One of the greatest, if not the most valuable, assets in a company is its people. And it’s fair to say that in today’s highly competitive employment market, retaining talented employees requires way beyond a competitive salary package and a medical insurance covering dental care(both of which we have, by the way). The magic ingredient here is a dynamic, fun company culture.
Even during the past two years when in-person gatherings weren’t considered an option, we at Candybox Marketing have worked hard to maintain our company culture with effective communications, generous resources and the most creative, fun-filled online and in-person team events. We work as a team to make sure every Candyboxer is progressing, both physically and mentally, while working remotely. If you’re curious as to how to maintain a fire company culture while working from home, here’re some tips you don’t want to miss:
1. Good communication is key
It has become increasingly difficult to strengthen the connection between colleagues due to physical distance. However, to ensure a company’s steady growth, maintaining good communication is simply something that cannot be ignored. Thanks to remote working tools like Slack, monday.com and Zoom, we’ve been able to keep up with the effective communications internally. Monday Morning Meetings and Candybox Townhalls, for example, are where our CEO and COO inform us of the new updates and upcoming exciting projects via Zoom, making sure everyone in the company is in the loop of things.
We also have smaller-scaled departmental meetings which allow team members to share insightful thoughts on various topics and be upfront about the painpoints they’re facing so as to work out an efficient solution together.
“When an entire company embraces a growth mindset, I feel empowered & committed to something special.” – Rita, Senior Designer & Team Head at Candybox Marketing
2. Be generous with the resources
Having a remote working team doesn’t justify cutting down resources you put into your valuable employees. Every year, Candybox gives out an abundant Personal Development Fund for each Candyboxer dedicated towards their professional enrichment. They have the freedom to decide how to spend the allowance for professional development, as long as it’s marketing-related and helps shape us into even more competent marketers.
In addition to that, Candybox also ensures each employee has all the resources they need to create an optimal WFH environment such as a personal work laptop, a comfortable working chair and a monthly allowance for stable Internet services. You might be thinking: what if our company is just starting out fresh and doesn’t generate enough revenue to offer these resources yet? Don’t worry; even something as little as a $25 luncheon voucher can show how much you care about creating a unifying and heartwarming experience for your workers working at home. It’s the quality that counts, not the quantity.
“Candybox is definitely a healthy work environment where everyone is constantly uplifting each other and pushing each other to grow!” – Diane, Campaign Coordinator at Candybox Marketing
3. Deepen the organizational bond
As a digital marketing agency driven by the spirit of “work hard, play hard”, we always go the extra mile to be creative when it comes to organizing team-bonding events. Over the years, we’ve planned big-scale team events every quarter where we’re able to have fun, connect with other departments, enjoying that cross-department socializing time. Some of the bigger events we’ve held include laser tags, painting evenings, trips to Medieval Times Toronto, Blue Jay Games, as well as our most recent picnic at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
When in-person gatherings weren’t considered favourable, we moved our monthly events online and they’ve been equally as fun! Games over Zoom, gingerbread house building for Christmas, making pizza dough and hot chocolate bombs from scratch(aka online cooking classes by Darrell, our CEO), designing the most creative Christmas sweaters…you name it, we’ve done it all.
“This is an environment where at times it doesn’t feel like work at all. We are all one sweet family.” – Vanessa, Social Media Manager at Candybox Marketing
“I don’t feel like I have coworkers but friends.” – Elizabeth, Social Media Coordinator at Candybox Marketing
A company’s success should never be solely defined by numbers or how much revenue it is making each year. While it’s definitely important to keep track of those, we should place equal emphasis on the growth we have as people and as an organization by maintaining a wholesome company culture. At Candybox, it’s through expressing appreciation and respect to one another, seamlessly working together and enjoying occasional fun that we move towards our common goal – being a premier digital marketing agency.
If that’s something you’re looking for in a work environment, check out our job openings and join our sweet family today!
