7 Top Web Companies And How They Treat Their Employees
Regardless of industry, there are certain things that every business organization should have high on the list of priorities and that is how well they treat their employees. Although certain traditional industries scoff at ‘techies’ for having limited business experience at times, one thing that web companies know how to do is keep their workforce in a state of motivated bliss. Here’s a quick list of some of our favorite companies and what they do to enhance their work environment. These organizations are cool not just because they make great products, but they have created great company cultures as well. Instituting some of these practices could enhance your own company whatever type business you’re in.
Tagged
SF-based Tagged is sort of the opposite of Facebook: Instead of connecting with friends, Tagged users use the site to meet new people based on shared interests and compatibility.
Not surprisingly, the social gurus at Tagged employees are a close-knit bunch. “Everyone has an equal voice—your contributions matter,” says recruiter Gretchen Van Walterop. With happy hours every Friday and monthly ice cream socials, there’s always something fun to look forward to at the office and new friends to make.
Fun Perk: Tagged employees can sign up for a traditional gym, Pilates, boot camp courses, or onsite yoga classes—and all at the company’s expense.
________________________________________
It’s no surprise that Pinterest is a pretty creative place to work. The company holds regular Hackathons, where employees (technical or not) get to choose a creative idea and make it happen. One recent project involved creating a real-life pinboard for the Pinterest office wall.
Pinterest’s weekly happy hours, hosted over the foosball table, are also a great time for employees to hang out, talk about their weeks, and drink some mean mojitos, courtesy of one of the engineers. On top of that, happy hour is the home of a weekly Q&A session with the founders, where employees can get open answers to any questions they have.
Fun Perk: Pinterest employees recently started up an Ultimate Frisbee team, and they’re now gearing up to challenge some of the other start-ups in the area.
FourSquare
“Foursquare is so quirky and fun. It manifests itself not only in our product, but in our office, too,” says product manager Siobhan Quinn. A good example: Each one of Foursquare’s conference rooms has décor inspired by a Foursquare badge—Photogenic is lined with vintage cameras and Bookworm is made to look like a library, lined with books and old newspapers.
Foursquare’s staff is split between SF and NYC, but the company makes sure employees can always talk to one another. The main room in each office features a “Portal”—a live-streaming TV set-up that allows people to feel like they’re in the same room, talk to each other, and collaborate across the country.
Fun Perk: Karaoke-off challenges with neighboring companies like ZocDoc, 10gen and Thrillist
______________________________
Zoosk
Part dating site, part online memory keeper, Zoosk is a romantic social network where couples can create and share romantic journeys.
And just like that perfect first date, Zoosk employees are constantly looking to have fun and get to know each other better. “People feel really open to being themselves here,” says senior marketing manager Elsa Hou. “They don’t feel they have to fit into a mold like someone in a more corporate environment might.”
Zoosk also has a resident party-planning committee that organizes activities from Oktoberfest and Halloween costume contests to summer picnics and potlucks. There are also plenty of happy hours, and employees put an emphasis on celebrating their project milestones together.
Fun Perk: A kitchen that feels like a diner.
Klout
“I wanted something that was hip and cool and progressive,” says Charles Dudley, a senior designer at Klout. And he and the other “Kloutlaws” (yes, that’s what they’re called) found it at the SF-based company that’s “pioneering the science behind social media.”
Cliché or not, Klout’s employees truly have a “work hard, play hard” environment. On the work front, Klout prides itself on an open source tech stack, where engineers can work in large teams to produce the most cutting-edge tech products. And the play? Every Friday, Klout holds an “All Hands” State of the Union meeting. Drinks are handed out, the new hires shotgun their beers, and everyone gets an update on the business of the week.
Fun Perk: Catered lunches, ping pong, video games, chill zones and a few dogs that frequent the office.
StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon likens its search process to an adventure, and it remembers the intellectual adventurers who came before, too. Each conference room is named after a famous brain, from Niels Bohr to Albert Einstein. And for the musicians at StumbleUpon, the Bohr room is the perfect place for a post-work jam session—complete with drum set and guitars.
But the best part about StumbleUpon is the team. “There’s a great attitude here that’s been fostered right from the board all the way down,” says Jamie Talbot, a senior software engineer. Research engineer Jacky Chang says she likes “how flat the structure is—there’s basically only two or three people between me and the CEO.”
Fun Perk: $100 month Uber credit
_______________________
Tumblr
Time Out Magazine called Tumblr “the best place to work in New York,” and we can see why: It’s full of fun, creative people who are truly passionate about the platform that they’re building. “We’re really connected with what people are creating,” says support manager Renee Perron.
Tumblr has grown from its start-up roots, but the employees still gather each Friday for drinks and company updates. CEO David shares the latest news, and each group gives an update, too, on what they’re working on. Then, the new hires are given a fun and creative welcome—most recently, game-show style. “The All-Team Meeting is the highlight of a lot of people’s weeks,” says recruiting manager Sean McDermott.
Fun Perk: Specialty coffees are ordered in bulk, and everyone gets to try out the flavor of the month.
Friday happy hours seems to be the consistent theme across keeping the employees happy.
It really is, I love how tech companies create such a cool culture