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In our Creative Cultures series, our writers 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. Today, writer Leila Pejman takes us through a day at Uberflip.
Zen.
It’s how I’d describe my first experience at the Uberflip’s Toronto office. With its cement floors and exposed brick and beams, the open-concept space is filled with natural light – perfect for the yoga class that starts every Friday morning. While flowing through a sun salutation, you can’t help being distracted by the giant, painted wall illustrating the company’s values. “I am H.U.S.T.L.E.” gets the most exposure.
It stands for: heart, unique, skill, tech, lean, and entrepreneurial. Yoav Schwartz, co-founder and CEO, explains that to be part of the hustle, you must be authentic. No a-holes allowed. Being entrepreneurial involves understanding what is in front of you so that you can make an impact.
Founded in 2012, Uberflip is a content experience platform that aggregates all of a user’s content (blog articles, eBooks, videos, whitepapers and more) so they can create, manage and optimize tailored content experiences to customers or followers. And in the past year or so, Uberflip has almost tripled in size. Scaling can be a challenge for such fast-growing companies, but Uberflip realized early on that to expand successfully, it had to systematically define culture and values. This has helped narrow the applicant pool and expedite the hiring process, proving invaluable since, at one point, they had eleven new hires in one day.
“People won’t buy into a culture unless they understand why it’s important.” – Randy Frisch, Uberflip COO
Candidates can expect to have three or four interviews and to be informed immediately if they will be moving on to the next phase. The onboarding process averages about four to five weeks, with a confirmed schedule of meetings, deadlines, and events. “It’s streamlined and organized, which gives me an empowered feeling so I can better schedule my time between self-learning and the meetings,” says Jenny Woods, one of the new hires.
A strong culture is the foundation of Uberflip’s ethos. Although it doesn’t have a culture team, the co-founders are committed to getting their employees engaged. For instance, on their second day on the job, new hires meet with Randy Frisch, COO & co-founder, to go over the company’s values digging into the ‘culture deck’. As Randy puts it, “People won’t buy into a culture unless they understand why it’s important.”
Play is also essential for forging strong team dynamics. The co-founders have even turned their values into a fashion statement by designing swag that staff actually wants to wear, from fluorescent pink headbands to an “I am H.U.S.T.L.E.” T-shirt. The VP of Finance, Braedon Hebert, also hosts a segment during the company’s Friday afternoon fireside chat called “The Hot Seat.” While the name may sound intimidating, the series of random questions asked to new employees is entertaining and helps with breaking the ice.
These strategies seem to be working. According to Jenny, the office “radiates good vibes, including the walls.” The walls are decorated with positive and cheeky messages about the company’s values and products. They even include photos from past company events, but to Jenny, it’s more than just the decorations that give off positive feelings. “It’s about the people,” she states. “They project a genuine excitement about being at the company.”
While Uberflip’s standards are high, employees are happy, particularly because the company respects them. Uberflip sets hard targets keeping with the hustle mentality, but the management trusts the staff to work independently to get things done. As their talent manager, Lisa Chang, explains, Uberflip is a forward-thinking company that is always looking for people who are innovative and ready to push the boundaries with passion.
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