Making the office friendlier?
October 15, 2022 4:23 AM Subscribe
I’m CTO of a small fintech startup in the UK. Currently we’re less than ten people, so still a small team, with a few new engineers who’ve just joined. How do I make the office, and the company, a nice place to be?
One of the engineers described the atmosphere as a bit “austere”, which I resonate with. I think we have the hygiene factors pretty much nailed - flexible hours, part time if people want it, decent salaries, interesting work with lots of autonomy, weekly donut deliveries, and we’ve started doing team socials after work.
What sort of things would make the office, and the company, a nicer place to be generally? At previous tech companies, things that were good included:
- catered breakfasts
- lunch and learn sessions
- monthly team activities (like bowling, the team got a budget to spend)
- mini Polaroids of each team member pinned to a board
- offsite weekends with fun activities
What else fits in this category? Budget-conscious options would be appreciated!
One thing that’s a concern is how to make things more fun even when lots of people are out of the office (eg working remotely).
One of the engineers described the atmosphere as a bit “austere”, which I resonate with. I think we have the hygiene factors pretty much nailed - flexible hours, part time if people want it, decent salaries, interesting work with lots of autonomy, weekly donut deliveries, and we’ve started doing team socials after work.
What sort of things would make the office, and the company, a nicer place to be generally? At previous tech companies, things that were good included:
- catered breakfasts
- lunch and learn sessions
- monthly team activities (like bowling, the team got a budget to spend)
- mini Polaroids of each team member pinned to a board
- offsite weekends with fun activities
What else fits in this category? Budget-conscious options would be appreciated!
One thing that’s a concern is how to make things more fun even when lots of people are out of the office (eg working remotely).
If the office is open plan, make spaces where people can go to get away from that - places to get away from other people's conversations and noise so folk can concentrate or where they can destress or have conversations without disturbing others.
Open plan offices are hell for many non-neurotypical people, and many autistic and ADHD folk, especially women, won't have a diagnosis or if they do won't be 'out' in the workplace, so you may have non-neurotypical staff and not know it. Neurotypical people are often badly affected by open plan offices too, so they will also benefit. This is a real accessibility issue which will help you give people a good comfortable high-quality working environment and not burn them out.
posted by Flitcraft at 4:51 AM on October 15, 2022 [22 favorites]
Open plan offices are hell for many non-neurotypical people, and many autistic and ADHD folk, especially women, won't have a diagnosis or if they do won't be 'out' in the workplace, so you may have non-neurotypical staff and not know it. Neurotypical people are often badly affected by open plan offices too, so they will also benefit. This is a real accessibility issue which will help you give people a good comfortable high-quality working environment and not burn them out.
posted by Flitcraft at 4:51 AM on October 15, 2022 [22 favorites]
A nice office, to me, has many many plants, enough wall art to feel like a "place", sound dampening, sit-stand desks, a couch you can reasonably take a nap on, a calm place to step away to (can be a side room, courtyard, rooftop...), a secondary "living room" style place to work at sometimes, and a full kitchen with quality coffee & tea. Lunch & learn with catering can be nice.
I personally have negative feelings about weekly donuts. I like donuts and I like eating what people bring, but once a week strikes me as quite a lot of donuts so I'd feel weird saying "no" most of the time. On the other hand, I really appreciate when offices have fruit deliveries and cereal/granola supplies.
posted by daveliepmann at 5:22 AM on October 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
I personally have negative feelings about weekly donuts. I like donuts and I like eating what people bring, but once a week strikes me as quite a lot of donuts so I'd feel weird saying "no" most of the time. On the other hand, I really appreciate when offices have fruit deliveries and cereal/granola supplies.
