What Startups Can Learn From Ten Companies With Strong Culture
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Company culture is a topic to which we keep returning, because it’s a vital component of life at a startup and also represents a challenge faced by many fashion brands. As young professionals enter the workforce and senior-level talent explores options that may fall outside of the traditional trajectory of their career path, a strong company culture that values employees’ needs, ideas and work-life balance can easily be the lynchpin that pushes them toward one job or another. It can also create a tremendous amount of goodwill – just look at the press Netflix garnered this week when they announced their generous (by US standards) new maternity and paternity leave policy.
For founders in the beginning stages of a startup, outlining what they envision their company culture to be in advance can prove helpful for setting a precedent as the company grows. As a point of inspiration, Sujan Patel of When I Work has compiled a list for Entrepreneur of ten companies who are doing it right.
Zappos: The online footwear retailer famously maintains a unique company culture, one that includes both a “cultural fit” interview early in the hiring process and cash incentives for newly-hired employees to leave if they don’t think the company is right for them.
Warby Parker: The poster child for a successful fashion startup, Warby’s internal culture is centered around collaboration, emphasizing team events and group activities.
Southwest Airlines: The budget airliner rallies its employees together by uniting them toward a common goal – in this case, excellent customer service.
Twitter: There are perks a-plenty at Twitter, including free meals, yoga classes and unlimited vacations, doled out to a team that is reinforced in their belief that their work matters.
Chevron: The oil company might seem like an odd inclusion on this list, but their employees report a culture that values their well-being, through health club memberships, personal training and mandatory breaks.
SquareSpace: By doing away with the levels of management between staff and executives, Square creates an open working environment where employees feel their voices are heard by those who can actually affect change.
Google: The company culture blueprint many others follow, Google provides their employees with meals, bonuses, employee parties and a dog-friendly working environment.
REI: In addition to always attributing the company’s success to the people who work there, REI rewards its staff by providing them with regular town hall meetings as a platform to discuss changes, and “challenge grants” for employees that proposes exciting outdoor adventures.
Facebook: While stock options may be what grabs the eyes of outsiders, a free organizational structure, open work spaces and unique perks like on-site laundry are some of the things that keep employees there.
Adobe: Managers at Adobe “take on the role of a coach more than anything,” providing continual training and challenging projects for employees – and the trust that they will do their best to meet those challenges in an environment free of the fear of failure.
