Developing a corporate culture needs to have purpose and intention behind it. But it can’t be forced.
We know fostering the right culture for your company is a delicate balance between proactively developing it and growing it from the spontaneous actions of your employees. It’s something we work at daily.
If culture isn’t something you think about when designing your employees’ experience, then you’re missing the point. Culture is critical. In fact, it’s so important to us that we strive to make sure candidates will fit into the culture first. Lots of people have the talent to get a job done, but can they get the job done with us?
A key component to our own culture is helping employees develop friendships. You’re more productive if you like who you’re working with. And when you spend more time with co-workers than you do at home, it’s nice to know you’re seeing a friendly face each day in the office (or on Google+ Hangouts).
Building a new headquarters was the perfect opportunity for us to ask — are we fostering the culture we want our employees to experience? Culture changes over time, so you have to revisit it regularly. Can you recognize what makes your employees unique? What drives their loyalty? What elements of your culture might have faded over time?
Supporting your culture means encouraging your employees to participate in its development. You give them workspaces to collaborate and Nerf guns for a dart war. You celebrate their achievements and make giant posters of the employee of the month. They create visions for the future. And you also take their ideas and feedback.
We’re ready to keep creating a dynamic culture that always looks ahead. And we’ve given our agents a place where they’re part of the development, too.