posted by daveliepmann at 5:22 AM on October 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
What does austere mean? Most of the things you do/list have little to do with the way the space feels and that’s where my mind went when I read austere. People want a space that is welcoming and works for its intended use. People need spaces to work alone, to collaborate, to have 1:1s etc. Layout, how sound travels, lighting, decorations as well as amenities like kitchenette/coffee area all play a role. Some of that can be achieved without huge investment, some things may cost such as good sound barriers. So perhaps explore what austere means to your team and then come up with ways to address that.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:33 AM on October 15, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:33 AM on October 15, 2022 [12 favorites]
Aesthetics aside, it feels like you may be creating a culture where people are expected to invest a lot of their time and personal energy into their job: the after-work socials, monthly social activities, and offsite weekends. Super fun if you're young, single and extroverted. What if you hire someone who has a family, or doesn't drink, or just wants to work during the day and spend their leisure time with other people? You're running the risk of creating an "in crowd" and outsiders, unless you're 100% clear that these are optional and will have no bearing on an employee's status in the office or career prospects at your firm.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:39 AM on October 15, 2022 [41 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:39 AM on October 15, 2022 [41 favorites]
Oops, I missed the part where you said some of those other OOO time activities were at other companies, not at yours yet. Point still stands to think about truly providing work-life balance by not social pressuring folks.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:46 AM on October 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:46 AM on October 15, 2022 [7 favorites]
Seconding Sweetie Darling. These non-work-hours events are a terror for anyone who doesn’t drink or has a life outside of work. And in every place I’ve been, despite best efforts, promotions invariably skewed to people who attended these events, regardless of work output or long-term value to the work goals.
One of the places I worked gave everyone a monthly $15 meal credit where they could order their preferred meal for a monthly “phones off” in office lunch.
Another one had a weekly Friday half-day-off raffle - the winner goes home at lunch, and is taken out of the raffle for the next 7 weeks. Nice little perk.
I like lunch and learns, but open it up to the team! I learned from one of my co-workers how to start and keep a worm composter; another person walked us thru simple bicycle maintenance ; another one shared how to make a traditional miso soup. These were all fantastic, and allowed people to shine at something they were skilled an passionate about.
And plants are good. Plants are always soothing.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:56 AM on October 15, 2022 [6 favorites]
One of the places I worked gave everyone a monthly $15 meal credit where they could order their preferred meal for a monthly “phones off” in office lunch.
Another one had a weekly Friday half-day-off raffle - the winner goes home at lunch, and is taken out of the raffle for the next 7 weeks. Nice little perk.
I like lunch and learns, but open it up to the team! I learned from one of my co-workers how to start and keep a worm composter; another person walked us thru simple bicycle maintenance ; another one shared how to make a traditional miso soup. These were all fantastic, and allowed people to shine at something they were skilled an passionate about.
And plants are good. Plants are always soothing.
posted by Silvery Fish at 5:56 AM on October 15, 2022 [6 favorites]
Yes, there seems like there are two things here - making a physical space less austere and more pleasant, and making a company a nice entity to work for. They're related, but not the same, obviously.
One small co-working space I worked in, with friends, was made a lot less austere by one person bringing in a lot of stuff he'd collected over the years that had just been in storage. All kinds of old ornaments, nick-nacks, figurines, strange old technological items, signs, etc etc. These filled up shelves and decorated the space. Not the kind of thing I'd do - I'm quite austere myself - but I liked it a lot.
Another small company I worked at had two features that were among the nice things about it. First, no one was allowed to eat lunch at their desks. There was a communal table and a sofa. This meant that - unless you went out - there were always people together over lunch to chat with, do puzzles with, etc. It was great, assuming people are happy to hang out together (I know I've worked at places were I just wanted to get away on my own for the hour).
Second, towards the end of every Friday afternoon there was a kind of show-and-tell, "Friday Demos". No one had to show anything, but if you wanted you can show anything to everyone else. It might be something you'd done at work that week which pleased you, especially if it was something most other people would never see. Or it might be some personal project you'd been working on. Or it might be something from a hobby. Occasionally someone from a different company might pop in and show something. Very relaxed, nothing had to be finished or polished. Then back to desks to wrap up for the last 30-60 mins of the week, music on. Again, probably only works if you have employees who are interesting, do interesting things, and are interested in each other.
posted by fabius at 5:59 AM on October 15, 2022
One small co-working space I worked in, with friends, was made a lot less austere by one person bringing in a lot of stuff he'd collected over the years that had just been in storage. All kinds of old ornaments, nick-nacks, figurines, strange old technological items, signs, etc etc. These filled up shelves and decorated the space. Not the kind of thing I'd do - I'm quite austere myself - but I liked it a lot.
Another small company I worked at had two features that were among the nice things about it. First, no one was allowed to eat lunch at their desks. There was a communal table and a sofa. This meant that - unless you went out - there were always people together over lunch to chat with, do puzzles with, etc. It was great, assuming people are happy to hang out together (I know I've worked at places were I just wanted to get away on my own for the hour).
