Culture Is Key to Being a ‘Best Place to Work’

By Julie Tangen

Some companies think craft beer and free lunches is what company culture is all about. While it may attract talent initially, dedication to employees’ overall well-being is what brings talent in—and what retains it long term.

Google and Facebook were two of the first companies to focus on the needs of their people, and both grew tremendously without ever losing focus on the critical nature of culture. The concept of keeping employees happy with unique perks and benefits has absolutely shaped the way we view culture in the modern workplace today. Happy, fulfilled and supported people are the most important part of building a company that truly is a best place to work.

So what does it take to create an award-winning culture?

• Work with the best. The old proverb, ‘show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are,’ simply translates to ‘surround yourself with the right people’. Our agency defines the ‘right people’ not only as our own employees, but also our clients and partners. We actively seek to work with others who are like minded in values, and who foster office cultures supporting employee well-being. The result? Being able to develop deeper, more long-term relationships that contribute to success.
  
  
• Promote from within. 75 percent of Offleash employees joined the team in a junior-level role, and today the majority serve in management and upper-management positions. Creating leaders from within makes our employees feel valued and acknowledged for their contributions, and has kept our turnover numbers low. This is one thing that sets us apart from competitors when factoring in the PR industry’s high employee churn rate.

• Be Flexible. We are firm believers in providing a workplace that allows our employees to balance their work and family lives. Part of this is offering a level of flexibility that encourages and supports a work/life balance. Allowing employees to work from home and have varied work hours (instead of the traditional 9-5) is one of our biggest differentiators at Offleash, and it has contributed greatly to our culture (and overall success).

• Commit to wellness. Provide excellent and affordable health benefits for your employees and their dependents. Bring in a masseuse every month. Offer time for yoga and meditation breaks. Invest in health-oriented programs for employees. The bottom line is that when people are happy and healthy it carries through the business. That positive energy is key to supporting an awesome culture.

Our supportive, open and collaborative environment is a direct result of our ongoing focus on our people and our culture…and we love being recognized as a Best Place to Work year-over-year for it. Thank you to our incredible clients, partners and friends for being the best, and for bringing out the best in our team!

Throughout her 18 years at Offleash, Julie has played an ongoing role in gaining awareness and market share for her enterprise technology clients. She develops and oversees strategies for analyst and influencer relations, thought leadership platforms and executive visibility programs, in addition to running operations for the agency. Contact Julie at julie@offleashpr.com.