We constantly tout JVM’s “Super Culture” as our secret sauce in our blogs, website and conversations. In response to a blog last week, several people asked what we do to cultivate our culture. We do far more than just talk about it.
How We Build a Culture of Teamwor
It starts with the interview process. We make it very clear how our culture of fun, psychological safety, autonomy and inclusion works to every applicant.
We also use questions and DISC tests to make sure we hire nobody like me or Heejin. Heejin and I had great resumes and looked really good on paper, but we were not ever “team players.” We were 99% “D” on our DISC Tests and too driven and not congenial enough (all of this can be assessed during interviews). We look for congenial, diligent people who are lower on the “D scale.”
When on-boarding new hires, we make sure they feel 100% welcome and included from the get-go by having their work-stations 100% ready, by introducing them to the entire office, by having a training program ready, and by having a “welcome-happy hour” within their first week.
We also make sure management meets with every team member (and listens to all input) on a weekly basis. We make sure nobody, especially management, ever reacts in anger or unprofessionally, and that a very specific style of professional communication is employed at all times.
And, we set up lots of fun events to keep the office light including dart gun wars, flip cup games, vodka tastings, happy hours, and off-site events like trips to Tahoe and San Francisco.
Why Culture Is Worth the Effort
Maintaining a culture like ours takes far more time and effort than people realize, but it is well worth it both financially and psychologically.