Second, towards the end of every Friday afternoon there was a kind of show-and-tell, "Friday Demos". No one had to show anything, but if you wanted you can show anything to everyone else. It might be something you'd done at work that week which pleased you, especially if it was something most other people would never see. Or it might be some personal project you'd been working on. Or it might be something from a hobby. Occasionally someone from a different company might pop in and show something. Very relaxed, nothing had to be finished or polished. Then back to desks to wrap up for the last 30-60 mins of the week, music on. Again, probably only works if you have employees who are interesting, do interesting things, and are interested in each other.
posted by fabius at 5:59 AM on October 15, 2022
Seconding the suggestions for live plants pleasingly placed. I imagine people are spending a lot of time on computers? If so, maybe a zone denoted by a nice rug and comfy chairs where people can look out the window (the 20-20-20 rule) and rejuvenate their eyes.
posted by cocoagirl at 7:32 AM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by cocoagirl at 7:32 AM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Plants are good, but the real answer is lighting. The overhead fluorescent lighting that most offices have is one of the single worst things humans have ever done to themselves. Get a desk lamp (or even better, give each employee $20 to get their own), put a couple floor lamps up in common areas, turn off the fluorescents, and voila. Instant upgrade.
Having windows that open to allow fresh air in is also great, but you might not be able to control that.
In general, the answer is to stop thinking of your office as an office. Look at anything in your office - the carpet, the desk chairs, the trash cans, the paint on the walls - and ask yourself if you’d bring that into your home. Of course not; you’d want your home to be much nicer and, well, more comfortable. Take the same approach to office furnishings. Instead of buying another depressing black metal bookcase from your office furniture “supplier”, buy an antique wood one off Craigslist. It doesn’t even have to be in good condition. It’s gonna get scratched and dented at the office anyway, so who cares if there’s a water ring or a scratch in the finish? You might not be able to control the carpet, but you can put down some Craigslist rugs. And yeah, plants. As nice as they look in bleak cube farms, imagine how great a hanging fern or a spider plant would look in an office with antique wood, rugs, and better lighting.
Buy nicer toilet paper for your bathrooms, too.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:32 AM on October 15, 2022 [13 favorites]
Having windows that open to allow fresh air in is also great, but you might not be able to control that.
In general, the answer is to stop thinking of your office as an office. Look at anything in your office - the carpet, the desk chairs, the trash cans, the paint on the walls - and ask yourself if you’d bring that into your home. Of course not; you’d want your home to be much nicer and, well, more comfortable. Take the same approach to office furnishings. Instead of buying another depressing black metal bookcase from your office furniture “supplier”, buy an antique wood one off Craigslist. It doesn’t even have to be in good condition. It’s gonna get scratched and dented at the office anyway, so who cares if there’s a water ring or a scratch in the finish? You might not be able to control the carpet, but you can put down some Craigslist rugs. And yeah, plants. As nice as they look in bleak cube farms, imagine how great a hanging fern or a spider plant would look in an office with antique wood, rugs, and better lighting.
Buy nicer toilet paper for your bathrooms, too.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:32 AM on October 15, 2022 [13 favorites]
Lighting options other than the default evil fluorescents. Task lighting at each desk is always necessary, but change up the ambient lighting depending on your window situation. The plants will also love it!
posted by dancinglamb at 9:32 AM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dancinglamb at 9:32 AM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
jinx, kevin belt!
posted by dancinglamb at 9:33 AM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by dancinglamb at 9:33 AM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have some colorful and interesting toys that I keep around. They have to be manipulatable so visitors can fiddle with them while visiting me. I once met a VP who picked up one of my toys on the way to a meeting. Her team immediately knew where she got it from, and made her return it. I also got a nice apology.
posted by Spike Glee at 9:59 AM on October 15, 2022
posted by Spike Glee at 9:59 AM on October 15, 2022
One thing we did as a small company was a couple of coffee breaks a day where we just sat and bantered. You didn't have to say anything, just sit and take in the atmosphere, and we had a strict no-work rule for the half hour in question (geeky topics were okay, but work problems stayed at the desk). There were no cakes or anything (though you could bring your own if you chose), just half an hour of emphatically Not Working together.
