Thomas Hoffman
We came across a post in the American Staffing Association's (ASA) forums this week, where a few staffing industry leaders were sharing the soft benefits their companies offer. Specifically, these leaders were looking for "new and innovative [benefits] that employers are implementing to retain and attract" the very best in today's competitive landscape -this led to some introspection.
From Glassdoor reviews that launch Call-Em-All into the stratosphere, to unheard-of employee retention rates among our teams, we knew we were doing some things right and that it's become our responsibility to share how we've accomplished all of this. At Call-Em-All, we believe there's more to the benefits a company provides its employees. The foundation comes from within the company's soul - and the values and purpose it chooses to live.
Call-Em-All’s Soft Benefits
1) No Formal Dress Code: More and more companies are moving away from formal business attire and embracing casual dress in the office. While everyone likes to be comfortable at work, many don't realize that a casual dress code has perks far beyond convenience. At Call-Em-All, we believe that dress codes reflect the company culture. Having a more relaxed dress code creates an open and friendly work environment. Some of us may have taken it a step too far once or twice (ahem - Halloween costume), but overall it's a way new team members can get to feeling comfortable quicker, and it's just who we are.
2) Flexible PTO: One of the major benefits of implementing a flexible PTO policy is that it accommodates the increasingly diverse workforce. However, trust is a key factor. By embracing our formula of "holding each other accountable," the policy becomes self-governing while providing a space for each person to recharge precisely when they need it. From the graduate student to the father of three kids to the employee that needs a wellness day, flexible PTO policies can be adapted for a variety of needs.
3) Community Service: Our company’s purpose is “to positively impact those around us.” We believe in the necessity of living our purpose so much that the founders give every employee one week of time off to volunteer outside the office. Beyond personal volunteering efforts, the company also partakes in several community events, including Frisco Coder Dojo, Frisco Family Services, and The Senior Source. Also, every holiday season, we adopt four senior living homes and throw them a party that includes goodie bags and other fun gifts.
4) A Fun Committee whose sole mission is to plan fun events all year long for Call-Em-All employees to take part in. Yes, they’re actually fun! From arcade nights to renting out entire movie theaters for Star Wars showings, they’re a place to let down our hair and kick our feet up and build stronger relationships. In turn, this helps us get better work done when we all walk back in the front door the next morning.
5) A Fully Stocked Kitchen with the best (healthy!) snacks and drinks you can ask for. Okay, maybe they’re not all healthy… But we all know you work better on a happy stomach.
6) Employee Ownership Mentality: This one’s a little different, and admittedly won’t be for everyone, but it belongs on the list nonetheless. We empower every single employee to operate with an ownership mentality. This means that there aren’t personal budgets for when you’re traveling for work, nor are our company’s finances hidden in the c-suite lounge. We encourage everyone to actively question what their peers are working on so that we’re collaborating to find the best of the best solutions. The point is, when you work here, you should feel like an owner from day one and with that comes the responsibility to do what’s right for all of us, not just yourself.
And last, but absolutely not least:
7) A Culture of Mutual Respect and Trust: Our culture has been deliberately crafted by our Founders from Day 1 to ensure that Call-Em-All’s doors are ones that our team looks forward to walking into each morning. You could say we aim for no drama and great teamwork. Our Values, Formula, Manifesto, and Purpose guide us in everything we do.
What's Next?
If you feel like this is just the beginning, that you want to apply a real focus on how your company does business, both internally and externally, we cannot recommend highly enough the communities of Small Giants and Tugboat.
Both have been instrumental in helping Call-Em-All cultivate and grow its culture. No company is perfect, but we can all get that much closer by working together, and these communities will help get you on the right path.
Want to learn more about who we are? Give us a call - we'd love to chat!