates are the right fit for our culture when hiring certainly helps. Developing genuine personal bonds and friendships with the people I work with is easily one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do. I know the strength of those relationships plays a substantial role in what makes me look forward to coming into work every day.
Of course we can’t realistically keep every staff member forever. When someone does move on, for one reason or another, it can be one of the most overwhelming aspects a people-oriented culture. While the impact of losing one of our amazing team can be pretty hard felt, I think it’s important to help ensure (as much as we can) that they are successful in the next stage of their careers and continue to be advocates for MyWork long after they have left the company. Great people tend to attract other great people, so even ex-employees (or even interns who are only with us for a short time) can lead to more business connections or clients for MyWork or potentially even our next superstar hire.
A common adage at MyWork is that, as the directors of the company, even Matt and I don’t wake up in the morning, turn to our partners and high five them because we are so pumped to be going to work; but as much as it’s possible to look forward to coming to the office each day, we strive to create that kick-ass culture for our team.