As the company grew, we grew out of it, but for small companies of the size of yours I think it helped to build connections between people.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:12 AM on October 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
As the company grew, we grew out of it, but for small companies of the size of yours I think it helped to build connections between people.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 10:12 AM on October 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
the after-work socials, monthly social activities, and offsite weekends
Yeah, I have very much preferred companies where the "social" stuff happens during work hours, not during what should be my free time.
posted by wondermouse at 1:06 PM on October 15, 2022 [9 favorites]
Yeah, I have very much preferred companies where the "social" stuff happens during work hours, not during what should be my free time.
posted by wondermouse at 1:06 PM on October 15, 2022 [9 favorites]
How I would respond to someone telling me a space was "austere": plants, a seating area with a sofa and cushions if possible, books/bookshelves, some artwork from local artists, a nice coffee/tea station of any size, improved lighting, carpets/rugs/mats, photos of the team in good frames (especially if many are remote).
posted by oneirodynia at 1:13 PM on October 15, 2022
posted by oneirodynia at 1:13 PM on October 15, 2022
One place I worked had breakfast burritos every Monday morning, as a thank-you for showing up and a soft start to the week :)
We also had a 'quiet room' where, when you went in there, people knew they were not allowed to interrupt or otherwise disturb you. Often there would be lots of people in there, all working intently.
We had a designated room for special 1:1s: like, if you needed to have an important long conversation of any kind with another person. People used it to talk about shit they were going through in their personal lives, to talk to HR, to work through disputes, or just for any kind of intense two-person work session, like brainstorming. Like the quiet room, it was a do-not-disturb space. It was kind of Arts and Crafts style, painted green with lots of plants and natural materials and comfortable chairs.
It's nice to have a library. Also nice to have a "free" table, where people can put stuff they don't want anymore (like books or gadgets or swag) that somebody else might want. It's nice to stock the bathroom with supplies like tampons and aspirin and mouthwash.
You can also give people an allowance ($500 or something like that) to buy little things to customize their space. Not stuff they actually need, like chairs or ergonomic things, but more for fripperies like posters or plants or a really nice lamp.
I second the calls here to keep events on company time, and low/no-alcohol. I've always tried to keep away from things that require physical strength or dexterity too. Like, many people don't wanna, or cannot, paintball or rock climb or nerf gun war, or even hike. Bowling is probably okay :)
posted by Susan PG at 2:04 PM on October 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
We also had a 'quiet room' where, when you went in there, people knew they were not allowed to interrupt or otherwise disturb you. Often there would be lots of people in there, all working intently.
We had a designated room for special 1:1s: like, if you needed to have an important long conversation of any kind with another person. People used it to talk about shit they were going through in their personal lives, to talk to HR, to work through disputes, or just for any kind of intense two-person work session, like brainstorming. Like the quiet room, it was a do-not-disturb space. It was kind of Arts and Crafts style, painted green with lots of plants and natural materials and comfortable chairs.
It's nice to have a library. Also nice to have a "free" table, where people can put stuff they don't want anymore (like books or gadgets or swag) that somebody else might want. It's nice to stock the bathroom with supplies like tampons and aspirin and mouthwash.
You can also give people an allowance ($500 or something like that) to buy little things to customize their space. Not stuff they actually need, like chairs or ergonomic things, but more for fripperies like posters or plants or a really nice lamp.
I second the calls here to keep events on company time, and low/no-alcohol. I've always tried to keep away from things that require physical strength or dexterity too. Like, many people don't wanna, or cannot, paintball or rock climb or nerf gun war, or even hike. Bowling is probably okay :)
posted by Susan PG at 2:04 PM on October 15, 2022 [3 favorites]
People have offered many good suggestions about warming up the office and being mindful of diverse needs. Here are a few for building a more connected and convivial culture ---
+ Chat with people and devise ways for them to chat with each other. A communal lunch table is great, but at some point the team will get too big. If people know they can go out and grab a coffee together in 2s or 3s (on company time and/or company dime), that that is a normal thing to ask of a coworker they don't know well, and that it's looked upon positively by leaders to invite people to connect in this way, that's a win. I've done it where everybody gets a spending "allowance/gift card" to encourage them to do this 1-2x/month. We've also matched people up for this in a more proactive way -- ie: here's your coffee buddy for this month -- make sure you take time to hang out with them at some point! (Can also be done with lunch -- is more expensive.)
+ Gather feedback from the team and actually do something with it. People feel more comfortable sharing ideas and speaking up about what's on their minds/themselves, when they see that the company is receptive. Do you have a formal or informal way to gather feedback/suggestions on a regular basis? Create one and be transparent about what you learn and what you're doing with it.
