The Importance of a Good Company Culture

It might seem dramatic, but many people loathe going to work. And when they wake up in the morning, feelings of anxiety and apathy immediately take over. Loving your job is one of the keys to happiness. Because if you don't, you'll dread every weekday you get out of bed, constantly looking toward the weekend and having to experience the "Sunday Scaries."

[Check out Part 1 of our Company Culture Blog]

The reality is that a lot of people wouldn't work if they didn't have to. Since the pandemic, many people have had time to reconsider what they are looking for in a position. Before, the job search may have been more salary-driven. But now, people are starting to think about what’s more important to them, such as benefits, flexibility or a better work/life balance.

So, how can businesses counteract that by making work more enjoyable and rewarding? Two words: company culture.

Good company culture sounds great, but it's much easier said than done. It takes a willingness from team members to come to work with an open mind and a positive attitude. Again, easier said than done, especially if we haven't had our coffee before coming in.

But more importantly, company culture is about creating an environment of acceptance and positive collaboration where everyone can feel comfortable sharing ideas as well as laughs. And here's the best part – good company culture results in loyal employees and more productivity.

At PALO Creative, our company culture is thriving, but with the addition of our culture committee, we've only scratched the surface. Here is what some of our team members think about the company culture as they share their best PALO moments.

Hannah Keeling – So, the particular details on this are confidential… but let me paint a picture for you. A new restaurant is coming to Boardman, and we were tasked with creating a marketing rollout plan to get people excited for the grand opening.

To get the conversation started, I set up a "brainstorming session" between Rob (our President & CEO), Jon (our Marketing Strategy Director), Jackie (our Account Coordinator) and myself (the Account Executive on the account).

The meeting kicks off like any other - we establish our goals, the hurdles we potentially face, etc.

Then comes the fun part… we take turns throwing out potential ideas. First, we start small (and insignificant) - "how about EDDM?" ("Think bigger").

Before long, the ideas get more and more absurd.

"Let's dress someone up in costume…"

(We burst out in laughter… "How ridiculous")

"...how about 20 people in costumes…"

"...overtaking the city…" 

Before any one of us could slow down its momentum, the idea took on a life of its own.

And somehow, the more outrageous it got, the more it worked.

Suddenly, we were actually (excitedly) pitching our client 20 people in themed costumes flooding the town - taking pictures with bystanders, passing out coupons and getting the buzz around town going.

The best part? The client said YES!

Bella Palowitz – My best PALO moments that come to mind are in the creative/content office. We have quite the age span in our room, yet we all somehow have similar senses of humor and interests.

I've laughed so hard with my creative/content team about Spongebob references, funny in-office shenanigans and, of course, our daily roast sessions. And when I say we roast each other, we really don't hold back (especially Scott). I love that even in the midst of our busy days, we all find a way to lift each other up through a laugh or by sharing inspiration with each other.

Scott Lendak – Some of my favorite moments are trying to explain modern slang references to Jackie and her not understanding them even though she's not even 30. How does she not know what "cap" means?

I knew PALO was the place for me when I stopped getting the Sunday Scaries. When you actually like what you're doing and the people you work with, going to work stops being a chore. That's something I couldn't imagine having when I was in college. And the culture has certainly helped that.

Jackie Kane – My best PALO moment would be shopping for the coffee bar with Hannah, then coming back to work at 7 p.m. and staying to strategize until 12:30 a.m. Just the fact that I am willing to stay at work until 12:30 a.m. speaks volumes about the culture. Trust me, if the culture was bad, I would be watching the clock and running out at 5 p.m. every day without turning back!

Nick Mrozek – My favorite moment at PALO is meeting with the strategy team for the first time at StoneFruit Coffee. It really set the tone for how many great memories I've made in such a short period of time. Work culture is very important, and I think our team has done a really good job of prioritizing it.

Jon Elias – It's tough to pick one, but I would say when the team surprised me with mountains of diapers when my daughters were born. It really showed how much everyone cares about each other. In fact, there were so many diapers that I had to give some away to Eric! He wears them every day. (This is a joke, but Eric signed off on it because we have a great company culture where we can make fun of ourselves).

Steve Criado – My favorite PALO moment so far was having the PALO Power Day at TopGolf. It was so fun to socialize with everybody and see how terrible everyone was at golf. The culture committee has done a great job of not only spearheading these fun, collaborative events but also addressing items that may have been overlooked in the past.

Good work culture isn't about scheduling trips and fun days to get away from work. When a good work culture is achieved, it improves teamwork, raises morale, increases productivity, and retains employees. Who will ever want to leave a job if they genuinely enjoy coming to work? No one, that's who.

At the end of the day, the perks of good workplace culture are reason enough to start making a change. But it's also about the people. Most of us spend 40 hours a week at our jobs, so creating a space where employees can laugh, collaborate, and feel welcome can go a long way. We're taking steps to make our culture even better. Now it's your turn.