Yesterday, we had our team lunch to catch up and talk about what each of our different teams are doing and acknowledge achievements. At one point, we began discussing how all of these achievements were made possible because of the type of work environment we are in.
I have read multiple articles lately pointing readers to features or benefits to look for in a job. One that repeatedly shows up is a good work/life balance—being able to take time off to spend with their families and friends. But, I think there’s something more to what makes up a good work/life balance, and that’s great work culture.
What does it mean to have a great work culture?
Basically, you actually enjoy coming to work and spending time with your coworkers. You’re appreciated by your coworkers, and you feel that the work you do is important. Your work hours are flexible enough to allow you to take care of other things going on in your life (doctor’s appointments, dropping kids off at school) without using up vacation hours. You have added benefits of the job, like our snack program (free snacks!), the awesome new space we work in, or the occasional ping pong game. You have FUN—that's a must. But above all else, culture is made from the people you work with.
You can list a great work/life balance as a benefit on the job offer, but the culture of your workplace and its people will show much more. I enjoy coming to work and spending my day here with my coworkers, yet I also have the privilege to take days off or use flex time when needed. But, I truly believe those benefits are a direct extension of a great culture.
What’s important to realize here is that there are certain specific benefits, like PTO days and compensation, that absolutely play a part in deciding where to work. But, what’s equally, if not more important, is the culture of where you’ll be spending much of your time. A job may offer you 50 PTO days (wouldn’t that be something!), yet the other hundreds of days you are there, you hate. You probably won’t ever feel that a ton of time away from work (a “good” work/life balance as some might define it) makes up for a terrible work culture or awful coworkers. The two often go hand-in-hand.
Coming soon to the blog: interviews with our team members about what great work culture means to us!
Looking for a great work culture and fun people to work with? We’re hiring! Also, here’s an awesome list of 12 things to look for in a job that often are found in workplaces with great culture.