+ Leaders need to make themselves available and lead by example when it comes to developing a community culture. Do your leaders spend time talking to the team openly? Are their calendars visible and are they available to talk with folks? Are they open to questions and engagement from employees? Do they share company strategy, vision, and business issues openly? Employees are generally going to follow the tone that is being set by leaders, so if you want a friendly, warm culture, your top brass need to model that behavior. (Also, they need to be trustworthy and kind and generous with employees so that the overall feeling is one of genuine good vibes, rather than a fake friendly environment that pretends to be something it is not.) If you're not having all team meetings on a regular cadence where people can present/share/ask questions in a safe environment, that'd be a good thing to start.
+ What's your onboarding process like? Are people jumping into a cold pool without much guidance and being trusted to make their way across? Take some time to intentionally build an onboarding process that makes people feel comfortable, welcome, and informed. This means spending the first couple weeks meeting everybody else in structured sessions/conversations, understanding the business, and getting to know the tools, software, norms, expectations, and resources available to them. It generally requires someone to have the job of knowing all this stuff and being a mentor/coach/sherpa for any newbies. Being a new person is scary and lonely -- but if you know that what you're supposed to do is meet these 7 people and spend an hour each with them, read these things, shadow this meeting, that meeting, and the other meeting, and have a check in with your boss every day for 15 minutes to share reflections, etc., you feel a whole lot more stable. It's a great idea to have new people start in a cohort together so that they have each other -- and also to assign each of them a longer tenured employee to check in with regularly over their first 3 mos -- a built-in work friend who you can safely ask questions.
+ Last thing -- what do you celebrate on your team? One great way to generate goodwill is to have shared goals and to celebrate accomplishing them together. It feels good to be successful, to get something done, and it forges real connections between people. Do you have known milestones and achievements that you're working toward? What do you do when you hit them? Surprising everyone with a team dinner, or an in-office afternoon of happiness, or with remote folks, a celebration over Zoom (can be as simple as getting together and shouting out achievements or as complex as sending things out to people's homes to be a part of the celebration -- new swag, a box of cookies, whatever...) are all meaningful.
Company culture is hard, and everyone has to be a part of it. You can't wish it into existence -- you have to try new things and evolve as your team evolves and invite everyone to be a part of making it together.
posted by luzdeluna at 5:03 PM on October 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
+ Chat with people and devise ways for them to chat with each other. A communal lunch table is great, but at some point the team will get too big. If people know they can go out and grab a coffee together in 2s or 3s (on company time and/or company dime), that that is a normal thing to ask of a coworker they don't know well, and that it's looked upon positively by leaders to invite people to connect in this way, that's a win. I've done it where everybody gets a spending "allowance/gift card" to encourage them to do this 1-2x/month. We've also matched people up for this in a more proactive way -- ie: here's your coffee buddy for this month -- make sure you take time to hang out with them at some point! (Can also be done with lunch -- is more expensive.)
+ Gather feedback from the team and actually do something with it. People feel more comfortable sharing ideas and speaking up about what's on their minds/themselves, when they see that the company is receptive. Do you have a formal or informal way to gather feedback/suggestions on a regular basis? Create one and be transparent about what you learn and what you're doing with it.
+ Leaders need to make themselves available and lead by example when it comes to developing a community culture. Do your leaders spend time talking to the team openly? Are their calendars visible and are they available to talk with folks? Are they open to questions and engagement from employees? Do they share company strategy, vision, and business issues openly? Employees are generally going to follow the tone that is being set by leaders, so if you want a friendly, warm culture, your top brass need to model that behavior. (Also, they need to be trustworthy and kind and generous with employees so that the overall feeling is one of genuine good vibes, rather than a fake friendly environment that pretends to be something it is not.) If you're not having all team meetings on a regular cadence where people can present/share/ask questions in a safe environment, that'd be a good thing to start.
+ What's your onboarding process like? Are people jumping into a cold pool without much guidance and being trusted to make their way across? Take some time to intentionally build an onboarding process that makes people feel comfortable, welcome, and informed. This means spending the first couple weeks meeting everybody else in structured sessions/conversations, understanding the business, and getting to know the tools, software, norms, expectations, and resources available to them. It generally requires someone to have the job of knowing all this stuff and being a mentor/coach/sherpa for any newbies. Being a new person is scary and lonely -- but if you know that what you're supposed to do is meet these 7 people and spend an hour each with them, read these things, shadow this meeting, that meeting, and the other meeting, and have a check in with your boss every day for 15 minutes to share reflections, etc., you feel a whole lot more stable. It's a great idea to have new people start in a cohort together so that they have each other -- and also to assign each of them a longer tenured employee to check in with regularly over their first 3 mos -- a built-in work friend who you can safely ask questions.
