We’re hiring!

We’re hiring! Exciting, yes! Easy, no.

The process of hiring can always be intimidating, especially to a small, close-knit company with a very distinct “personality,” aka company culture.

Our company culture comes naturally from being our authentic selves, caring about each other and working with our individual talents. Our titles and roles are ever-evolving to play on our strengths, instead of trying to fit a cookie-cutter job description. The collaborative and open environment encourages creative brainstorming and accessibility for help or advice. We even spend time with each other outside of the 40-hours a week that we “work” together.

As the most recently hired designer (almost 3 years ago!), I’ve had the privilege of growing my skills and my love of design with Worx. From my first business card design to, more recently, complete re-branding packages, growth is apparent all around me. Our lovely new office with teal walls and room for more team members; of course the creation and ongoing initiative of The Green Couch Project!

I personally happen to be in the desk position to potentially play footsie with the new Worx employee. I look forward to having another team member to encourage, help and learn from! We’re looking for a Junior Graphic Designer with strong logo and branding skills, who is team oriented and loves to collaborate!

So, what can you do to really define your company culture and invite growth to come your way?

- Be authentic.

There are times to be more relaxed and times to be more professional, but always be yourself. People like REAL.

- Be realistic.

Having very high goals set for yourself and your company is always a great thing. However, having a realistic plan of attack for reaching those goals, one step at a time, makes the short-term goals more achievable.

- Be honest.

With being authentic, comes being honest. Do you have an open door policy? Do your employees or co-workers feel intimidated or feel that they don’t have access to help or resources? Create open, helpful and encouraging dialogue to ensure positive communication and honesty.

- Be intentional.

Be intentional about each team members’ strengths and weaknesses and work with them. While it’s important to fill a “role” that needs to be filled, let it morph into what works best for them, you and the company. There’s no job title that’s one-size-fits-all for all companies.

-Be fun.

Everyone likes to have fun. While everyone’s definition of fun is different, finding common ground of something enjoyable to do together as a company will build the team up as a whole and just lift everyone’s spirits. If everyone feels appreciated and is presented an opportunity to relax and have fun, when it’s time to get back to work, they will feel refreshed, motivated and ready to go!

An Inside Scoop From An Outside Perspective

What’s it like working in an industry in which I have absolutely no history? To sit at an open space tribicle (three cubicles), and have a Mac desktop dock downloaded with software dedicated solely to this industry?

While I’ve never been directly asked this verbally, the eyes say a lot. When the company for which I work for is introduced, I’m assumed to be one of them. One of my co-workers. The presumption is an honor - but once the preliminary introduction is out of the way and the perfunctory handshake is shook, they really want to know, what’s my position if I’m not in their league? A marketing administrative assistant? Wait, how can I be a Girl Friday if I only work Tuesday-Thursday?

I have one program that individuals, kids, parents, college students, teachers use worldwide, so what’s so special about that? Microsoft Word. It can be painfully slow, but in the office it’s my fourth best friend. (Looking at me sucking up to my boss and co-workers.)

You see, I’m a copywriter and somehow the graphic designers around me found a reason to carve a space out for me.

What’s it like?  

Liberating

I wake up every workday knowing that I get to dress the way my mind thinks and my co-workers design.

What’s it like? 

Stimulating

I get to live by the 4 C’s: Collaborate. Create. And receive and offer Constructive Criticism.

Yes.

We manage to live successfully by them. Relatively drama free.

How?

•    You have to have a clear and open mind and open space that allows for open dialogue.

•    You have to have a trustworthy relationship with your peers, co-workers, leaders; whomever you are interacting with during your creative collaborative and constructive criticism sessions.

•    You need to learn to listen attentively and respectively.

•    And learn to talk tactfully; criticism and insults are not synonymous.

•    You need to learn to differentiate that just because a project is a “No” doesn’t equate that you’re a “No.”

•    And learn to take a compliment.

•    And give compliments every once in awhile. For every criticism, find a compliment or word of wise encouragement. That’s what makes it constructive. The compliment may be futurist: “When you do “this,” because I know YOU are capable of it. It will rock the mismatching socks of the audience and ca-ca poo-poo is going to hit the fan. It’s going to be awesome.” Even that kind of praise is welcome. Wacky. Deserved. Memorable.

I don’t have to be a mother to appreciate a well-behaved child. I don’t have to be a painter to take notice of an Albrecht Dürer piece of work. I don’t have to be a firefighter to sound the alarm of a burning building. I don’t have to be a baker to know when my taste buds are getting a dose of delicious pastry. And I don’t have to be a graphic designer to sit amongst them and their dexterity at visual branding.

I have no history in the industry I’m working in; at the tribicle of desks I’m sitting. But I have a future here. I will not design, but I will definitely be coming back because my Microsoft Documents and their InDesign Software tend to coexist quite well.