Strong company mission? Check. Solid perks and benefits? Check. Inclusive company culture? Built In NYC spoke to three tech companies in the city to find out what goes into creating a workplace culture that truly values all employees’ input.
At men’s grooming company Harry’s, more than 650 employees work to build a top-notch product that has more than 1 million customers. Behind the scenes, Harry’s employees put just as much effort into crafting a company culture that is built on community. Chief of Staff Rachel Peck walked Built In NYC through Harry’s company-wide connectivity.
What opportunities do employees have to influence company culture?
There are tons of both formal and informal ways that employees influence culture every day at Harry's. Feedback is an important part of our culture, so our people team runs a robust employee engagement survey twice per year, which gives everyone on the team a chance to offer their most candid and anonymous feedback, suggestions and ideas. Employee resource groups are another great, structured way for our team to connect with and contribute to our culture: new hires can opt into a group, and immediately connect with a like-minded community at Harry's. More informally, groups of people on our team have proactively organized everything from volunteer outings to trivia nights to sports leagues to in-office movies to happy hours to lunch n' learns to chili cook-offs and more. We reserve the last five minutes of every weekly all-hands meeting for open announcements where anyone can share an opportunity or idea with the full company.
What are some words or phrases you would use to describe the uniqueness of your company culture?
We have a set of values at Harry's that describes our culture and team well: we're always learning and teaching each other, we try to be open and direct, we put the customer at the heart of everything we do, we try to always think and solve problems creatively and — probably above all else — we put the team before the individual. One of my favorite parts of coming to work is the fact that we take our work seriously, but we don't take ourselves too seriously.
Crossix may be a major player in the world of healthcare data analytics, but the company works to maintain a flexible startup-like feel for its employees. As People and Culture Supervisor Jackie Libertiny explained to Built In NYC, flexibility is a key component of the Crossix culture.
What opportunities do employees have to influence company culture?
Crossix’s culture has grown organically throughout the years, with everyone having the opportunity to contribute. We enjoy getting input from our employees through different forums, including our Engagement Surveys and Culture Club. Our Culture Club is comprised of many volunteers who are interested in planning happy hours, larger company events and facilitating community service initiatives for everyone to enjoy. We think of our culture as being dynamic and fluid, so we are always open to new ideas to make Crossix a fun and exciting place to work.
What are some words or phrases you would use to describe the uniqueness of your company culture?
I would describe our culture as open and welcoming. This description echoes one of our core values, which is “be curious and kind.” We pride ourselves on being a positive, friendly and caring company.
Yotpo builds marketing products that help brands better understand their customers and leverage consumer insights. It’s no wonder that Yotpo takes the same approach to its employee base. Talent Acquisition Specialist Shira Flesch told Built In NYC that employee feedback is critical when it comes to developing Yotpo’s culture.
What opportunities do employees have to influence company culture?
At the start of the year, we conducted an employee engagement survey to further understand how every Yotpo-ee feels about the company, culture and their individual position. Directly applying these results, we launched multiple initiatives in 2018. As a people-first company, we want to ensure our team is being heard. Exposure to our CEO Tomer Tagrin was important to many, and Tomer now leads monthly cross-functional sessions to discuss topics such as Yotpo’s future, our vision, product updates and everything in between. Another voiced desire was for professional development — outside of immediate job responsibilities — to be offered. We have since invited all members of the team to participate in company-wide trainings in Allyship and Embracing Weaknesses, with additional trainings being offered each quarter in various topics.
Another newer Yotpo affinity group is Women at Work. This monthly group allows an open forum for all employees to comfortably discuss topics such as parenthood in the workplace and work/life balance. Groups like Women at Work, in addition to our philanthropic group of Yotpo Cares and sports initiative of Yotpo Kickball, allow us to continue to develop while supporting one another.
What are some words or phrases you would use to describe the uniqueness of your company culture?
One of Yotpo’s most defining qualities is the emphasis we put on feedback — both constructive feedback and praise — and how we incorporate it into how we run the business. Whether it’s across departments or within the team, employees are constantly looking to better themselves and the people around them. We celebrate our team wins, both big and small, over Slack. Some of the most anticipated posts are when we sign on new clients since our sales team will share the details in a “deal highlight” about what made that sale particularly fun, challenging or unique! Our employees not only celebrate these wins, but also incorporate strategies that helped seal the deal into their own prospecting and selling. Another piece of feedback we’ve taken to heart is employees’ desire to contribute in ways outside of their immediate role. Our Head of Training is beginning to incorporate members from the team, who have been selected as “Yotpo Subject Matter Experts” by their managers, to contribute to the product onboarding experience for new hires at Yotpo. They’ll lead sessions ranging from content generation to buyer journey and conversion.