+ Last thing -- what do you celebrate on your team? One great way to generate goodwill is to have shared goals and to celebrate accomplishing them together. It feels good to be successful, to get something done, and it forges real connections between people. Do you have known milestones and achievements that you're working toward? What do you do when you hit them? Surprising everyone with a team dinner, or an in-office afternoon of happiness, or with remote folks, a celebration over Zoom (can be as simple as getting together and shouting out achievements or as complex as sending things out to people's homes to be a part of the celebration -- new swag, a box of cookies, whatever...) are all meaningful.
Company culture is hard, and everyone has to be a part of it. You can't wish it into existence -- you have to try new things and evolve as your team evolves and invite everyone to be a part of making it together.
posted by luzdeluna at 5:03 PM on October 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Offices with walls that go to the ceiling and doors that close, with available/DND signs on them.
No after-work events unless you intend to provide high-quality in-home child/elder/other care for your employees who just need a reliable schedule of obligations in their lives because it is so intrusive and expensive to make ad hoc arrangements. Except you should not make your employees divulge the details of their personal lives to you, so no after-work events. This is the number one way to tell your employees that you really truly don't just want single men working for you.
And structure your during-work events so that they are friendly to people who: do not drink, may only eat animal products - and only certain ones at all - if they are prepared in a certain way and certified by an authority, are pregnant or nursing, have bodies that are not young/able/male, have restrictions or just discomfort about unrelated women and men touching, want to leave their work personality at work and their home personality at home. This stuff strongly telegraphs who you think is important and who isn't, and what kind of sacrifices you think you're owed.
Focus on the things that let people work without unnecessary stress or physical harm - lighting, furniture, access to refrigeration and reasonable food preparation, clean water and hot clean water, whatever is necessary to give people clean air with the least amount of CO2, COVID, smells, and uncomfortable temperatures in it.
If you want to do something to warm the place up with a bit of personality, have a "make the office nice" virtual party where everyone gets half an hour at their desk with snacks and an imaginary budget - or two, with one at a modest price point you'll actually buy, and a second higher limit for fantasy-shopping - for everyone to submit links to items for the office. You'll probably get some plants, wall art, maybe a fish tank, but you might also get some really surprising suggestions that will let you know what people think could be improved. Might be white noise machines, or a rug to cover that spot in the floor where people's shoes squeak distractingly. You may find out at the higher price point that you're missing out on tech or comfort problems that need to be solved. You might also discover that one of your employees knows an amazing mural artist or interior decorator or other craftsperson who could help you really make a personalized environment.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:06 PM on October 15, 2022 [4 favorites]
No after-work events unless you intend to provide high-quality in-home child/elder/other care for your employees who just need a reliable schedule of obligations in their lives because it is so intrusive and expensive to make ad hoc arrangements. Except you should not make your employees divulge the details of their personal lives to you, so no after-work events. This is the number one way to tell your employees that you really truly don't just want single men working for you.
And structure your during-work events so that they are friendly to people who: do not drink, may only eat animal products - and only certain ones at all - if they are prepared in a certain way and certified by an authority, are pregnant or nursing, have bodies that are not young/able/male, have restrictions or just discomfort about unrelated women and men touching, want to leave their work personality at work and their home personality at home. This stuff strongly telegraphs who you think is important and who isn't, and what kind of sacrifices you think you're owed.
Focus on the things that let people work without unnecessary stress or physical harm - lighting, furniture, access to refrigeration and reasonable food preparation, clean water and hot clean water, whatever is necessary to give people clean air with the least amount of CO2, COVID, smells, and uncomfortable temperatures in it.
If you want to do something to warm the place up with a bit of personality, have a "make the office nice" virtual party where everyone gets half an hour at their desk with snacks and an imaginary budget - or two, with one at a modest price point you'll actually buy, and a second higher limit for fantasy-shopping - for everyone to submit links to items for the office. You'll probably get some plants, wall art, maybe a fish tank, but you might also get some really surprising suggestions that will let you know what people think could be improved. Might be white noise machines, or a rug to cover that spot in the floor where people's shoes squeak distractingly. You may find out at the higher price point that you're missing out on tech or comfort problems that need to be solved. You might also discover that one of your employees knows an amazing mural artist or interior decorator or other craftsperson who could help you really make a personalized environment.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:06 PM on October 15, 2022 [4 favorites]
I recently worked at a company that felt like home. It was a successful up and coming company, so it had money to spend on amenities, and it was much larger than 10 people (it was about 50 when I started and grew from there). Somehow it managed to feel like family even as it grew to many hundreds of people.
