In our Creative Cultures series, contributor Crystal Henrickson spends a day inside companies to learn how hiring, onboarding and company culture play a role in employee happiness. From startups to design firms and all in-between, we’re pulling back the curtain on what it’s like to work in inventive and productive environments.
When you think of a stereotypical tech startup, a scene of ping pong tables, foosball and beer on Fridays emerges. But every day at Unbounce, an eagerness and earnestness to create a welcoming space for team members and customers alike bucks the cliche. I spent a day visiting their Vancouver office to experience its forward-thinking and transparent approach to business myself.
Unbounce is a marketing company providing software for professional marketers to create, publish and test landing pages, without engaging a developer. The company, which was founded in 2009, has surged to more than 110 employees (and counting!), servicing over 10,000 customers with offices in Vancouver and in Montreal.
Fostering inclusiveness
Any company experiencing a period of rapid growth will tell you about struggles they face preserving and evolving their culture. At Unbounce, they make this a top priority. Seldom is there a senior leadership meeting where the topic isn’t discussed, according to Michael Tan, Controller. Michael describes the environment as being “fast but slow at the same time. It’s fast in that we still have that startup mentality of getting things done, but Unbounce also has a measure-twice-cut-once mentality. The quality of our work and the hustle-value that we have speak to who we are.”
From early on, Unbounce’s leadership team recognized the importance of fostering an inclusive environment. The values at Unbounce are quite literally the writing on the wall. Words such as generosity, transparency, courage and humility decorate the idea-painted walls. (Idea paint turns walls into whiteboards). Its “caves and commons” layout strives for balance: open and collaborative spaces for teams to come together and quiet, private areas for focused and less-interrupted work when needed for individuals. True to Unbounce’s quirky form, meeting rooms are symbolically named after items that don’t bounce, like Meteor and Anchor.
Culture = caring
People and Culture Manager, Leslie Collin, examines how Unbounce’s “culture affects how people work on a day-to-day basis,” considering everything from the cleanliness of the kitchen to the office design. “If people want sit/stand desks, how do we make sure we have them? How good are we at facilitating a positive culture for our employees to do their best work?” Cody Campbell, SEO Manager, was the recipient of one of these stand up desks. A previous sports injury makes it hard for him to sit at a desk every day all day, but the $500 wellness credit available to each employee made it possible for him to customize his work station and increase his comfort in the workplace.
A wellness credit isn’t the only thoughtful perk. This company boasts a 4 week vacation policy and closes its offices during the holiday season. It hosts a mentorship program, leadership development program, and holds a “no core hours” policy. Employees are empowered to make the best decisions and work in ways that suit themselves and their individual teams or projects.
“Culture should always be something that somebody is free to participate in to the limits that they want.”
– Jonas Stanford
As they’ve grown, they’ve expanded to fit all kinds of personalities, learning approaches and socializing styles, honouring both introverted and extroverted employees. They do their best to ensure team members are comfortable asking questions if it’s in their nature, but also try to anticipate what information people might seek if they’re less inclined to reach out for help. And previous beer Fridays have transitioned to be more socially focused with efforts made to provide interesting and flavourful non-alcoholic drinks as well.
As Jonas Stanford, Director of Customer Support and Engagement concludes, “Unbounce is very much about inclusiveness and people participating in cultural activities to the limits that they want.”
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