Since 2021, Frontify’s team has doubled in size.
“The biggest concern was scaling our culture while maintaining our identity,” Director of Talent Acquisition Fabienne Rudolf said. But Frontify was prepared for the challenge.
“It all starts with understanding who you are as a company and what values you identify with. Then the process involves bringing in the right talent and continuously listening to your people,” she said. “No matter how fast one wants to grow, it’s critical to hire people who are inspired by the mission, align with the core values and bring their true authentic selves to work.”
Frontify’s core values of “we are real,” “we are united,” “we are constructive” and “we thrive” have empowered Rudolf and her team to construct an approach that supports holistic, people-first growth in both Europe and the U.S. — and there is no end to that process in sight.
“Our people are at the center of all we do, and we’re playing an infinite game rather than a finite one,” she said.
Built In New York sat down with Rudolf to learn more about Frontify’s growth this far and where the team is going next.
Tell us a bit about the growth Frontify is currently experiencing.
Frontify has experienced growth in a variety of ways. Within the last two years we’ve been doubling our workforce to 300 globally. Continuing our growth path in Europe and expanding our presence in the U.S. has contributed to this expansion.
With one eye on the future, we’ll continue to grow our headcount while focusing on how we can help our team members develop and thrive. Several key roles will drive business growth in European and U.S. markets. Regarding internal teams, we’ll look at growth pathing, wellness, learning and development opportunities.
What's one step you or Frontify has taken to avoid or address some of the challenges that typically come with a period of rapid growth?
Work culture is an ever-evolving construct, so it’s crucial to continuously sense-check and listen to your employees. Only then will you be able to identify and build on areas for improvement. To keep a pulse on things, we’ve implemented Peakon, an employee engagement tool that helps us enable a culture and environment where people can thrive. A strong company culture lays the groundwork for engaged employees, which sets the foundation for a successful business. This approach will carry us through any growth period — now and in the future.
Work culture is an ever-evolving construct, so it’s crucial to continuously sense-check and listen to your employees.”
Having the foundation of a strong company culture can pay dividends when it comes time to scale the business. What would you consider to be Frontify culture’s greatest strength?
I’ve been at Frontify for almost five years, and I’ve always been happy that I can bring my true self to work. Being authentic at work makes the experience fun and meaningful; we all spend most of our time at work, so why should we not make the most of this time together? Keeping this in mind helps us shine in our own unique way.
Frontify strives to be human and real in everything we do. This objective unites us as a collective: We can create trusted relationships, have an open and supportive environment, and build a feeling of belonging. During our rapid growth journey, we could build connected global teams that share the same mission. We stay true to ourselves — as the brand and the people behind the brand — which has helped us never lose sight of why we’re doing what we’re doing.