Some of the things which made it feel like home:
First, the furniture and decor were made up of things that people had in their homes. Much was from Ikea.
The communal coffee mugs were all random and mismatched. They had home-style refrigerators, toasters, a slow cooker making oatmeal every morning, etc.
And speaking of food, there was free food bought at Trader Joe's (which is kind of a quirky supermarket chain with unique food), and a weekly delivery of fruits, veggies and fresh bread from the farmer's market. Once a week was bagel week in the morning. There was always breakfast cereal, avocado and toast fixings, and more. So there was always breakfast and lunch available if you wanted to make it for yourself.
One of the company values was the kitchen table as a place where everyone gets together to learn from each other and help each other. There was a literal kitchen table in the office next to the kitchen. People would go work from the KT as much/little as they liked.
And the company had a catered lunch brought in twice a week. One day was always the same caterer, and the other day was a local restaurant. Nobody was required to be there, but the food was good and there was always a lively conversation at the KT.
The company sponsored clubs. Anyone could form one, and the company would provide a modest stipend to each club on a quarterly basis. There were bicycling clubs, board games, host sauce tasting, music playing, and all sorts of things. The clubs didn't necessarily have to happen after work. The biking club for example would go on a weekly ride in the late afternoon on the same day each week, and it was well attended. There was almost no paperwork for creating/maintaining a club.
There was soft seating, like couches and soft seating with floor lamps and some decorations that was tasteful and felt like it was chosen by a person and not a corporate standard. People who felt like it decorated their spaces as they saw fit with wall hangings and such. Having non-office chairs available made comfortable places to get together.
There were company values for inclusion, accepting people as they are, and taking care of yourself. Unlike many companies I worked at, they were serious about these things.
There was a happy hour/social hour one day a week starting at about 4pm. This was early enough that folks with families could attend for a little while and still go home at a reasonable time. There were h'orderves and beverages and some music playing. People would knock off work a little early and hang out with their coworkers. Sometimes business would be discussed, sometimes not. This would all happen at least partially at the kitchen table, so folks would also be helping out others who were still working.
All of this may sound kind of ridiculous and excessive. Many people may wonder if any work got done. Indeed, quite a lot of work got done, and it was a lot of fun. Much of this may not work at the scale of 10 people, but hopefully it will give you some ideas. I guess the important parts are: bring people together (free food works great for this), genuinely care about them, and give them a comfortable place to be.
Over the course of about 6 years, our employee turnover rate was extremely low. During that time, everyone who was ever hired in my department still worked there. Our customer churn was extremely low as well.
Regarding having a lot of folks remote, that is indeed a challenge. When the pandemic happened we lost a lot of the positive attributes that I mentioned above. We tried a bunch of things to try and replicate it over video chat, but nothing really worked. During the pandemic, many people scattered across the country and around the world, and many things changed at the company. We are trying to rebuild the social connections now that the pandemic is winding down, and it's a challenge.
If you can, bring everyone together (local and remote) in person at least once a quarter. Have some structured time (meetings) to get work stuff done, but have significant time set aside for fun events. Maybe just a meal together, go to a local amusement park, museum, have a BBQ in the park, anything that most people would enjoy. Maybe 50% work and 50% fun time. You need the unstructured time for folks to get to know each other beyond the small talk that happens at the start of a meeting.
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 10:29 PM on October 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Some of the things which made it feel like home:
First, the furniture and decor were made up of things that people had in their homes. Much was from Ikea.
The communal coffee mugs were all random and mismatched. They had home-style refrigerators, toasters, a slow cooker making oatmeal every morning, etc.
And speaking of food, there was free food bought at Trader Joe's (which is kind of a quirky supermarket chain with unique food), and a weekly delivery of fruits, veggies and fresh bread from the farmer's market. Once a week was bagel week in the morning. There was always breakfast cereal, avocado and toast fixings, and more. So there was always breakfast and lunch available if you wanted to make it for yourself.
One of the company values was the kitchen table as a place where everyone gets together to learn from each other and help each other. There was a literal kitchen table in the office next to the kitchen. People would go work from the KT as much/little as they liked.
