Applause takes great pride in the culture it’s built. As we transitioned to a remote work model in early March, the strength of the culture was demonstrated by how engaged and passionate our team members were, and how they remained connected and more collaborative than ever. Company culture has always been a top priority for Applause and it shows.
Most recently, Applause was named to Inc. Magazine’s annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2020, which hits newsstands in the May/June 2020 issue of Inc. Magazine. The recognition from Inc. is the latest in a line of best places to work awards for Applause. We were also recognized by the Boston Globe and Boston Business Journal as a top workplace in Massachusetts in 2019.
The list is the result of a wide-ranging and comprehensive measurement of American companies that have created exceptional workplaces through vibrant cultures, deep employee engagement and stellar benefits. Inc. collected data from more than 3,000 submissions, and singled out under 400 finalists for this year’s list. Each nominated company took part in an employee survey on topics including trust, management effectiveness, perks and confidence in the future. Inc. gathered, analyzed and audited the data, then ranked all the employers using a composite score of survey results.
The strongest engagement scores came from companies that prioritize the most human elements of work. These companies lead the way in employee recognition, performance management and diversity.
These are key focus areas for Applause, along with training and transparency for all employees. We invest in our team members and do everything we can to set them up for success. We hold new-hire bootcamps (and happy hours) where we bring in people from all locations so they can learn about Applause and meet the entire team. Applause Nation is now over 400 employees strong, and 10% of employees celebrated promotions at the beginning of 2020.
Communication is key to having a strong culture. To ensure transparent communication, CEO Doron Reuveni meets with each department in an open forum quarterly, where team members can ask questions about the company and learn about Doron’s perspective of the business. This is in addition to the company-wide updates Doron gives twice a quarter to all employees.
To maintain the fun factor and communication between all employees globally, we created an Applause Spirit Week Slack channel. Each Sunday, employees are given the list for the week ahead to share pictures and videos based on daily themes, which have ranged from creating an Applause-inspired meme, to showing off their culinary skills and showcasing their hidden talents. This, along with weekly virtual team happy hours, have helped us all to stay connected while working remotely.
(Team members show off their pets, Star Wars fandom, meme-building skills and Applause swag.)
“Building a great corporate culture comes only from strong leadership,” says Inc. magazine editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “The companies on Inc.’s Best Workplaces list are setting an example that the whole country can learn from, especially now, when company culture is more important to the workforce than ever.”
At Applause, we take the employee experience just as seriously as we take providing our customers with the best digital experience! Learn more about Applause’s culture by getting to know our team and checking out our current job openings.
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