And the company had a catered lunch brought in twice a week. One day was always the same caterer, and the other day was a local restaurant. Nobody was required to be there, but the food was good and there was always a lively conversation at the KT.
The company sponsored clubs. Anyone could form one, and the company would provide a modest stipend to each club on a quarterly basis. There were bicycling clubs, board games, host sauce tasting, music playing, and all sorts of things. The clubs didn't necessarily have to happen after work. The biking club for example would go on a weekly ride in the late afternoon on the same day each week, and it was well attended. There was almost no paperwork for creating/maintaining a club.
There was soft seating, like couches and soft seating with floor lamps and some decorations that was tasteful and felt like it was chosen by a person and not a corporate standard. People who felt like it decorated their spaces as they saw fit with wall hangings and such. Having non-office chairs available made comfortable places to get together.
There were company values for inclusion, accepting people as they are, and taking care of yourself. Unlike many companies I worked at, they were serious about these things.
There was a happy hour/social hour one day a week starting at about 4pm. This was early enough that folks with families could attend for a little while and still go home at a reasonable time. There were h'orderves and beverages and some music playing. People would knock off work a little early and hang out with their coworkers. Sometimes business would be discussed, sometimes not. This would all happen at least partially at the kitchen table, so folks would also be helping out others who were still working.
All of this may sound kind of ridiculous and excessive. Many people may wonder if any work got done. Indeed, quite a lot of work got done, and it was a lot of fun. Much of this may not work at the scale of 10 people, but hopefully it will give you some ideas. I guess the important parts are: bring people together (free food works great for this), genuinely care about them, and give them a comfortable place to be.
Over the course of about 6 years, our employee turnover rate was extremely low. During that time, everyone who was ever hired in my department still worked there. Our customer churn was extremely low as well.
Regarding having a lot of folks remote, that is indeed a challenge. When the pandemic happened we lost a lot of the positive attributes that I mentioned above. We tried a bunch of things to try and replicate it over video chat, but nothing really worked. During the pandemic, many people scattered across the country and around the world, and many things changed at the company. We are trying to rebuild the social connections now that the pandemic is winding down, and it's a challenge.
If you can, bring everyone together (local and remote) in person at least once a quarter. Have some structured time (meetings) to get work stuff done, but have significant time set aside for fun events. Maybe just a meal together, go to a local amusement park, museum, have a BBQ in the park, anything that most people would enjoy. Maybe 50% work and 50% fun time. You need the unstructured time for folks to get to know each other beyond the small talk that happens at the start of a meeting.
posted by DrumsIntheDeep at 10:29 PM on October 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
Get your family leave policies sorted NOW, not “when someone needs it” and not “when we have enough headcount to justify it.”
I’m not clear on whether this company has an HR department yet, but in a C level position at a tiny place? Lobbying for this is your job to attract and retain top talent.
As soon as the leave policy is real, include it in your hiring materials. Not as an excuse to offer lower salaries, though.
posted by bilabial at 4:40 AM on October 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
I’m not clear on whether this company has an HR department yet, but in a C level position at a tiny place? Lobbying for this is your job to attract and retain top talent.
As soon as the leave policy is real, include it in your hiring materials. Not as an excuse to offer lower salaries, though.
posted by bilabial at 4:40 AM on October 16, 2022 [4 favorites]
Do people have their own allocated desks? That's the #1 thing that makes an office a more appealing place to me: that I have a space that is *mine*, which I can personalise (no clean desk policy), and that everyone else has one too (so that even when the office is empty of people, it looks like a place where people spend time, not a sterile environment in which employees are present during working hours). Wall art and books on shelves help here too.
A thing that is contributing to my reluctance to return to the office for one day a week (having switched to full-time WFH for the obvious reason) is the fact that only people who are in full-time get a fixed desk location. I understand the logic, but I really need consistency. So although it's not the biggest contributor to my staying home (that would be the virus), it looms much, much larger in my mind than I think my employer would expect.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:08 AM on October 18, 2022
A thing that is contributing to my reluctance to return to the office for one day a week (having switched to full-time WFH for the obvious reason) is the fact that only people who are in full-time get a fixed desk location. I understand the logic, but I really need consistency. So although it's not the biggest contributor to my staying home (that would be the virus), it looms much, much larger in my mind than I think my employer would expect.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:08 AM on October 18, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
(And make sure everyone can eat those donuts. Personally I'd appreciate apples and bananas as an alternative choice.)
posted by I claim sanctuary at 4:45 AM on October 15, 2022 [12 favorites]